Mays Business Online

On the Career Path Part 1 in a series of career-focused stories

Case in Point

Laurie McKinney, a class of 2003 marketing graduate, said she understood the risks of abandoning her first job as a marketing consultant for a small firm in Houston. She said she had envisioned a career that progressed within a single company, something career advisers recommend for those just entering the business workforce.

But finding herself unhappy with her hours, pay and boss-induced stress, McKinney started sending out resumes. She settled in to a new position at a major Houston hospital in November after working only 14 months in her first job. But those 14 months were a long time coming, she acknowledges.

McKinney cites receiving a salary of less than what she expected as one of her reasons for moving on. That trumped her close relationship with co-workers. And a lot of her disappointment in her work marketing the small Houston firm, she says, was the rosy picture recruiters painted of her job that never seemed to materialize.

"The decision to leave is easier once you realize things are not going to change," she says. "You could say every worker has their breaking point at which it is no longer worth it to them to work for a particular person [or] company."

In part one of a series of career-focused stories, we look at what today's employees need to consider when weighing a job or career change.

By Sommer Hamilton

In the post-recession 2000s, new graduates and those already in the workforce are facing a shifting reality in the job market. While many companies have recovered enough economically to be in hire mode, the coppery taste of the dot-com bust has most employers hesitant to commence a hiring frenzy.

Economic impacts in recent years have left companies less willing to hire for anticipation and more focused on need, with managers asking how to "do the job we have to do with what we have," says Jim Dixey, director of Graduate Business Career Services.

The resulting pressure on the hiring process affects what kind of applicants human resource directors across the country will accept. With more scrutiny on the nation's resumes, the most telling signs of performance and stability — or stagnation — can easily show through the number and responsibilities of your previous terms of employment.

That makes it even more important to understand what can affect one's viability as a job seeker in an increasingly competitive market.

We're long past the time when employees of the Great Depression era — scared to let go of decent work — toiled away for the proverbial loyal company. But we're not yet in a world where a job a year looks good on a resume.

Current Mays MBA students could face two to three careers or more in their lifetime, but how they and their peers navigate the job market to create the most successful career is the unfolding question. Turnover among business professionals can average 20 percent a year.

"In our system, everybody's a free agent," Dixey says. "You have the ability to change, to move and to better yourself. People can sell their services to the highest bidder."

Loyalty vs. flexibility

So how much change makes the free-market employee a vilified job-hopper, doomed to the "no" piles in recruiter's office, and how much can company loyalty equal stagnation?

It's rare to be with one company forever. There is no hard-and-fast rule, but Dixey said he would shake his head at an applicant who has had three or four jobs in the past six to seven years. Others rule that holding a job for less than a year more than once is a red flag to employers.

At the other end of the spectrum, the opposite holds true. If someone has stayed in one job for 10 or 15 years without significant advancement, some say it calls their initiative and ambition into question.

"It's rare to be with one company forever, and it is potentially unwise if you think of salary growth and job opportunities missed," said Wendy Boswell, assistant professor of management and a Mays Research Fellow.

When to leave a position is an individual choice. But the basic rule of thumb, Dixey says, is to move on when you find yourself in a job with no more opportunities for advancement or lateral moves.

"If your interest is in moving up, having an impact and leaving a mark on society," he said, "you have to follow through."

Should I stay or should I go?

The psychology of what makes people start to mail out resumes is complex, but there are some basic drives in employment, such as finding meaningfulness in a job that takes up two-thirds of your day.

Job satisfaction and social interactions are big factors in retaining a job, but people also have to feel properly compensated and see opportunities for advancement and new challenges, said Boswell, whose research and recent publications include examinations of job-change cycles and opportunism in job searches.

That compensation, both in terms of what you're paid but also compared to what you know of salaries in the outside job market and compared to others where you work, can be a major motivating force, she says.

For some, the social milieu at a place of employment and the stakes one has from intangibles such as job flexibility and freedom aren't worth the trade-up for a bigger paycheck.

Know what's out there

Getting a job as a Mays MBA graduate hasn't proven difficult, with 90 percent of December 2004 graduates employed when they turned their tassels and half of the May 2005 class already with offers in hand. The pattern of their professional lives, though, remains to be seen.

No matter when you're looking for new employment, be sure to approach the job search realistically. The fate of your new position could depend on it. Boswell warns that the best a company will ever treat you is during recruiting, and that can catch some job hunters off guard when comparing the skeletons of their current place of work with the bright outlook of a new job.

Employees should always keep an eye out for changing wages and bring work issues to their managers as they arise.

That's better, Boswell says, than shopping the market for an offer with a better salary and threatening to leave if an employer fails to meet that salary. Click here for more on Boswell's research on leverage.

But don't jump the gun to make a job change too often. Boswell says a "hobo syndrome" can occur when people become addicted to changing jobs. Common understandings of employees evolve around this tidbit: If you leave a job once, you are more likely to leave again, she said.

That means employers looking to purchase your skills in the job mart could see a bad job-change record as an unwise investment. Though you should stay abreast of the market, you should also tread carefully before conducting a full-blown job search – for your own well-being as well as for the impact it could have on your employability.

