Terminalcoffee discussion

Are you a job hopper? I hear about how people entering the job market today will switch jobs/careers a slew of times, but I've also heard that jumping from position to position looks bad on a resume because you might not stay in the hiring position long or whatever. What do you think? Depends?

Since graduating from college I've had three jobs, four if you include a ten week stint at one school, but I don't count that. I did four years in one school, four years in another, and almost nine years in my current position. However, I've had four different titles in my current position and just dodged a fifth. I try to keep myself mentally prepared that I probably won't work in this position forever, but hell, I like it, for now.

What about you? What do you think of job hopping? Do you get bored in position, or like the stability?

i had a few diff jobs when i first got out of school (and married) but then worked 19 yrs at a company as a facilty/maintenance manager overseeing 4 factories. those plants shut down in 2007 (went offshore...) and since i have worked at my current job. basically i am thankful for this job and have not really looked at all for anything else

In a class that was required during sophomore year of college, before declaring a major, my teacher gave a lesson that stuck with me over the years. The class was Career Planning & Life Management. The instructor was Jesse Mason, Jr. He reminded me of Morgan Freeman with maybe a wee small smidge of James Earl Jones in his cadence, so sometimes I'd fantasize that he actually was Mr. Freeman instead of Mr. Mason... seemed much more glamorous that way.

What he said was, "Statistics show the average person will change careers, not just jobs... careers, at least 4 times during his or her lifetime. Bankers become teachers. Doctors become farmers... With statistics like that, making the decision to choose a major should be a little easier for you. Study what you love. Don't waste your time studying what you think you'll need right now. A degree is a degree."

And that always makes me think of my buddy, Jeff, who studied zoology and animal husbandry in college, and went on to become a minister (he eventually went to a seminary).

I've changed my career at least once so far - from production (I lump television news in with film/video/radio production because they were mostly the same thing) to medical research.

I guess that by an observer's standard, I'd be considered a job hopper. I've worked in two places in production; then when I decided to go back to school, I decided I needed a job at the med school so I could get a discount on my tuition... and ended up in psychiatry/medical research by chance, where I've been for 6 years... but I still consider this to be more like a job than a career.

I truly don't think I've found my vocation yet.

I still have ambition to go back for graduate school someday, but I haven't decided what I'd like to study in grad school - I'm narrowed it down to deciding between social work, communication theory, psychology, writing, and library science.

I've also considered a year in the Peace Corps, if not longer... but I'm scared that if I do it, something big will happen while I'm away and I'll miss it and regret it... so I'm stuck vascilating between which outweighs the other - regret over not going or regret over missing something big...

I have 16 years teaching, in two school districts (but 4 different schools and 4 different jobs)

I was with the same rail transportation company for many years -- with several different positions along the way.

About mid-career, I bailed out and jumped off the cliff of a radically different career/line of work, starting a consulting business and working for another consulting firm doing behavior-based performance improvement and behavior-based safety in several different industries.

I continued this in a few different forms, started an Internet-based business that failed miserably, and finally ended up working for another rail transportation company. I was hired for, and have used my skills and experiences that I picked up during the time away from that business.

Some people never take any risks, never have the chance to fail at something and learn from what comes of that. Sometimes I think about what it would have been like to have never wandered around in the wilderness for those 10 years -- but then I remember that I like what I do now, and that I would never have gotten here without taking the risks.

Working as a contract employee in Information Technology, you're almost forced to being a job hopper.

By the way, I'm leaving my current job and going into another gig, so there's yet another example of my job hoppery.

I've been at the same place for 11 years and not planning on ever leaving. I worked here full time for the first 5 years and then went part time when I had my first daughter. I also moved from sales into contracts at that point. I don't really care about my career. I have a job that pays enough money, allows me to spend time with my family, I'm good at, gets me out of the house, makes me think and learn, and doesn't stress me out too much. It's perfect for me and I'll never leave unless something really drastic happens.

Twenty-two years with the government transit authority known as General Motors.

Clark works for GM? I had no idea. You must have balls of steel, sir, riding out the last couple of years. How's the company looking now? I hear they're on the way up again.

The 'nads are actually titanium, but I'll let you slide THIS time.

We had one of those days back in September when HR - accompanied by security - started tapping people on the shoulder and saying, "You're outta here." They started on the far side of our floor and gradually began working their way north, i.e., towards me. They arrived at a co-worker's cube about 10 feet from mine and I thought I'd burst an aneurysm. Luckily, they stopped there. Earning a living was never supposed to be like this.

I'm cautiously optimistic. We recently received raises for the first time in three years and the company has reinstituted our 401k match and tuition reimbursement. Of course, we're now more out of pocket when it comes to health care expenses. As for our pensions, well it's obvious why we're no longer known as "Generous Motors." Oh, and I've inherited the jobs of about four people no longer with the company.

That's some scary shit, Clark.

Larry wrote: "That's some scary shit, Clark."

I wouldn't wish it on anyone, Larry.

A famous Utopian vision: "Each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic."

A famous Detroit Dystopian adage: "If you don't like it, don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you."

I'm not really a job hopper, but within my field of work, librarianship, sometimes to advance, you have to move. Most librarians that I know are from some other part of the country.
I've had four professional positions since getting my masters degree in '91, and while I've been with the Timberland Regional Library for about 12 years, I've only had my current job of selector of youth materials for 2 1/4 years.
I think that three years is a good minimum amount of time to be in a job. It gives you time to learn most everything you can from it, and doesn't look too flighty if you leave after that.

That makes sense to me, Misha, I can see that about journalism. But I wouldn't have guessed it about librarianship.
Oh, well, I moved a lot as a kid (Dad was Army), so I'm used to it. :)

The northwest is pretty, cool, but there's so much of the rest of the country I've never seen. It's exciting to think, hey, I could go anywhere!

You could go to Omaha!

The library is good -- but I've heard it's not rated well by those who rate them.

The newspaper is good, too -- but I understand they're under quite a bit of financial stress.

Yeah! OMAHA! ;)

When (no, not if) the Gulfstream stops pumping due to climate change, London will be quite cool, I understand.

Giant bugs and dandelions be damned! I love the south :) and its humidity!

I job hopped quite a bit before becoming a teacher. I had over twenty jobs, I'm sure. Teaching is now my career, and I plan to return one day!