How long do you stick around at a "meh" new job for?
March 6, 2013 5:46 PM Subscribe
How long do you stick around at a "meh" new job for?
I'm not even a few months into a new job, but I'm already feeling very "meh" about it. I acknowledge that I'm lucky enough to have a job in this economy despite not having a whole tonne of job experience, but I feel like I don't have much to gain by staying here nor do I have much to lose if I leave.
I'm in my early 20s and I know that I have to put in my hours just to get some more experience, but it seems like I'm learning skills that are very specific to this one company and aren't going to be transferable to others (not something I'd highlight in my resume), and I don't care very much for the skills that I am learning. The only one good thing about it is the hourly pay (for now, since they're forced by the temp agency to pay for overtime) and maybe one or two of the people, but everything else is not great.
What kind of deal breakers do you folks have for your new job? Or do you have an "assessment" period, e.g. give it a shot for three months, six months, one year, etc. to see if there's more beyond the grind? When do I know if I've seen it all? How low should my standards be given my situation?
I'm not even a few months into a new job, but I'm already feeling very "meh" about it. I acknowledge that I'm lucky enough to have a job in this economy despite not having a whole tonne of job experience, but I feel like I don't have much to gain by staying here nor do I have much to lose if I leave.
I'm in my early 20s and I know that I have to put in my hours just to get some more experience, but it seems like I'm learning skills that are very specific to this one company and aren't going to be transferable to others (not something I'd highlight in my resume), and I don't care very much for the skills that I am learning. The only one good thing about it is the hourly pay (for now, since they're forced by the temp agency to pay for overtime) and maybe one or two of the people, but everything else is not great.
What kind of deal breakers do you folks have for your new job? Or do you have an "assessment" period, e.g. give it a shot for three months, six months, one year, etc. to see if there's more beyond the grind? When do I know if I've seen it all? How low should my standards be given my situation?
Do you have a better option lined up?
If not, and working there is not actively harmful to you, you keep it.
posted by celtalitha at 5:56 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
If not, and working there is not actively harmful to you, you keep it.
posted by celtalitha at 5:56 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
When do I know if I've seen it all?
Never.
"Meh" isn't a deal breaker at all, but it's an ideal situation for looking around. In fact, I always look around, even when I'm happy where I am. Absent awful or extraordinary circumstances, don't leave one job until you have another lined up.
But really, you've never seen it all. As soon as you think you have, even about a dead-end job in a nondescript company, you stop learning. There's something to be gained here & always something more to learn.
posted by headnsouth at 5:59 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Never.
"Meh" isn't a deal breaker at all, but it's an ideal situation for looking around. In fact, I always look around, even when I'm happy where I am. Absent awful or extraordinary circumstances, don't leave one job until you have another lined up.
But really, you've never seen it all. As soon as you think you have, even about a dead-end job in a nondescript company, you stop learning. There's something to be gained here & always something more to learn.
posted by headnsouth at 5:59 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
If it's not great now, it's almost certainly going to continue being not great. Start looking for your next thing now and jump whenever you've got it lined up.
I have gone from feeling "yay" about a job to feeling "meh", but never the reverse. When I look back on my career, only once would it have been a better idea to stick around than to leave: I left a good job at a medium-sized engineering firm to go work for Google, which turned out to be a comprehensive waste of time. That's also the one time I left because I was dazzled by the bright lights of a better offer and not because I was actually dissatisfied with my current job in any significant way.
Every time I've felt like a job is an unfulfilling grind, leaving has turned out to be the right choice, and the sooner the better.
YMMV but that's what's worked for me.
posted by Mars Saxman at 6:02 PM on March 6, 2013
I have gone from feeling "yay" about a job to feeling "meh", but never the reverse. When I look back on my career, only once would it have been a better idea to stick around than to leave: I left a good job at a medium-sized engineering firm to go work for Google, which turned out to be a comprehensive waste of time. That's also the one time I left because I was dazzled by the bright lights of a better offer and not because I was actually dissatisfied with my current job in any significant way.
Every time I've felt like a job is an unfulfilling grind, leaving has turned out to be the right choice, and the sooner the better.
YMMV but that's what's worked for me.
posted by Mars Saxman at 6:02 PM on March 6, 2013
If it's a temp job one thing you have to lose is the good will of the temp agency, which is a bridge you might not want to burn if there's a chance you'll want them to hire you again.
posted by camyram at 6:05 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by camyram at 6:05 PM on March 6, 2013 [1 favorite]
Until about two weeks after I've accepted a different job.
posted by box at 6:14 PM on March 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by box at 6:14 PM on March 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
The "meh" you're feeling is not a legit dealbreaker unless you have an actual offer for a better job in hand. Until then, there's no reason you shouldn't look around to see what opportunities are available, but don't quit. Maybe you're right that none of your current responsibilities are transferable, but you never know who might be noticing your good work and thinking of giving you a shot at a different role. You might also make connections with people who could refer you to a great job at another company. Don't go closing doors just because of "meh."
