Author Topic: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?  (Read 4114 times)

Carini

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Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« on: June 15, 2015, 07:54:49 AM »
I've had a couple of promotions over the last 9 years, but I've essentially been doing the same type of work. I've always had exemplary reviews and I know that I have really solid references. I never expected to stay in the same place for this long, but because of family, personal, other issues, here we are 9 years later. I'm now getting serious about making one more move before our kids get much older because we live in a pretty rural place and I want a lot of other options in various aspects of life.

A lot of people say that you sabotage yourself when you stay put for too long in your career, but I'm not sure that it's always a horrible thing to show that you are  committed and capable of handling a stressful position of a long period of time.  What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Also, besides some of the obvious, are there other suggestions people have about starting a job search after not doing one for a long time?  I'm thinking there are ways that I'm going to need to position myself after being in one spot for a long time.  Thanks in advance!

Gone Fishing

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2015, 08:17:23 AM »
At 9 years, I think you are actually in a pretty good position.  People that change ever 5 years or so are as risk of being viewed as "job hoppers" and those who change after 15-20 with the same employer are at risk of being viewed as "institutionalized" and unwilling/unable to change and adapt.

I would just try to make sure your resume doesn't sound too terribly boring! 

mozar

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2015, 08:28:35 AM »
It depends on the field and what happens when you actually start applying for jobs. I could say its really bad but then you get lots of callbacks or vice versa. I've hopped every 18 months with no problems but I'm in a high demand field.

rhut

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2015, 08:36:16 AM »
I am in a very similar position; same company for 7.5 years and starting to look for a new job. We've lived in the same city our entire lives and have decided it's time for a change.

How far away are you looking? We are looking to move to Fort Collins or Boulder which is about 1100 miles from our current city, and we've had a rough time getting calls from potential employers. We recently took our addresses off of our resumes, and that has helped to generate calls from recruiters, but most seem to not be interested in job candidates that are that far away.

Depending on what field you're in, you might do well to post your resume online (careerbuilder, indeed, etc.) and see if you get any bites.

Gone Fishing

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2015, 08:49:00 AM »
I've hopped every 18 months with no problems but I'm in a high demand field.


Good point, industries vary a lot.  I service an established client base that doesn't appreciate turnover, so hopping is a significant black mark on a resume. 

plainjane

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2015, 09:30:09 AM »
While I generally don't recommend it, I think for a company you've been at for 9 years, it would make sense to show the progression of roles and responsibilities, not just the current title and an implication that you've been doing that the whole time.

Take a look at http://www.askamanager.org/ - she's answered similar questions before. 

@rhut - Ask A Manager has also written several times recently about trying to get a job before you've relocated to a new state.  The commenters also had good ideas about how to mention it within your cover letter, or even finding a friend with a local address to include so you don't get tossed out of consideration immediately.

rugorak

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2015, 09:43:22 AM »
I was at my last job for 8 years (and I work in IT) before taking the one I have currently. And over those 8 years I was looking for the last 4 and kept turning down offers that were not a good fit for me (either too low pay or other red flags).

I'd say the two big things to show off is what you can offer and that you can learn new things and grow. If you have the knowledge/skill set that an employer is looking for and can demonstrate the ability to adapt you should have no issue finding a new job. And as others have said 9 years is a good time where you aren't a job hopper but are not necessarily stagnated either.

Carini

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2015, 06:25:53 PM »
Thanks for comments so far. I have to say that selling our house is a thought I think holds me back.  We have decent equity in it, but the market is flooded here and the idea of taking a new job and not being able to buy a house right away because I have one to sell is scary to me. Is this crazy?

rugorak

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Re: Hard to find position after staying in same spot 9 years?
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2015, 06:43:06 PM »
Well I don't think you should be scared but it is certainly something to take into consideration. Just because the market is flooded doesn't necessarily mean your house will not sell. Look into the reasons why the market is flooded. Is it because there are no jobs in the area or because there are a lot of crappy places for sale? Also since you are talking about selling a house it means moving, I would plan on renting when you first move. Unless you know the area you are going to very very well you will want the time to figure out where you really want to live. Something may seem great on paper or even on first sight but not be as great when you look into it. Renting gives you more freedom to explore etc.

Oh and no matter how you job search be sure to leverage your contacts and relationships. They may refer you to a job listing or they may help you get a job you discover on your own. Myself I saw a job that looked great but after having a lot I ended up turning down I found that an alumni of my college on linked in and he happened to be linked to a good friend of mine. He introduced us, we had a 30 minute phone conversation and I was pretty sure it would be a good fit. Turns out he made sure my resume made it on the pile after that conversation. They still picked me based on my interview and resume but that connection certainly helped and I am sure helped them in making the decision. So be sure to work those connections.