"People should be aware of their opportunities, I think you'd be somewhat foolish to not know what's out there," she said. "But looking too much can be dangerous to the extent that you're always looking for greener grass." @



Part 1 in a series of career-focused stories Case in Point Laurie McKinney, a class of 2003 marketing graduate, said she understood the risks of abandoning her first job as a marketing consultant for a small firm in Houston. She said she had envisioned a career that progressed within a single company, something career advisers recommend for those just entering the business workforce. But finding herself unhappy with her hours, pay and boss-induced stress, McKinney started sending out resumes. She settled in to a new position at a major Houston hospital in November after working only 14 months in her first job. But those 14 months were a long time coming, she acknowledges. McKinney cites receiving a salary of less than what she expected as one of her reasons for moving on. That trumped her close relationship with co-workers. And a lot of her disappointment in her work marketing the small Houston firm, she says, was the rosy picture recruiters painted of her job that never seemed to materialize. "The decision to leave is easier once you realize things are not going to change," she says. "You could say every worker has their breaking point at which it is no longer worth it to them to work for a particular person [or] company."	In part one of a series of career-focused stories, we look at what today's employees need to consider when weighing a job or career change. By Sommer Hamilton In the post-recession 2000s, new graduates and those already in the workforce are facing a shifting reality in the job market. While many companies have recovered enough economically to be in hire mode, the coppery taste of the dot-com bust has most employers hesitant to commence a hiring frenzy. Economic impacts in recent years have left companies less willing to hire for anticipation and more focused on need, with managers asking how to "do the job we have to do with what we have," says Jim Dixey, director of Graduate Business Career Services. The resulting pressure on the hiring process affects what kind of applicants human resource directors across the country will accept. With more scrutiny on the nation's resumes, the most telling signs of performance and stability — or stagnation — can easily show through the number and responsibilities of your previous terms of employment. That makes it even more important to understand what can affect one's viability as a job seeker in an increasingly competitive market. We're long past the time when employees of the Great Depression era — scared to let go of decent work — toiled away for the proverbial loyal company. But we're not yet in a world where a job a year looks good on a resume. Current Mays MBA students could face two to three careers or more in their lifetime, but how they and their peers navigate the job market to create the most successful career is the unfolding question. Turnover among business professionals can average 20 percent a year. "In our system, everybody's a free agent," Dixey says. "You have the ability to change, to move and to better yourself. People can sell their services to the highest bidder." Loyalty vs. flexibility So how much change makes the free-market employee a vilified job-hopper, doomed to the "no" piles in recruiter's office, and how much can company loyalty equal stagnation? There is no hard-and-fast rule, but Dixey said he would shake his head at an applicant who has had three or four jobs in the past six to seven years. Others rule that holding a job for less than a year more than once is a red flag to employers. At the other end of the spectrum, the opposite holds true. If someone has stayed in one job for 10 or 15 years without significant advancement, some say it calls their initiative and ambition into question. "It's rare to be with one company forever, and it is potentially unwise if you think of salary growth and job opportunities missed," said Wendy Boswell, assistant professor of management and a Mays Research Fellow. When to leave a position is an individual choice. But the basic rule of thumb, Dixey says, is to move on when you find yourself in a job with no more opportunities for advancement or lateral moves. "If your interest is in moving up, having an impact and leaving a mark on society," he said, "you have to follow through." Should I stay or should I go? The psychology of what makes people start to mail out resumes is complex, but there are some basic drives in employment, such as finding meaningfulness in a job that takes up two-thirds of your day. Job satisfaction and social interactions are big factors in retaining a job, but people also have to feel properly compensated and see opportunities for advancement and new challenges, said Boswell, whose research and recent publications include examinations of job-change cycles and opportunism in job searches. That compensation, both in terms of what you're paid but also compared to what you know of salaries in the outside job market and compared to others where you work, can be a major motivating force, she says. For some, the social milieu at a place of employment and the stakes one has from intangibles such as job flexibility and freedom aren't worth the trade-up for a bigger paycheck. Know what's out there Getting a job as a Mays MBA graduate hasn't proven difficult, with 90 percent of December 2004 graduates employed when they turned their tassels and half of the May 2005 class already with offers in hand. The pattern of their professional lives, though, remains to be seen. No matter when you're looking for new employment, be sure to approach the job search realistically. The fate of your new position could depend on it. Boswell warns that the best a company will ever treat you is during recruiting, and that can catch some job hunters off guard when comparing the skeletons of their current place of work with the bright outlook of a new job. Employees should always keep an eye out for changing wages and bring work issues to their managers as they arise. That's better, Boswell says, than shopping the market for an offer with a better salary and threatening to leave if an employer fails to meet that salary. Click here for more on Boswell's research on leverage. But don't jump the gun to make a job change too often. Boswell says a "hobo syndrome" can occur when people become addicted to changing jobs. Common understandings of employees evolve around this tidbit: If you leave a job once, you are more likely to leave again, she said. That means employers looking to purchase your skills in the job mart could see a bad job-change record as an unwise investment. Though you should stay abreast of the market, you should also tread carefully before conducting a full-blown job search – for your own well-being as well as for the impact it could have on your employability. "People should be aware of their opportunities, I think you'd be somewhat foolish to not know what's out there," she said. "But looking too much can be dangerous to the extent that you're always looking for greener grass." @