How Long Must You Stay In Your Present Job?
Does the seven-year itch also apply to jobs and careers? I’ve heard several people say that seven is also a magic number when it comes to jobs. The theory is that if you’ve lasted at least seven years, you’ll most likely stay there as you most likely have reached a respectable position and have established some level of comfort right where you are. It would also be difficult to stay in a company for seven years if you didn’t like the job or some aspect of it.
The shortest I’ve stayed in any job is three weeks — the longest, fourteen years and counting. They say that for middle management to top management positions, in the first three months, you would already more or less know if there is a good fit between the person and the job.
I used to think that for you to have a pretty good opinion about how a job goes and for you to give it enough time for you to succeed in doing it, one year was enough. Now, I hear that one year is quite short and that if that is the case, most likely, something went wrong with the company or the job applicant. Three years in a particular job seems to be an acceptable standard and will not raise the eyebrows of future prospective employers.
Still, there really is no hard and fast rule. The important thing is to find a job that you like, learn as much from it while you are there, and still maintain a life outside of the office. Happy hunting and happy working!