Loyalty to a Job/Organization

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Hey All,

I think we had a similar discussion a few weeks back about jobs, but I could use your input.

 

I work for a public organization where I am #2 in the organization. I decided to go with a smaller & more local organization right out of graduate school to get more "all around experience" and also since it was a more attainable position for my first "Professional/Administration Position".

 

I get along great with my other administrators and love the staff, but my direct supervisor (the Executive Director) has poor management skills and really is unapproachable for most of the staff.... This naturally has caused tension, but I'm "dealing" as some would say.

 

I've been with the organization three months and have a contract through August 15th. As some point in the next four weeks, I likely will be offered a new contract for August 16-August 15, 2008.

 

The demand in my field is VERY HIGH at the moment. There are roughly 250 people with my state license, and roughly 15 jobs concurrently open in Wisconsin. I'm looking at two other organizations, larger than the one I'm at right now, for a comparable #2 position, albeit with a likely salary bump from $50K/year to $75-80K.

 

Two questions:

1) As a young professional (25), will I look to be "arrogant" or "unreliable" if I leave this current position after 4-5 months (will finish my original signed contract)

2) Will the other organizations be likely to give me more consideration (that they would have straight out of school), as I've been (objectively speaking) very successful in my first administration role (albeit I've only been there 4-5 months).

 

I'm not "leaving" the current position unless I have another "better offer", but am I out of line for discussing a new position with other organizations on my free time?

 

I am very motivated, and the salary/position/organization would be a "step up" from where I'm at right now. Would the organization recognize this and realize that this is what happens to young successful people who have GOOD jobs but have opportunities at GREAT jobs after getting a little more experience...

 

Your advice is GREATLY appreciated

[patrickgpe]

I think if you develop a history as a job jumper, there may be questions raised at future interviews. But considering that you worked through your first contract and this is your first job out of school, I think it is perfectly fine to discuss your abilities outside of work with another company.

 

Out of school, my plan to was wait 3 years before moving on to a bigger engineering firm. This gives me a lot of experience and will make me more valuable to a bigger employer.

 

I guess it comes down to how comfortable would you be in a different situation. I don't think I would be yet, but thats me.

 

Good luck to you though

[BraunsBoyfriend]

Screw your company. Do what is best for YOU at all times. It's business, this is how it works.

 

Go to work, do your best and produce the best value you can for your company. But when it comes time to get paid or whatever it is you value, make the decision that's best for you.

 

Don't ever consider your companies feelings when deciding what YOU want to do. They have no feelings.

 

There is no such thing as loyalty. Business doesn't work with these ideas or notions. Business works on the bottom line and it's up to you (think of yourself as You, Inc.) and your responsibility to what's best for you.

 

Good work ethic has nothing to do with this concept of loyalty. Good work ethic is doing the job you're paid for morally and professionally. If you've made these commitments then you don't owe anyone anything.

[Gormans Gofer]

It's naive to worry about loyalty to any company. Trust me, rarely will the company won't be loyal to you. Ask the millions out there - myself included - who have been downsized w/o any warning whatsoever. If you have an offer to better yourself, and the potential employer wants you and has no qualms about your "job hopping", I say go for it.

He who hesitates is lost.

[Bert55]

Loyalty is a foreign word in corporate America. I am 52 years old and worked for the same company for 25+ years. When the new organization came in 5 years ago, they assure all of the management team that we were the foundation to make this company grow and greatness.

 

It turns out that the only LOYALTY that the owner had was to his own bank account and out of the 15 members of that management team, only 4 remain 5 years later. And those 4 are butt smoochers.

 

ALso, when I would mention to aquaintances that I worked for the same company for 25+ years, they looked at me like I was insane.

 

Times have changed. No one stays in the same house or job for very long. The term COMPANY MAN is a dinosaur. My suggestion is do what is best for yourself because sooner than later, you may no thave that opportunity again.

 

Also, if it sounds as if I am a grumpy/angry previous employee. You are wrong. When they suggested that I find another job ( I was one of many wage cuts ). I gladly agreed and chose happiness. I make 15% less and I really don't care.

 

Just my take.....

[ajgodson]

I'm a young professional and have worked as a corporate recruiter, so I'll give you the scoop from both sides of the fence. As a young person, it won't look that bad to make a jump early in your career. People will normally assume you had a better opportunity and moved on. Undoubtedly, you'll be asked why you moved on so quickly, but if you say you had a better opportunity, people understand. We're all in the same game here.

 

That said, if the new job doesn't work out and you need to go looking with your first two jobs as 6 month gigs, it'll send up big red flags to firms. So....be confident before you make a move, but go get 'em. It sounds like your job is in high demand and there's no reason to hold yourself back. The person responsible for making your career take off is you, an no one else.

 

If you can score a better job, go for it. Sometimes people obsess a little too much over their resumes. Short stays may draw extra questions in an interview, but that sure as hell isn't worth a year of your life.

 

Best of luck in the job search!

[Boy Jeenius]

Job Jumping use to be a stigma, now it's almost expected. That company will not be loyal to you in less time it takes to draw a single breath. Don't worry about it at all. Loyalty to a company cost me big time.

[RightFieldCoder]

You haven't been there very long. I wouldn't feel bad leaving. I've been debating loyalty to my company. Yesterday I got a letter from the President of the very large corporation congratulating me for 10 years. It's not a great job, but it gives me adequate income, I'm at the very top of the payscale for this position, and I now get 4 weeks of vacation a year plus 1 week of sick leave along with the great benefits.

[slack00]

In my experience, as long as you can give a good reason for each job change it's not as big of a deal.

 

In your case, a 50% pay raise is a VERY good reason. Go for it and don't look back.

[GAME05]

nothing in what you wrote says to me you owe your company anything more than you've already given them--you finished your contract. and it isn't job-jumping when you either move to a position of greater responsibility or higher pay (though you should only talk to employers about how it was a bigger challenge). you're not making a lateral move in this case. and if it's so terrible to leave your first job after a short time, then they should have had you sign a longer contract.

[Jimbo]

Put it this way: if *I* was your manager and you passed up an opprotunity to further your career, I'd be disappointed in you.

[davemakovec]

Alternately, you can try to leverage your other offer into a pay/benefits raise at your current job.

 

Find out what you're worth to your current company.

 

My father just did the same thing and his current employer gave him an offer he couldn't pass up when faced with competition, so he stayed.

 

Now, if it's public, pay scales are probably fixed. Then I'd say go. As others have stated, your responsibility to your company is to do the best job you can while you're their employee.

[Beast Light]

Personally, I?m all about loyalty. In fact, I feel like part of what I?m getting paid for at my job is my loyalty. But ? if there were somewhere else that valued that loyalty more highly, I?m going wherever they value loyalty the most.

[Sepolevne]

There's no such thing as loyalty to a company anymore. You could probably count the number of companies that care about their employees on one hand.

 

It's just because companies have seen other companies like Wal-Mart treat labor as chattel and make record profits.