Tempted to get a new job - but should I wait?

October 29, 2020 8:02 AM

I feel very stagnant in my current position

I am 32, female, and I've been in my current organization for 1.5 years. I received a promotion earlier this year and a raise but I'm still significantly underpaid compared to other job postings I've seen in my city for my position and level of experience. The other thing is, my manager is inexperienced and anxious. I find myself ''teaching'' a lot of things to them. I had assumed that a comms manager might provide an editorial direction to our team but so far I have been coming up with all the ideas ( we do not have a comms director) and doing a lot of heavy lifting without credit. And when exciting projects come along that I would like to be a part of in order to gain new experience, my boss seems to want to hire external consultants because they feel I won't have enough time to complete my other work. They may be right about this, but my hope was that in getting a promotion about 6 months ago that I would be given the chance to work on these types of projects. So far this has not been the case at all, and in fact I've noticed the amount of 'clerical' or admin type tasks assigned to me has been increased instead of decreased. I have talked to my boss about both of these concerns but their focus is just on making sure everything gets done. I had my mid year review last week and recieved many glowingly positive comments. Unfortunately, in this small non profit organization, my manager's position is the only one higher than mine in our department and so there's not really a chance for me to move up any more in this organization in the next 5 years or so and I'm already bored with the lack of challenges in my job.

If you look at my resume, over the past 6 years I have had several jobs and none have been more than 18 months. Twice I left a job due to toxic work environment and lack of support from the organization (long unpaid overtime, overwork without adequate time off, etc). The job market wasn't exactly great when I graduated and I had to take what was available.

Also, most of these jobs have been entry level and though I've been promoted 3 times, these promotions never lead to significant increases in responsibility that could advance my career. I've never had trouble finding a new job in the past 6 years and my resume is strong, however I'm wondering if leaving another job after 18 months will be a bad move? Note: I work in Communications, it seems to be more common to have lots of turnover in this field.

Even after just cursorily applying for 3 jobs in my field in the past week, I've already been contacted for an interview and the position is a $20K higher salary than what I'm making now.

My question is: Is it true that if I leave my current job now, despite the good reasons for leaving that I've listed above, that I'll never be considered for strategic positions down the line because I haven't stayed in one job for 5 years? How long do I need to stay in my current job in order to not look flaky on my resume ? Is 18 months considered a good enough commitment to an organization? I've seen many articles advising young graduates to stay in jobs to pay their dues. However, I've been out of school for a total of 7 years now so that advice feels patronizing now. I'm tired of paying my dues without getting anywhere and I would like to find a new position that will give me a significant salary increase as well as increase in responsibilities.

posted by winterportage to Work & Money (14 answers total)

I don't know much about your specific field, but I would consider 24 months to be a good enough commitment probably. But, if you apply for jobs in your current job, it doesn't matter as much. Either they hire you (and 18 months is good enough) or they don't (and you have lost nothing - apply do a different place in 6 months)

One thing I'd say, is that the market is terrible right now, in all fields. People in bad fields are switching to your field, and hiring managers get 10x as many resumes. So, suffice to say, start looking for your new job while you currently have the job, lest you go a year with nothing.

I had a job that was unfulfilling like your entry job. I then got promoted to the job I wanted, which was super stressful. Then I went to another unfulfilling job. FINALLY I landed on a job where I can make a big impact, have respect, and enjoy my peers and my work. I don't think you should stay in a job for 5 years that doesn't feel like a right fit for you.
posted by bbqturtle at 8:15 AM on October 29, 2020 [5 favorites]

In a just world, people would get rewarded for staying and showing loyalty, but they just don't. Even if you jump to the next role and get locked in there (which I doubt you will be, but I don't know your industry specifically), you're still $20K/year better off than you are now.

The main concern I'd have about getting a new job right now is if the economy tanks next year and they use seniority to determine who gets cut.
posted by Candleman at 8:18 AM on October 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Maybe your industry is somehow terribly different from mine (tech), but for us this is painfully normal and IF anybody questioned it (nobody does, though we all complain to each other that the only way up the ladder in most cases is to leave and how frustrating that is) the correct answer is "these promotions never lead to significant increases in responsibility that could advance my career". That is a structural problem, and not one you can generally solve from your position in the structure.

These kind of promotions are mostly just "don't leave" retention gambits, with an upper management firmly locked into their power dynamic that they don't want to let you into. I think it's entirely okay to tell a prospective employer (ESPECIALLY if you're trying to get a job that DOES have a career path you could follow internally; maybe it is a problem to say so if they don't, but then you don't work to work there anyway really) "the money is fair but there's nowhere to go, which I maybe didn't fully realize until after the promotions and nothing changed. I'm not a person who wants to coast like that at this point in my career".

I honestly don't think any of the old "everybody says" bullshit "rules" actually matter or have mattered for years; most of them are just white men proclaiming these things to be true because it sounds right to them and punishes people who don't have it on easy mode at work and often have to disrupt their careers for caretaking duties. I don't think it actually matters to a good organization, or to a good interviewer, as long as you can offer a good reason. Sure, if your excuse for every job you left was a petty complaint, like you clearly are lazy and can't get along with people, that would be a good red flag for an employer. If they assume that without talking to you? You don't want to work there anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:28 AM on October 29, 2020 [6 favorites]

"I've seen many articles advising young graduates to stay in jobs to pay their dues"

You should read better articles. That's bad advice. If you find something better, take it.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:33 AM on October 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

5 years in the same job sounds insane to me, as a 37 year old person. I tried doing this in my early 30s too, and really regret it. I made it to 4 years at a truly shitty job with a shitty manager, and started to despise every single moment I stayed there, despite regular promotions that gave me more responsibility but not a great deal more money. It affected my mental health.

