I am thinking about leaving my current job but I have been here less than a year and someone told me it looks bad if I don’t stay at a job for at least two years. What should I do?

Years ago that was true. If a candidate jumped around from job to job, it was certainly something to look at more closely. The thinking was that the candidate had some reocurring issue or just was an unhappy sort of employee. This has changed over the past few years. Now, the entire work force is almost ‘temporary’ in that jobs change so frequently that it is not unusual for a workforce to turn more frequently than historical averages. What is more important is for you to have a heart to heart discussion with yourself to keep your current job and your attitude about it in perspective. Keep in mind your current company has probably made an investment in you and your training. You might be hitting your stride, becoming a more productive part of the workforce for your employer – it’s almost unfair for you to leave after you have taken advantage of some training and development. What is apparently a good career move might actually be a step backward or down. So…it is not judged the same way as it used to be…but one cannot tell too much about a job even after one year. Give it some time, work a bit harder and smarter, see if something else at the employer might be more to your liking and, of course, you can always talk to your manager or supervisor about your feelings. You might be surprised at their advice.

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