Hello everyone, I’m at a crossroads and could use some advice if possible. I started a new job a little over five months ago and, for the second time since beginning in this role, I have received a poaching job offer. I accepted this current job six weeks after my fiancé and I relocated to a new city for their work.
Four months before this relocation in May, I had started a new job in our old hometown. Before this, I worked in another role for nine months. The newest job offer is classified as an interim position and an old supervisor, who still works at the same organization, recommended me for the role, I last worked with this organization in May 2020. The previous employee who held the vacant role left unexpectedly. I believe it is often the case that in these circumstances the interim staff person is hired permanently after the end of the current fiscal year. Alternatively, the organization is also much larger than my current employer so I’m thinking if the interim role is not offered permanently at the end of May 2024, another position in the organization will be available and the organization’s HR team could help me connect with other positions where I could be a good fit.
The interim role would also be a significant step up in job responsibilities and have a better salary and fringe benefits. My main worry about making the change is that I don’t want to be held back later in my career if I’m seen as a chronic job hopper. My fiancé is already speaking about returning to a larger city in 2025.
I finished my master’s program in May 2022 and I have since held three jobs. I’m 27 years old. The decision to leave my current employer could mean a fourth and possibly a fifth job change before 2025.
The decision to take the new job in my old hometown in Feb 2023 was driven in part by an organization I truly wanted to work for lifting a partial hiring freeze and their HR team reconnecting with me about opportunities. I started this previous job, which in many ways was a lateral move in terms of responsibilities but with a much larger organization, just as my fiancé began being recruited for a new position that has been a significant step in their career. This partner’s new job again led to our move six months ago and the last job change for me. I did not know that they would be recruited when I put in my three weeks’ notice at the first job I had in my old hometown.
I left the two jobs in my old hometown on very good terms and I included references from them in my last job search. I still assist one former employer with occasional questions around a program I managed. I do worry, however, that the connections I made were not strong enough for long-term professional relationships because of the short time I spent at each place.
I also only worked one full-time job before I started graduate school. The job was about two years and, during graduate school, I always worked part-time. The longer part-time role I held was for one year and 11 months, but I don’t always highlight it on applications because the work is not always relevant to what I’m trying to do now. Part-time jobs that I talk about more on current resumes and cover letters were 11-month and nine-month positions.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this longer post and for any advice you can share!