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

Yup. I left my last job after only eight months because it was a shithole. Before that I was at my newspaper for 10 1/2 years. I also think employers will notice if you've had one job that's lasted a number of years, along with a few here and there. Every job is not a perfect fit.

 

My basic rule of thumb is: As soon as you've got enough office supplies stockpiled.

 

Depends. Are you taking Monte with you, Lane?

 

Life is too short to be miserable somewhere, but don't leave without giving it some time and a real effort to see if it can be as good as you'd hoped.

But, after that effort, feel free to bail.

 

I agree. Look out for number one. Especially in this day and age of never getting a raise and getting pay cut all the time.

 

True dat. I spent nearly $1,000 to move cross country (company never reimbursed me as promised) and then got laid off 10 months later. Stuck in a bad town with no resources at the same time the job market dried up. If I had known, I never would have taken the job in the first place. But, of course, hindsight is 20/20.

 

That company can suck dog hair. That pisses me off. Bastards.

 

I know hindsight is 20/20, but one thing that I have done with each job is have the employer write a brief note stating the offer, with the wages listed, my starting date, etc.

Whenever I've done it, usually I get a strange vibe from them because they feel like they're entering into a contract. Which, in a way, they are. I always would tell them the story of the movie "Secret of My Success" where the Michael J. Fox character moves across country, walks into work his first day, and is told that he is fired.

In another vein on that topic, I once had a weekly newspaper group editor call me (at my paper, no less) to ask if I was interested in working for them. (Felt a little awkward, to say the least). Guy even quoted me a weekly salary. I told him that since I was at work, I'd call him back later when I was home, since I didn't want to be discussing another job right in front of my boss.

One of my trusted co-workers had worked for the group, so I asked him. He said that the company would pay the quoted price for a month or so, then claim financial issues and cut the salary by 33 percent. Needless to say, I called the editor back and declined.

I still think it would have been interesting to see what the editor would have said when I told him I wanted the job offer in writing.

 

This somehow seems relevant to me: The U.S. Labor Department estimates that the average person entering the workforce now will have between 10 and 14 jobs by the age of 38.