Also, you might find that you have lots of attractive options, or you might find there's nothing and start feeling more appreciation for the job you have. It's a win either way.
posted by keep it under cover at 6:29 PM on March 6, 2013
Also, you might find that you have lots of attractive options, or you might find there's nothing and start feeling more appreciation for the job you have. It's a win either way.
posted by keep it under cover at 6:29 PM on March 6, 2013
Start looking around, but do also consider what you can gain from this job—and it doesn't have to be career related. I know someone who took a pretty "meh" job and didn't see better prospects around. He decided to take the steady paycheck and regular hours and start training for marathons. Not being too worried about driving his career at this time allowed him to focus on something else. This is a skill and accomplishment he'll have for the rest of his life, regardless of his job.
posted by fontophilic at 7:16 PM on March 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by fontophilic at 7:16 PM on March 6, 2013 [3 favorites]
As someone who's managing a very dysfunctional group who have never worked in other institutions nor have had a real manager before, they lack a number of skills that while not generally called out on a resume, are very important soft skills for working effectively in an organization: creating and/or following internal protocols, having realistic expectations for cross-departmental collaborations, etc.
This is not to say that these are your issues, but my reports are around your age and truly don't know what they don't know simply due to age and experience. Agreed that you should definitely look & apply to other jobs that seem like a better fit, but don't quit until you land one. Post-high school, outside of explicitly project-based contract jobs, I give them a year; I find that's a good period to evaluate the difference between growing pains/getting acclimated v. lasting dissatisfaction due to bad fit. I also get a decent feeling over that period whether the issues that make the job unacceptable are being addressed by leadership or not. Still, YMMV.
posted by smirkette at 7:58 PM on March 6, 2013
This is not to say that these are your issues, but my reports are around your age and truly don't know what they don't know simply due to age and experience. Agreed that you should definitely look & apply to other jobs that seem like a better fit, but don't quit until you land one. Post-high school, outside of explicitly project-based contract jobs, I give them a year; I find that's a good period to evaluate the difference between growing pains/getting acclimated v. lasting dissatisfaction due to bad fit. I also get a decent feeling over that period whether the issues that make the job unacceptable are being addressed by leadership or not. Still, YMMV.
posted by smirkette at 7:58 PM on March 6, 2013
Welcome to the real world, work sucks for most people.
The reality is that few, very very few, people actually enjoy their jobs, find them fulfilling, go in with a song in their hearts etc. For most people it is a means to an end. the "meh" feeling would be welcomed by the vast majority of the workforce as an improvement on their experience.
It sounds like you're a temp, temps do not get the good jobs, that is what they are for, to fill in at the rubbish that others have walked out of. By all means look around, but you will be fortunate to find anything truly non-meh. So decide whether the problem is the job or you, perhaps your attitude and expectations are out of line, what did you think you were going to get working for an agency anyway?
posted by epo at 2:59 AM on March 7, 2013
The reality is that few, very very few, people actually enjoy their jobs, find them fulfilling, go in with a song in their hearts etc. For most people it is a means to an end. the "meh" feeling would be welcomed by the vast majority of the workforce as an improvement on their experience.
It sounds like you're a temp, temps do not get the good jobs, that is what they are for, to fill in at the rubbish that others have walked out of. By all means look around, but you will be fortunate to find anything truly non-meh. So decide whether the problem is the job or you, perhaps your attitude and expectations are out of line, what did you think you were going to get working for an agency anyway?
posted by epo at 2:59 AM on March 7, 2013
How long do you stick around at a "meh" new job for?
Until you find a less "meh" new job.
How long do you stick around at a great job for?
Until you find an even more great new job.
Look for ladders, avoid snakes.
posted by biffa at 5:02 AM on March 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Until you find a less "meh" new job.
How long do you stick around at a great job for?
Until you find an even more great new job.
Look for ladders, avoid snakes.
posted by biffa at 5:02 AM on March 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
The general advice I see everywhere so as to not get tagged as a "job hopper" is one year. However, it may take a year or two just to find another job in the first place now. It's up to you.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:31 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:31 AM on March 7, 2013
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I would be hesitant to conclude that you're not gaining any skills that will apply to other jobs. You're in your early 20s — you might not have had enough experience with other jobs to know this.
posted by John Cohen at 5:54 PM on March 6, 2013 [4 favorites]