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ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
So there's and interesting job fair coming up next week that Ive been thinking about attending. Its a job fair for cleared professionals, one that my current company will most likely be attending. Im just going to see what else is out there and see if I can land a comparable job in the area I would like to live in.

All of my contract obligations have been satisfied years ago, apt. lease is up, etc. The timing for this could not be more perfect. This is my first time attempting switch jobs since college and realize that this stuff happens all the time, but can I get in trouble with my current company for doing this? Ive heard of companies parsing through monster.com etc to check on their current employees, even terminating them. Whats up?
:confused:
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Don't take the step unless you're fully committed to leaving your current company. I doubt you'd be terminated but I also doubt the step would lead to a promotion.
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
dang. I've been out about 3.5 years and am on my 3rd job
The job I have started out great but the luster is gone. Im not being challenged and im getting dumber by the day working on the stuff Im doing. I am an engineer, I used to design, but now it feels like all i do is paperwork. Add to the fact that living in Baltimore is finally catching up with me to this and im ready to go or at least consider other options.


A job a year doesn't sound that bad. I had an ex that in 2 years worked for 6 different companies. Crazy ass fashion market.
 
The job I have started out great but the luster is gone. Im not being challenged and im getting dumber by the day working on the stuff Im doing. I am an engineer, I used to design, but now it feels like all i do is paperwork. Add to the fact that living in Baltimore is finally catching up with me to this and im ready to go or at least consider other options.


A job a year doesn't sound that bad. I had an ex that in 2 years worked for 6 different companies. Crazy ass fashion market.
  1. Make sure that you are going to a job rather than running from a job.
  2. I do not consider resumes from two year wonders. Don't want a habitual job hopper on the team.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
It really depends on the culture of the company.

I am working for a company now that seems to be fairly quick to reduce headcount when they feel that the person isn't contributing. I've never worked at a place like this before. While I am very comfortable with my position and don't feel threatened at all, if I ever showed up to a job fair that some of the higher-ups were attending, I would also operate very quickly finding another job since my assumption here is there's a higher-than-average chance that I'll be asked to leave.

On the other side of the coin, Jenn's last job was at a place where, outside of a termination for blatant lying on FDA-audited records, I believe you would have had to skin a coworker and wear their face as a hat before you'd be fired. Even then, a really sincere apology might save your job.

So... only you know the general culture of the place. There are lots of ways to get jobs, though, so attending this fair and potentially exposing the fact that you're job hunting might not be the best way to get a new job.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,192
media blackout
So your career advise will be conceptual in nature? :D
I'm a theoretical career-ologist

The job I have started out great but the luster is gone. Im not being challenged and im getting dumber by the day working on the stuff Im doing. I am an engineer, I used to design, but now it feels like all i do is paperwork. Add to the fact that living in Baltimore is finally catching up with me to this and im ready to go or at least consider other options.


A job a year doesn't sound that bad. I had an ex that in 2 years worked for 6 different companies. Crazy ass fashion market.

to be fair, i didn't start job #3 until the 3 year mark. my first job was a sh*t show (I'll share more details on that for anyone interested). My second job was a contract/consultant position that was capped at 2 years, and as I was closing in on the end of the contract, it became apparent that they were going to be unable to bring me on as a permanent employee, so I started looking (yes, I spoke with my manager and other higher ups. They just couldn't get the headcount. I left on good terms).



  1. Make sure that you are going to a job rather than running from a job.
  2. I do not consider resumes from two year wonders. Don't want a habitual job hopper on the team.
definitely agree on #1. but sometimes you HAVE to run from a job. Screaming. Some positions are just so bad that it becomes literally unhealthy for you to stay there.

#2, well. you're just old fashioned. In your geezer state you may forget how hard it is to land a job fresh out of college. I wouldn't consider 2 years to be a job hopper if that's how long someone had been out of college. Its common knowledge that most entry positions suck more than most anything out there.
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,145
16,540
Riding the baggage carousel.
definitely agree on #1. but sometimes you HAVE to run from a job. Screaming. Some positions are just so bad that it becomes literally unhealthy for you to stay there.
I've actually had two of these, both of them in the greater Portland metro area. The first one was a job I got over the phone when I was still living in Santa Barbara. I realize in hind sight that this in of itself should have been a clue but I was desperate to get out of Cali so I took it. That stupid shop was so flagrantly violating handfuls of FAA rules I could believe they were even operating. I stayed there 4 days. I hadn't even found a place to live and I suddenly found myself looking for work. Those were scary days for me personally. The only thing I regret about that job is I should have called the FAA when I left and reported them but I didn't. Fortunately the airfield they were on was turned into a mall about a year later. The next Job I walked out of after about 8 months. It was a well kept shop with good employees and amazing customer aircraft, but the guy who ran the place was just the most unbelievable asshole. If he had been even half a decent human being I might still be there but my God I have never met anyone who even comes close to being as big a douche bag. That was the job that convinced me that maybe working graveyard shift for the foreseeable future didn't sound so bad. Walked out of that one with no notice too, it felt great.