I feel like hiring managers are looking for people who are ambitious and want to move up, and the "5 years" rule is from a bygone era where you can just show up at a company's front door and get a job the same day. Moving around seems very common in people my age and younger as they move up the ladder and find something they like.
posted by little king trashmouth at 8:37 AM on October 29, 2020

I think 2 years is the new 5 years. You're very close and as long as your next job is a clear step up in some way comprehensible to outsiders, it's not a big deal. You don't need to stay 5 years.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:41 AM on October 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

Even after just cursorily applying for 3 jobs in my field in the past week, I've already been contacted for an interview and the position is a $20K higher salary than what I'm making now.

Clearly these folks are happy enough with your 18 months and what they see on your resume to want to interview you. By the time you get through interviewing, it's unlikely that they're going to hire anyone to start before the holidays, which will put you closer to 20 months at this job. Take the interview, see what they have to say - you can't lose anything but a little time.
posted by joycehealy at 8:48 AM on October 29, 2020 [4 favorites]

In tech, jumping around between jobs after a year is completely normal. Particularly so if you're a contractor, which is becoming more and more the norm. The only time it has been frowned upon in my experience is when I apply for a job at a company full of stagnant "lifers" who still hold that loyalty-to-one-company-and-you-will-be-valued mentality that doesn't hold water anymore. 18 months is about average to start looking for something new in a growing field or industry.
posted by Young Kullervo at 8:49 AM on October 29, 2020

> I've already been contacted for an interview and the position is a $20K higher salary

I think that's your answer right there. Even if your current job was awesome you'd still probably be well advised to take the better-paid one.

If you can lock in major salary gains early-ish in your career, you get to take advantage of them for much longer. I'm a generation older than you, and got a decent salary inflation under my belt in my early 30s while working for the same organisation - but that was rare then, and pretty much non-existent now. You have to move to make those gains.

Follow the money.
posted by rd45 at 9:28 AM on October 29, 2020 [5 favorites]

Let me expand on my previous answer. The message that these companies are sending when they're looking at how long you've been in a position is that you should not leave a job for more money, more challenging work environment, better benefits, or whatever until you've been in a position for a certain amount of time. If a company you don't work for expects you to forego a raise and/or other benefits when you don't even work for them yet, imagine what they'll expect of you when you do. Anyone who actually thinks like this is toxic. There's a reason that toxic companies want you to value longevity over your own interests, and it's because they are not planning to be competitive on things like salary or benefits. If they were actually interested in competing for you, they'd actually give you a counter-offer instead of guilt-tripping you about how long you've worked there.

Look at it from the other direction. If you did something that caused your company to lose money, would they care how long you've worked there? No, they'd shitcan you. And they do, even for minor reasons - this happens all the time, where senior employees are let go to be replaced by newer people with lower salary requirements. The companies are trying to maximize their own revenue. You should too. If an HR screener moves your resume to the discard pile because you've only been in your current position a year and a half, they're doing you a favor.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:45 AM on October 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

I'm in tech but have never worked at a tech company: This may be industry (and perhaps even location specific), but I frequently see people acquiring new jobs within two years or less. In fact, I work with someone who has changed jobs and departments twice in two years and she is actually moving up in her newest role. I think where it might impede someone is if they are making many lateral moves it might be harder to move up, and there is a way you'd want to communicate these moves during the hiring process that seems more intentional and less flaky, but I don't think the whole bootstraps/paying your dues thing is that relevant. Most of my experience is in orgs that tend to attract a lot of lifers, but this has never stopped them from extending an offer to someone they really wanted.
posted by sm1tten at 11:19 AM on October 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

It's fine to visit the lawns nearby to see if the grass is really greener. If the job is a better salary and you have reason to believe the environment is just as good, the employment just as stable and the work just as interesting, then you should move. Or, if you get the alternate offer and can use it to ask for a bit more and stay where you are that is also an option. It may be that not all those boxes are perfectly checked. In that case, I strongly advise making sure you are moving towards what you want more. If the salary will be better but the company looks like it may evaporate in a year, are you okay with that uncertainty? Likewise the work and environment.
Move towards what you want, and don't let anyone else tell you what that should be.
posted by meinvt at 11:24 AM on October 29, 2020

By the time you get through interviewing, it's unlikely that they're going to hire anyone to start before the holidays, which will put you closer to 20 months at this job.

You can also use just use years in your resume, LinkedIn profile, etc. No need to counts months, days, or minutes.
posted by zeikka at 1:53 PM on October 29, 2020

1.5 years at multiple consecutive jobs is objectively fine. I would not sweat it or let that be the reason you didn't seek out something better for yourself. Especially as 1.5 years isn't exactly short, more so for entry-level positions that don't offer growth opportunities.

It's natural for interviewers to ask about it, just be prepared with your response, and there should be no problem. If everything else about you fits for a potential job, your duration at previous jobs that didn't fit should not raise alarm bells.

Respond with something like: growing my skillset and contributions to my company and industry are important to me. I did X find those opportunities internally but eventually was limited by Y. I understand [Your Company] offers opportunities like Z that fit in right with how I'm looking to grow so I can see myself being a contributor here for the long-haul.

tl;dr: a new company wants to know before they hire you that you're not likely to jump ship too quickly. If you have a plausible narrative for your career that fits with what they're looking for, then you're fine.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 3:32 PM on October 29, 2020