1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Three-year itch?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Aug 22, 2016.

  1. When we moved up here for my newspaper job that was 13 years ago. I worked in sports for 4 or 5 years (they shuttered my paper, absorbed into the evening daily). Instead of going to sports, I moved to news and stayed with it for 6 more years. I left almost three years ago.
    This isn't change for the sake of change. I love what I do. But it's not long-term sustainable.

    And I don't like to move. I hate it. And we have three kids in school.
    But this is not my home.
    And my kids (my oldest anyway) would enjoy moving closer to my parents. My wife's contract is up and her practice is being bought out by a hospital.
     
  2. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    What are you talking about?

    Three years is a ***long*** stretch nowadays.

    After freelancing for a few years, I had three full-time jobs in a 13-month stretch -- just so happened that each one was a little better than the last, so I took it. Never had trouble with employers about that either coming or going.
     
  3. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    If it's jumping to a job with more responsibility, then I guess it's fine. I'm talking more about parallel moves. Three years is a long time in a job? Only if you're moving into a job that doesn't stretch you, I'd think. Which is why most hiring managers I know don't hire someone who is a perfect fit and can do everything the job expects. Those people soon typically grow restless and want to move on. If you can learn everything there is about a job in three years, then you probably weren't a good fit in the first place. Or else it was an entry-level type position.

    I freelanced full time for five years and then had three full-time jobs in the 16 months afterwards, mainly because I couldn't get a well-paid, full-tine job after having a scattershot resume of freelance gigs. Now I've been in the same place for almost three years. If I left here for three more full-time gigs in the next year or so, I'd say that's pretty flaky and I'd say most hiring managers would see it that way, too.
     
  4. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    I've been at my current job 18 years. It's the only one I've had in my adult life.
    A couple of years in, I wasn't happy but I also didn't feel I was good enough to move on. A few years later I was good enough, but we had a good crew I enjoyed working with. A couple years after that I got married and looked to move, but my company sacked up and gave me a raise to stay. And then the industry imploded and there wasn't much of a reason to move on or anywhere to go.
    Nowadays, I like it here. I've got a lot of autonomy and some seniority perks that make up for some of the career stagnation. My wife and I are settled and I hate moving. It's just a good spot to be in most of the time.
    And what was the old saying? Don't fuck with happy?
    I'm happy.
     
  5. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    But your evaluation of the three-year job tenures comes from a world that doesn't exist anymore. Three years isn't a short time in the workforce of today. It used to be, in the era of pensions of gold watches, but now with retirement benefits as either nonexistent or entirely mobile (converting 401k to IRA), there is very little incentive to stay anywhere.
     
  6. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    I guess it depends on what business you're in. I do corporate comms now after years in journalism, and candidates who've been job-hopping -- unless it's been a steady stream of increased responsibilities -- are looking at with a gimlet eye.
     
  7. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    You Should Plan On Switching Jobs Every Three Years For The Rest Of Your Life

    There are a lot of arguments for jumping ship every few years. The economy isn’t what it used to be—and never will be again. Workers who stay with a company longer than two years are said to get paid 50% less, and job hoppers are believed to have a higher learning curve, be higher performers, and even to be more loyal, because they care about making a good impression in the short amount of time they know they’ll stay with each employer.

    How Often Do People Change Jobs?

    Today, the average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times (with an average of 12 job changes) during his or her career.

    Many workers spend five years or less in every job, so they devote more time and energy transitioning from one job to another.
     
  8. I Should Coco

    I Should Coco Well-Known Member

    The most dedicated, inspired and happy I've ever been in this business was when I ran (basically) the entire show at a weekly newspaper in the U.P. News, sports, photos, cut-and-paste layout. It was a crazy workload that only someone young and stupid could attempt, but I enjoyed the hell out of it and learned more about this business than I have anywhere else. That paper was THE news source for the town, and people literally were waiting to buy single copies as my publisher/owner drove around to fill the news racks on Wednesday nights.

    But even there, as I began covering things for the third time, I knew it was time to get off the merry-go-round while I still could. It's hard to stay fresh and inspired if you do the exact same thing year after year. Not saying it's impossible, but it's tough.

    Evil, you're doing the right thing.
     
    exmediahack likes this.
  9. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    I've gone five years-plus at two places, seven years at an overlapping part-time gig and as short as six months at one place.

    Adding them all up, I've averaged just more than three years at my stops, with two of them being layoffs. Current place I've been at for 2 1/2 years and for the most part I'm happy and feel secure, but I keep my eyes open at all times because you never know when the next broadside will come.
     
  10. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    That sounds fucking exhausting. I definitely keep my eyes open, especially now that I'm almost at three years and my pension is about to vest here, but I don't devote a lot of time to finding my next gig. Maybe I should, but it's not top priority, mainly bc there's a line for ascension here and I like the job and the people I work with. People who job hop are seen as more loyal? Man, that's some mental gymnastics right there.
     
  11. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    Eh, work's work. The searching part isn't too bad once you have your resume done once.

    Keep in mind most people (including those of us who aren't in journalism anymore) aren't moving for new jobs.
     
  12. swingline

    swingline Well-Known Member

    My job progression since college graduation: Two and a half years, two years, six years, two years, one year, two years, out. Mostly freelance for better part of two years.

    In my current job, 1 year, 8 months. This one could be a sort-of long term job; I'm vested when I hit three years, so there's incentive to stick it out another 16 months. But I can move to another college in the system and keep my benefits and retirement clock, so there is a possibility of moving within the system. Our lease is up next June, so my wife and I will be looking to either get back to the big city or put down roots where we are. I'm more ready to move than she is.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page