Long gone are the days that you work your entire career with one employer. Long gone are the days that you would even spend more than a decade with the same employer. I was told in college that as you are starting out in your career you should move around on average every 18 months. This was especially true during the tech bomb of the late 90′s. For a while I did that. By the time I was 6 years out of College, I was on my 4th company.
Has that changed at all? Right now we here in the United States are facing unemployment like we have not seen since the great depression. I feel lucky that I currently have skills that are in demand. A lot of people I know are not that lucky. But I wonder for even the software developers out there has this economy made you think twice about pursuing new opportunities.
I had a hard time making this decision about a year ago. The market had already started it’s down turn. I wasn’t getting assignments that were a fit for my skills and location. I spent a great deal of time in 2008 sitting on the bench. Granted I got paid. But I was a draw on the company’s bottom line. For me there was nothing worse than having to report to the office every day (even if it was an abbreviated day.) and not have work that someone counted on me producing. I was given some bench assignments. But there was little collaboration. I’m one to thrive on the back and forth of the work day.
I loved my time with that old consulting company. I had great friends there. I had gone through some tough times while I was there in my personal life. They were always great to me. I felt like I was well respected. But it was time to leave. I have yet to regret a decision I have made in my career. I don’t regret leaving. Although I would not be opposed to working with them again in the future.
So what are the types of things that you look for when you decide to move on?
- Better Pay
- More exciting work
- Change in management
- Change in direction of your company
- More responsibility
- Less responsibility
- Work environment
For me it was “More exciting work” and “different work environment.”
Right now I am working as a Contractor. I see myself having to make these decisions a lot more in the future. I also see these decisions being made for me as well. My original contract was set to expire at the end of the year. I’ve since been extended until April 30th. I am grateful that I will have a contract through the lean months of November, December, January and start of February.