Right amount of time to stick with a first job

[J.J.]

Anyone have any guidelines here? My instinct tells me that, if you generally like your job and are getting good experience, you should stay put for 3-5 years in your first job before jumping ship.
Does the fact that it's a first job make any difference in how long you should stay?

[Dave Jensen]

Hi Jill,

I'm with you, but I'll tell you that most people don't make it that long. Looking at thousands of resumes and CVs tells me that it is usually more of 1-3 years for the first job. People generally find that they are labeled the "new kid" too long in that first job, and it isn't until they make the break and move to something else that they get the increased respect -- and a fatter paycheck.

One thing I've noticed is that employers are used to seeing this, and they don't hammer away about "why'd you leave that job?" like they normally do when it is a first year stay of 1-3 years.

Dave Jensen, Moderator

[Kelly Ann]

I think it also depends what type of job it is. I have seen a much higher turn over rate in research associate positions (that require a bachelors) vs. scientist positions (that require a phD). There is only so much vertical movement that can be obtained with a bachelors degree and thus people tend to move horizontally (branching out into slightly different areas to learn other technical skills). However, I agree with Dave that the 1 to 3 year rule of thumb is very accurate.

[R. Rattus]

It realy depends. If you're happy there and have a good chance for advancing, stick around!!!
If its a start up situation and you have a bad feeling and the ship is about to sink - bail out ASAP (the new kid is the last one to get a nice severance package...)