Sorry for the off topic. It doesn't sound like you need to get out of your current job so I'd walk carefully if you know your current employer is going to be there. It's my understanding that now is a bad time to have to find a job.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,863
4,162
Copenhagen, Denmark
Have you talked to your manager regarding your wish to have more challenges?

I say always be on the look out for a new job. Get a Linkedin profile and do some networking. Find out what companies you would really want to work for. Find a new job takes a lot of time and the more effort you put into it normally the better you will do.
 

ebarker9

Monkey
Oct 2, 2007
848
242
The job I have started out great but the luster is gone. Im not being challenged and im getting dumber by the day working on the stuff Im doing. I am an engineer, I used to design, but now it feels like all i do is paperwork.
Join the club.

(6 years out of school here, 5.5 of which have been doing vaguely engineering-related paperwork)
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
hey ridiculous, what industry ARE you in?
Defense.

Specifically UAVs.

I am a mechanical engineer or so I think.

At my yearly reviews and whenever a project ends I get high marks for the work I have done. More responsibilities and project oversight is given to me typically. No promotions yet, in fact they say the thing thats holding me back most is that "I dont have enough years under my belt yet". Apparently being an engineer for 5 years is the most weighted requirement for advancement from entry level to level II here.

My boss is pretty cool with things and it seems like we are on good terms but the work I'm getting in comparison to some of my coworkers and other depts is just plain lame. Whats worse is that it looks like it may continue through next summer. Possibly with a trip to Islamabad in there too. :( SOWS, BOM, PLs and ECNs are not what I want to do, especially at the bottom of the totem pole.
 
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Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
So there's and interesting job fair coming up next week that Ive been thinking about attending. Its a job fair for cleared professionals, one that my current company will most likely be attending. Im just going to see what else is out there and see if I can land a comparable job in the area I would like to live in.

All of my contract obligations have been satisfied years ago, apt. lease is up, etc. The timing for this could not be more perfect. This is my first time attempting switch jobs since college and realize that this stuff happens all the time, but can I get in trouble with my current company for doing this? Ive heard of companies parsing through monster.com etc to check on their current employees, even terminating them. Whats up?
:confused:
There's nothing wrong with looking for a new position that's a better fit for you, especially after three years....but here's a couple thoughts:
Whatever you do, don't do it on company time. That's where things generally get pretty fuzzy and you start to get moving towards a fireable offense. Don't leave your resume on the printer, don't be working on it at work, just don't do it. Ask Stosh...
#2, you may consider skipping the job fair. I've been to a couple when I was laid off, and it was garbage. Companies show up with no direction or goals, they're just there. There's a good chance you won't even meet with a hiring manager, just an HR rep saying go to our website and apply for a job. Maybe it'll be different at this one, but I doubt it. I would however get the list of attending companies and review their websites for open positions and apply that way.

My concern with going to the job fair is that you will run into your own company's HR rep or employee, who is likely to, if they see you, report that to your boss. Then, you might get canned if they don't like you, need you, or they pay you too much, and you will if you skipped work to attend.

just my 2 pesos. I would keep your job search nice and quiet and from home...then when you find something, pull the trigger. It's not worth a big black mark on your resume and a loss of references just to get a leg up on your job search...if you're a professional.
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
whoa just discovered multiquote.

Have you talked to your manager regarding your wish to have more challenges?

I say always be on the look out for a new job. Get a Linkedin profile and do some networking. Find out what companies you would really want to work for. Find a new job takes a lot of time and the more effort you put into it normally the better you will do.
Yeah Ive done quite a bit of research and I stay on top of what companies win what contracts in my industry. I think this is adding fuel to my fire to leave. Our 'competitors' are making some hot ish. Big, billion dollar, multi-year, cutting edge programs.

I'm thinking you change the passwords on the database prior to announcing your resignation.
This happened at a computer company I interned with. The funnier part about it is I knew the password all along, but no one bothered to ask me. Poor IT fools were reloading servers for an entire summer.
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
There's nothing wrong with looking for a new position that's a better fit for you, especially after three years....but here's a couple thoughts:
Whatever you do, don't do it on company time. That's where things generally get pretty fuzzy and you start to get moving towards a fireable offense. Don't leave your resume on the printer, don't be working on it at work, just don't do it. Ask Stosh...
#2, you may consider skipping the job fair. I've been to a couple when I was laid off, and it was garbage. Companies show up with no direction or goals, they're just there. There's a good chance you won't even meet with a hiring manager, just an HR rep saying go to our website and apply for a job. Maybe it'll be different at this one, but I doubt it. I would however get the list of attending companies and review their websites for open positions and apply that way.

