It
can be a struggle for people to determine whether to stay or leave their jobs. When
you are happy with your job of many years, what would make you leave? Things
are good. The company treats you well, you are advancing in the ranks and you
are comfortable. On the other hand, what if you have only been in your job for
a year or two and a recruiter calls to tell you an amazing company is looking
for someone like you. How do you know whether or not to pursue? What is too
long or too short in a job? Who determines that? The bottom line is there are
both benefits and dangers to both staying too long and leaving too soon. Below
is what I have seen in my experience.
Long-timers-
It is
not the 1960’s anymore. No one expects you to stay with a company for twenty
years, but so what if you do? There are lots of perks to working in a company
for many years: the stock options, vacation days, and of course the ease of
getting things done. Long-timers know everyone and they know how to get things
done. Red tape doesn’t exist because they have the process down. Getting that
budget approved is a five minute process because they know how to navigate the
system.
There
are negatives to being a long-timer however. A stigma is often attached to
working in one company too long in the fashion industry. Employers wonder
whether this long-timer is adaptable. Long-timers have a limited understanding
of different management styles, processes, and change management. When someone
moves to a new company, their knowledge of the industry expands. You only know
what you have studied or are exposed to. Forget for a minute what employers
think. Let’s talk about what happens when the long-timer is laid off because
the company decides they need a new perspective or some ‘fresh blood’. The
long-timer is now in the job market with a very limited network. In this
business, connections can be everything when looking for a job.
Job-hoppers-
Job
hopping is usually someone who works two years or less at a company before
moving to the next company. As I mentioned earlier, no one expects you to stay
with a company for twenty years and there are significant benefits to making a
change. First, pay tends to increase at a quicker rate. For some reason most
companies will pay more for someone on the outside than they would if you were
promoted from within. Secondly, a job-hopper has more opportunity and exposure
to build their network. Finally, the job-hopper learns new skills and can
easily adapt to change.
So
what’s wrong with job-hopping? Future employers worry they will spend time to
hire and train you only to have that position again vacant in a short time. It
is a disruption in workflow and to the productivity of the team. There is also
a consideration as to why you are job-hopping. What is it about this person
that makes them move so often? Are they incapable of building relationships?
Companies also spend money to recruit and hire you. According to the consulting
firm, Advisory Board Company, employee turnover can cost a company anywhere
between 50%-150% of a person’s annual salary. That’s a lot of risk to take on
someone who has a record of a short stay.
So
what’s the optimal amount of time to stay in a company? The long answer is, it
depends. My estimate is between three and seven years. It’s ok to have one or
two short stays as long as you can explain it and your resume is balanced with
a mix of longer stays. As for long-timers, if your career has advanced through
the years and you were at a successful brand (i.e. profitable and prestigious),
employers will feel lucky to have someone so loyal and dedicated.
How
do you think your resume looks right now? What can you do to be more attractive
to employers? What have you heard from recruiters on your resume? What makes
that new job look better than your current job? Please comment and share your
thoughts on this with everyone. Especially if you are a recruiter or work in
human resources!
Learn
more about the fashion industry from Career Coach Kate Kibler at http://www.katekibler.com.
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