Job hopping

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by jcb, Aug 25, 2006.

  1. jcb

    jcb New Member

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    I'm in a more fortunate position then most others, however the grass isn't always greener on the other side. It's like a never ending battle. First you try to get your foot in the door, then you try to keep it there and move up. Nightmare.

    I graduated 2 years ago, I've already had 3 permanent jobs and now looking to move onto my 4th one.

    Job#1 - It took me ages to find a job, I finally found something in IT support/networking but after 3 months the company went bust and I was made redundant.

    Job#2 - I manage to find a job with another small software house developing in C++ and manage to stay there for 8 months. But then I quit cos Job#3 came along and I thought it'll be a great career move.

    Job#3 - I've been working with this bigger company for 5 months, however the job is so dull and I'm annoyed because what was promised isn't going to be materialised. What was promised at the interview and written on the job spec is a bunch of lies. I was told they'll be migrating to .NET, they will start developing more products in C#, there are always new C++ projects, I will have the opportunity to do a MCAD/MCSD certification. I thought it'll be the perfect developer graduate job. But there's hardly any new projects coming in, no sign of moving to .NET, no opportunity to learn C#. I spend all day supporting end users rather than doing development. And when there is something to develop, it's not challenging enough. I'm not learning anything.

    I'm trying to apply for a new job, spoken to a few recruitment agencies and they all say my CV is a bit patchy, it looks like I can't stay in a job for too long.

    Should I stick this job out? How should I sell myself if I do get an interview? I don't want to be seen in a negative light. :dry

    Any advice much appreciated!
     
  2. zimbo
    Honorary Member

    zimbo Petabyte Poster

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    i agree with them stick it out... ok you doing something you not liking but in the long run it will help.. my first step on the ladder (im into networks and hardware - if you want to put it that way) i ended up doing things like faxes and POS repairs... but it was experience down on the CV.. but the problem with yours is you are hopping and when the next guy looks he will say - "ok x months there and x months here and thats not even one year in 3 jobs... this guy wont stay long with us..." whats stopping you from learning C# on your own as certs? I only touched Server 2003 twice in 10 months but i know more than i did before i started at that job because of my lab.. well your lab will be projects and putting some stready experience on the CV... chin up mate cause if you look on our forum we had a guy looking for months and months and he was a grad too and he couldnt find nothing...

    Best of luck for the future and keep that job!:biggrin

    Edit: If you going to do a cert in application development look at the new ones from MS.. MCAD might not be worth it today for someone starting out... JMO :biggrin:
     
    Certifications: B.Sc, MCDST & MCSA
    WIP: M.Sc - Computer Forensics
  3. mcshap

    mcshap Bit Poster

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    Are you happy in your job? Thats what counts.

    Agencies are there to get you a job. Some think they own you, if they can make money out of you they will ring you and pester you non stop. If you dont get the job they will go awol.

    Rewrite your CV with acheivements and skills. Put your job history down with detial but have you considered saying each of the jobs except your current one was a contract? This would not go against you.
     
    Certifications: MCSE , MCITP, MCT, CTT+, VCP
  4. Theprof

    Theprof Petabyte Poster

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    You know something, to be honest, the first job you get out of school is most of the time not the best one, or to be more precise not exactly what you'd expect, but its this first job that always gets you in the door later on in life. The thing is the job agencie does have a point where it seems like you keep on quiting your job, it portrays you as unreliable, even though you are reliable. In my opinions I would stick with the first job for 1 year, btw I just grduated from school and also started my first job as a Desktop Support Technician. So since you are in this situation I think its better off you stay there for a year lets say and then leave for a better job.

    Anyways good luck to you, and hope everything turns out good for you.
     
    Certifications: A+ | CCA | CCAA | Network+ | MCDST | MCSA | MCP (270, 271, 272, 290, 291) | MCTS (70-662, 70-663) | MCITP:EMA | VCA-DCV/Cloud/WM | VTSP | VCP5-DT | VCP5-DCV
    WIP: VCAP5-DCA/DCD | EMCCA
  5. Baba O'Riley

    Baba O'Riley Gigabyte Poster

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    Most people I've spoken to on the subject agree that six months is the minimum you should spend in a job for it not to make you look a bit flaky. Howver, you were made redundant in your first job so that doesn't count, and if you explained in an interview your reasons for leaving your current job then I'm sure that will be accepted too. What looks worse on CVs is gaps in employment (unless there is a good reason for them like travelling or education). Like the others have said, talk yourself and try to put a positive spin on everything. If you were, for example, unemployed for six months, say that as well as searching for the right job, you were also constantly improving your employability by studying and researcing.

    TBH, as you have only had three jobs since graduating, I think the agency are reading a bit much into it. If you'd had thirty jobs in the last ten years they would have a point but lots of people go into "non-career" jobs straight out of uni until something better comes along because a)they desparately need the money and b)after fifteen years on intensive education, not everyone is ready to immediately get their teeth into a career.

    Good luck with it all.
     
    Certifications: A+, Network+
    WIP: 70-270
  6. gsee

    gsee New Member

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    There are many reasons for job-hopping. There is a strange reason can make you change your job without your intention. If you are serving in a booming industry. This is well said at http://www.blogya.in/job_hopping_due_to_consultancy
    Many job hoppings happening due to consultancy enticement in growing industries. Be study when consultancy approaching you.
     
  7. dev loper

    dev loper New Member

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    Hopefully you've found your way out of that situation - an important thing I noticed is that you have C++ - it's not an accident that they've spun you a pack of lies in order to entice you in and then to keep you, as C++ is a now a very rare and valuable skill, and the temptation is there for unscrupulous employers to spin this kind of yarn to keep their costs down. The same thing happened to me - only this one was a credit reference agency! (maybe you work at the same place as i did!)

    Eventually I managed to escape, I actually walked out, but I made the mistake of telling them what I was doing, and they hit me with a 10k lawsuit, just to stop anybody else from getting ideas... just goes to show that if they're telling you they're migrating to this and that, GET IT IN WRITING!
     
  8. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    yay. Necromancy. utterly unnecessary mind.
     
    Certifications: ITIL Foundation; MCTS: Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010, Administration
    WIP: None at present

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