My concern with going to the job fair is that you will run into your own company's HR rep or employee, who is likely to, if they see you, report that to your boss. Then, you might get canned if they don't like you, need you, or they pay you too much, and you will if you skipped work to attend.

just my 2 pesos. I would keep your job search nice and quiet and from home...then when you find something, pull the trigger. It's not worth a big black mark on your resume and a loss of references just to get a leg up on your job search...if you're a professional.
Good ideas. Exactly the type of stuff I wanted to hear. :cheers:

I think I was just turned on to this fair specifically because its in an area I would like to live (DC) and because its specifically for security clearence holding professionals. So I thought there would be more to offer than whats listed on company websites, which can be quite confusing to sort through sometimes.
 
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jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,192
media blackout
Defense.

Specifically UAVs.

I am a mechanical engineer or so I think.

At my yearly reviews and whenever a project ends I get high marks for the work I have done. More responsibilities and project oversight is given to me typically. No promotions yet, in fact they say the thing thats holding me back most is that "I dont have enough years under my belt yet". Apparently being an engineer for 5 years is the most weighted requirement for advancement from entry level to level II here.

My boss is pretty cool with things and it seems like we are on good terms but the work I'm getting in comparison to some of my coworkers and other depts is just plain lame. Whats worse is that it looks like it may continue through next summer. Possibly with a trip to Islamabad in there too. :( SOWS, BOM, PLs and ECNs are not what I want to do, especially at the bottom of the totem pole.
one thing I'd like to remind you hear is that this is YOUR job, and YOUR career. If you don't like the work you're being given, or if there is another project you'd rather be on, tell your boss. Don't focus on the fact that you don't like what you're doing, focus that you'd like to get more experience doing something else, challenge yourself, etc. Remember, your boss isn't a mind reader.
 
definitely agree on #1. but sometimes you HAVE to run from a job. Screaming. Some positions are just so bad that it becomes literally unhealthy for you to stay there.

#2, well. you're just old fashioned. In your geezer state you may forget how hard it is to land a job fresh out of college. I wouldn't consider 2 years to be a job hopper if that's how long someone had been out of college. Its common knowledge that most entry positions suck more than most anything out there.
I agree that some positions are simply untenable.

I read the whole resume. Some short stints are OK when seen in context as are periods out of work. There are, however, a class of people who hop in for a year or two, then jump to ratchet their salary, leaving chaos behind. They're the ones I try to filter out.

Edit:

We have entry positions that fail to suck. I do not want to waste them on airheads. :D
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
Really? Hopefully your current level of professionalism has matured. :rolleyes:
I didnt know it was going on until pretty much my last day. Guys reloading the OS's in a computer lab at a computer company isnt exactly out of the ordinary and if you sit there and do it without complaining no one takes notice.

Whats the saying? "Squeaky wheel gets the grease?"
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
I think I was just turned on to this fair specifically because its in an area I would like to live (DC) and because its specifically for security clearence holding professionals. So I thought there would be more to offer than whats listed on company websites, which can be quite confusing to sort through sometimes.
Glad to know this is where you're at. I would really tread lightly with this sort of crap. It's fine to leave your position, they won't look unkindly on you for that, and neither will a future employer if you're leaving for the right reasons (no challenge, no opportunity for advancement, etc.) rather than the wrong ones (bad manager, not enough pay, general unhappiness). You just don't want to piss them off or do something stupid. I would imagine the community in your field is pretty tightly knit, and Jim bob from shootemdown industries knows jeff the guy from blasttown USA. They might talk to each other and your history will certainly come up if they do.
 

ridiculous

Turbo Monkey
Jan 18, 2005
2,907
1
MD / NoVA
Glad to know this is where you're at. I would really tread lightly with this sort of crap. It's fine to leave your position, they won't look unkindly on you for that, and neither will a future employer if you're leaving for the right reasons (no challenge, no opportunity for advancement, etc.) rather than the wrong ones (bad manager, not enough pay, general unhappiness). You just don't want to piss them off or do something stupid. I would imagine the community in your field is pretty tightly knit, and Jim bob from shootemdown industries knows jeff the guy from blasttown USA. They might talk to each other and your history will certainly come up if they do.
Sounds like I need to have another talk with my boss before I go, if I do at all now.