How long have you stayed at a job on average?

I'm just curious. I'm planning on moving up in the world, to a job that pays better pretty soon, but I've only been at my current job for 7 8 months. It FEELS like at least a year, maybe 2 on some days, but in reality, it's only been 7 8 months.

How long have you stayed at a job on average?

Do you think hop scotching from job to job looks bad on a resume?

What's the longest you've stayed at a job and been truly content?

edited to add: The field I'm in is clerical and also graphic arts.

It depends how old you are and what field you are going into.  You can make different resumes to put an empahsis on your abilities or emphasize your jobs. 

I came from a few short term jobs when I was in school, so I emphasized my education and abilities, and ended with the most recent jobs I had.  The thing with a resume is to get the employer to notice you.  You can find layouts online to help you.

I'm terrible about this.  I actually just turned in notice, AGAIN.  I've changed jobs 3 times within the past 3 years.  Despite the fact that my chronic job changing has doubled my income in 5 years, it makes me look like a TOTAL flake.

When I was looking for this job, the recruiters had a really hard time getting me interviews due to the spottiness on my resume.  When I interviewed here, they REALLY focused on the fact that I moved around so much.  Even though it is totally hypocritical, when I review resumes, lots of job changes are a red flag for me too.

I'm about to have a 6 month gap on my resume, AND another job change, so I'll be completely unemployable after that.

However, it varies by field.  My sister works in a technical field, and has very rarely held a job for more than a year.  She never seems to have a problem getting hired.

I have a short attention span, and once something becomes "comfortable" or "easy", I get bored and want out.  Longest time I held a job was 4 years... but I took 2 leaves of absence, and wanted to quit every 6 months.  :)

ETA:   Also, when I review resumes, and I see that someone has been at the same company for more than 5 years, without having a significant increase in role/responsibilities, that is also a red flag.

You want someone to be motivated to grow, but not so much that you go through the effort to hire them, only to have them leave a year later.

I average about 3yrs, but only content for about 2 of those. I don't know if it looks good or not but I have never had any problem getting a new job.

What's your job history like before the 7 month job you're at now? I don't think there's anything wrong with working there for 7 months and leaving for a better opportunity, though when just looking at  resume you don't really get all of the information.. but as long as your work history before that isn't a bunch of short lived fast food jobs or something like that, I don't think it'd be bad at all.

but yes, lots of short term jobs do look bad to employers... my mom used to always tell me that, she's a small business owner so she's done a lot of hiring. I work for the family business, have been here full time for over 3 years now, worked part time off and on for a few years before that (but I'd probably leave that part off of a resume).

Before now I was in high school (parents didn't let me have a job other than babysitting and small part time stuff), then I went into college full time and was too lazy to get a job.

When I got out, I immediately went to Europe for a month and half, then came home. I found a job with the State of CA, and was there for 10 months before transferring to this job within the same Department, just up one floor. I've been here for 18 months now total, just in two different jobs, technically.

I've also done a bit of freelance work on the side, so nothing longer than a month on that, except for one part-time freelance job that's a once a month thing that's lasted 8 months now.

Well then I'd say that sounds pretty good! I wouldn't worry about it at all :]

Hurray :D

It never hurts to leave a job if  the reason you are leaving is a) there is no where to advance within the company or b)You are so bored you are going to blow your brains out or c)If you change careers.  But I can tell you since I am older than you are and I do a lot of hiring, in this economy where in the past I had 100 people applying for a job with my company, now I have about 400.  Most of them are way over qualified and I can't take the risk of even speaking to them because I know they won't stay once things get better.  So I guess my best advice is don't quit your job until you find one and beyond that I say your resume will look like you have good committment skills.  Good Luck

Oh and just to answer your question, I have been at my job for 14 years with 9 promotions.  Even I am looking to leave, but for me right now there is absolutely NOTHING out there at my level.

For a while I had a record of three months.  Never stayed in one school for three months, never hung out with one guy for three months, never held a job for three months.  Once I got to about a week before that third month, whatever the reason, I was forced to move on.

My last two jobs I've been at for eight months, and am still working my current one.  I plan on staying at my current one for a while, until Alex and I are ready to move away from this city (after both of our parents are old geezers).

I average about a year and then I get bored. My first job was as a cashier at a supermarket when I was 15... I lasted there about 4 years. Everything since then has been 1-2 1/2 years. 

I stayed at my first job six years, the next one about 6 months (hated every second I was there), the next two around 8 months, and I've been at my current job (which I completely love) around 2 years.

And I've worked in everything from accounting to tropical fish retail.

Original Post by aquaristbarbee:

And I've worked in everything from accounting to tropical fish retail.

That made my morning :) Don't really know why it just did.

i've had way too many jobs to do the math, but other than seasonal jobs, i've stayed in most at least 2 years.  the longest is about 7 years; that was two part-time jobs at once, and i went on to a full-time position with one of the original employers, so the longest i've been with the same organization is about 8.5 years.

i've read that for people with a particular talent, it takes about 10 years for the learning curve in the right job to level off; after that, it's probably time to move on to the next challenge.  but that's only in "the right job," so - i guess it's good to explore?

My first real retail job, I lasted only 6 months or so and then moved on. Lasted there for about a year and held a second part time job at the same time at which I stayed for about 2 years. Moved on yet again to another retail job for 3 years, next was a year and now I've been working for the same company for almost 3 years.

With this current job, I've had two promotions since I started and am in line for a third and a fourth if I decide to stay here. That's entirely dependent on the economy and whether I will be able to stay at this type of job for much longer.

I also have my teaching license and could go do that. We'll see.

To change your jobs to another, better one is regulary is quite important. There ill be offers matching your wants in a job that you don't know about. Try registering at www.das-job.com if you are lazy or if you want to do the searching part yourself at www.monster.co.uk.

My experience is that you should work on a company as long as your boss communicates your chances of a promotion and they satisfy you.