Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
How long is too long to stick with an employer? What are the warning signs that it may be time to leave? The Bureau of labor statictics says that the average American has been with their employer 4 years. In 4 years can you learn everything about your employer and whether or not its where you want to be in 8 years? I would argue that 2 – 4 years is probably what it takes to fully get the feel of a company. In that amount of time you would probably see several projects from beginning to end, you would see turnover and how the company treats employees, you would get comfortable with your coworkers and boss, and you would start to identify trends and patterns in the company culture. Signs that its time to leave? Lack of communication from top down. If your boss does not know what you do, and you do not know what he does. If you directly ask about your future at the company and get the runaround. An institutionalized lack of communication is hard to overcome. When things like what I have just listed start happening, it may be time to consider moving on.
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
Comments
11.04.09
These are great suggestions. I once worked at a company with a miserable environment. And by that, I mean I knew people who left to do the following things, and were happier doing them:
1) wait tables
2) bag groceries
3) nothing
I worked there for six years, and a lot of that time was spent doing projects that no one else wanted. However, what I discovered was that when they did put me on a better project, my "undesirable" projects had actually prepared me really well for the main event. I excelled at that, and then had the credibility to move on to a promotion with a different (and vastly superior) company in the same industry.
So in some ways I spent too long there. But in other ways, I stayed there just long enough to get the experience I wanted, and find another job that suited me better. The bonus? I learned really valuable lessons about how not to manage employees.
11.04.09
4 years seems like too long. I think that 2 years is more than enough time to get to know a company's culture. Yes, there is probably more that could be learned. But if you're mentally checked, and miserable, you're not learning.
The again, KateNonymous doesn't sound like she enjoyed all 6 years of the company she described above, but it sounds like she learned a lot!
11.04.09
I think it really depends on what you've done within the company, and how big it is. If you've been in the same position for 2 years without any sort of growth or change in responsibilities, then you should know by then what's going on. But I agree that the 2-4 year mark is the 'sweet spot'.
That being said, I've been with the same firm for 10 years now, and I've leaving in 6 weeks. Not to go anywhere else, rather, but to go to school. Had it not been for that, I'm pretty confident I'd be here for a while.
11.04.09
Andrew, good point about company size. Especially in a growing start up like ours, I feel like the culture changes all the time.
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
|
|
|
 |
