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How long before it's OK to leave a job?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by FPH, Feb 2, 2010.

  1. Oggiedoggie

    Oggiedoggie Well-Known Member

    Long, long ago and far, far away, I was six months into in my first job out of college when I got an offer from a larger newspaper. The publisher, a visiting prefessional from the college from which I graduated, told me that, if I took the job, I'd end up having a "checkerboard" resume.

    Being an idiot, I bought that line of reasoning. She was gone in three months. It took me another six months to find a better job.

    You owe your employer the work they pay you for while you're there and two weeks notice when you decide, for whatever reason, to leave. Beyond that, nothing. Unless they're different from almost any company I've encountered.
     
  2. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Steve Buttry would say the time is right to leave.
     
  3. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    This.

    And this.

    It's up to you to decide what to do about references. But in my recent job-search experience, which is considerable, very few people actually go to the trouble of contacting proffered references these days, anyway.

    Also, I think a general rule of resumes/job searching is not to offer references unless and until they're requested. I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just worry about that question if/when you are actually asked for references.
     
  4. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Don't tell an editor who just hired for a recent opening on the jobs board that you shouldn't include references automatically.

    He said I forgot to send them. I didn't forget, I just don't give references unless they are requested. Of course the editor called references before a first interview, which is bad form in my opinion.
     
  5. Peytons place

    Peytons place Member

    Don't know what size market you're in, but from what you've said about them, it seems like they'd be pretty understanding and not hold it against you. My first job after college was at a small paper where many people from my j-school got their start. I left after about 7 months for a better job, and my editor seemed to realize that comes with the territory and there were no hard feelings.
     
  6. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    The way the industry is run right now...two weeks notice is all that should be required. Don't feel bad about it, but realize jobs in the newspaper biz are scarce right now...of course getting out altogether is probably the smart move anyway.
     
  7. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member


    same boat...not sweating bricks, but have become pretty much a one-person show over the last year. Loyalty is rarely rewarded in this biz.
     
  8. wannabeu

    wannabeu Member

    Do what's best for you. You can't worry about anyone else except yourself. That may be selfish, but as we have all seen before, newspaper management doesn't care about you.
     
  9. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    If you get a better offer, leave the next day.

    I know well-known writers who have accepted jobs and never shown up for them because they got a better offer. I know people who have left jobs after six weeks. Sometimes it seems like a good reason, sometimes it doesn't.
     
  10. GlenQuagmire

    GlenQuagmire Active Member

    OK. FYI: TTYL. LOL!
     
  11. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    I stayed at my first job more than 10 years. My second job was six months before I found a better one. My wife has found her dream job so I do think I'll be sticking around this one...
     
  12. beanpole

    beanpole Member

    It's perfectly fine for your career to find another job quickly. I did it a couple of times in back-to-back jobs, putting in only 6 months before landing another gig because the fits weren't good for me. But I made sure that i did more than 5 years in my next two jobs, and that more than made up for any "checkerboard resume" issues.
     
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