Overstay at a job or is it time to change employers? Some clients worry about having a history of job hopping, others have the opposite concern.
They’ve stayed at the same company, and sometimes in the same position, for five or more years.
They are concerned that they may appear inflexible or not very ambitious.
The question I ask is what they’ve actually been doing during the years in question:
If you’ve been with a company for a number of years and have progressed in responsibility and salary, you should be able to present that to a prospective new employer in a positive light. You may be able to present the areas of progressive responsibility on your resume as if they were separate positions or promotions. Similarly, you can discuss them this way in an interview.
If, however, you’ve worked in a given position for five or more years and have simply done the same work over again each year, you need to consider whether your career is stagnating. If this is the case, reassessment of your career goals and development of an efficient strategy for meeting them might be very useful to you.
Whether you’ve been a job hopper or have stayed in one place “too” long, Lansky Career Consultants can help you define a new direction and a strategy to get there. Write us at jlansky@lanskycareerconsultants.com or call Judi Lansky at (312) 285-2000.
