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I just started working for a small accounting firm. When would it be appropriate to continue my job work search for another firm, and continue my interviews? How much time should I stay with my current employer, to not deter other employers but increase their interest in me as a potential candidate?

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Nothing wrong with still going to interviews....I took a part time gig after I was laid off from my previous job. Trying to stay there at least 6 months before moving on permanently. Do you not like your current Job? Why are you looking to leave? We have to remember that employers are not obligated to us and we aren't to them. If a better opportunity presents itself, don't hesitate to take it...just give your current employer proper notice.

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Nothing wrong with still going to interviews....

 

As an employer I can assure you that going on interviews after you JUST started a job is flat out wrong and can get you fired in my company...

Unless the job is part-time and or temporary but if the person was hired in for a full time, permanent position and they don't like the job then they should resign NOW or not take the job in the first place.

 

Training a person for a position and working them into a workflow costs a company a lot of money and for them to be trained and then leave in 3 weeks when another job comes available is unprofessional and immature.

 

You ARE obligated to your employer to act in a professional manner and on a personal level you ARE obligated to give that job your all.

 

And trust me, there are patterns that people will see if a person is still going on job interviews and the employer will notice them...

I have always been able to tell when someone in interviewing...

 

I would suggest to the OP that if the position is permanent and full time that they at least give it 90 days before you move onto another job.

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As an employer I can assure you that going on interviews after you JUST started a job is flat out wrong and can get you fired in my company...

Unless the job is part-time and or temporary but if the person was hired in for a full time, permanent position and they don't like the job then they should resign NOW or not take the job in the first place.

 

Training a person for a position and working them into a workflow costs a company a lot of money and for them to be trained and then leave in 3 weeks when another job comes available is unprofessional and immature.

 

You ARE obligated to your employer to act in a professional manner and on a personal level you ARE obligated to give that job your all.

 

And trust me, there are patterns that people will see if a person is still going on job interviews and the employer will notice them...

I have always been able to tell when someone in interviewing...

 

I would suggest to the OP that if the position is permanent and full time that they at least give it 90 days before you move onto another job.

 

I'd have to agree. My job is part time. I was unemployed for a few months prior so I took the first offer that came my way. I am still looking for full time work, but I'd definitely be open to sticking this job out for awhile if I could find additional employment...which I did through a staffing agency and unfortunately the other employer decided after a few weeks that he wanted someone with more technical experience. Crossing my fingers, but the agency may have another assignment lined up. However, after getting let go from a job in December right at the 90 day mark (just before Christmas too)...it makes me rethink going out of my way for employers. I left a stable job of 2 years for what I thought was a better opportunity and without warning they just let me go and when I asked why, I was just given the general runaround. I found out a few weeks later that they exited bankruptcy the very day I was let go. This job cost me my home and my husband and I were forced to relocate because 2/3 of our income was lost. I wanted to make a career with the company and I feel utterly resentful that this causes me to rethink loyalty to employers. They can let you go for anything at any time and not tell you why...not to mention this can cause serious financial problems for a lot of people, but employees owe it to an employer to stick with them? We need to know more from the OP to establish whether or not he/she has good cause for leaving. If the OP feels the job isn't a fit, then he/she has a right to look for other work and give proper notice.

Edited by pink_sugar
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You ARE obligated to your employer to act in a professional manner

 

That is a general expectation, and just plain good business on both ends, yes.

 

and on a personal level you ARE obligated to give that job your all.

 

No you're not. You're obligated to fulfill the job requirements. That's it. The company's goal is to milk an employee for as much as they can possibly get out of you - for as little in return as they can possibly get away with - and if you allow them to do that, they'll leave you exhausted, depressed or dead. It's up to the employee to draw a line in the sand. It's dangerous to assume for even a second that an employer is looking out for your wellbeing. They're not. That's not why they exist.

 

So - that said - my advice to the OP would be go for it! - but make sure you're not cutting into the (current) company's time or resources in your job search. And make sure you have a good reason ready to describe in interviews why you're looking after such a short time with your current employer. Because they'll be asking.

Edited by OpenBook
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As an employer I can assure you that going on interviews after you JUST started a job is flat out wrong and can get you fired in my company...

Unless the job is part-time and or temporary but if the person was hired in for a full time, permanent position and they don't like the job then they should resign NOW or not take the job in the first place.

 

Training a person for a position and working them into a workflow costs a company a lot of money and for them to be trained and then leave in 3 weeks when another job comes available is unprofessional and immature.

 

You ARE obligated to your employer to act in a professional manner and on a personal level you ARE obligated to give that job your all.

 

And trust me, there are patterns that people will see if a person is still going on job interviews and the employer will notice them...

I have always been able to tell when someone in interviewing...

 

I would suggest to the OP that if the position is permanent and full time that they at least give it 90 days before you move onto another job.

 

I only asked this question because it may be something I will have to do, and out of curiosity. I might add that probationary period sometimes falls with the 90 days you mentioned above, although it may be advantageous to look for jobs to avoid having a break of unemployment in between.

 

As an full-time employee, I agree one must give their all when it comes to the job. However, there are students who also study part-time or have time to pursue interests that might include looking at prospective jobs as one would with finding providers of services like phone carriers.

 

What is considered short? Anything after 2 years? I mentioned my background because I was also wondering if it varies between industries and jobs. I would have to take in consideration if I would like a good letter of reference. What if it is for my first full-time job?

 

Day after day, I've realized that contract work, or having more than one part-time job to make ends meet is becoming more and more accepted by employers. There is a squeezing of entry level jobs by creating exclusive pools that exclude other workers from acquiring those skills because they hadn't jumped through so many hoops (i.e. education, work experience, personality), to get these jobs. So long are the days when working with the same company for a lifetime was expected, and employees being seen as a number was considered inhumane.

 

How does one also take into account how many years of experience one may have had for jobs they would like to want? It might vary, but a financial analyst would have to have 3-5 years of relevant experience (1-2 years or even 3-5 years for entry level/standard positions, 5-7 or even 7-10 years for senior or managerial positions).

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How long you stay in a job just depends. First, if you work in the IT field, 95% of that work is contract, not full-time, so it's common for IT professionals to do a 6 month job, or a 1-3 year job with a company.

 

Since your field is accounting, how long you stay in your current job depends on your long-term career goals.

 

There is also the work environment and relationship with your boss and coworkers to consider. It's not unheard of to accept a job, only to realize shortly after that it was a huge mistake (for various reasons). It's easiest to find another job while you are employed (financially speaking).

 

I have to disagree with Art Critic that you as an employee you are obligated to stay at your current job for the employer's sake. The only obligation you have is to yourself. Do you like that company? The people? The job? If you do, and you can see yourself building your accounting career there then stay as long as you like.

 

But if you don't like the work you do there, or the people, or the work environment is toxic, then you need to start your job search immediately and use the excuse of "dr appt" for interviews you set up. Or schedule interviews over your lunch hour (even if your lunch hour means you have an interview at 10 am, take your lunch hour then).

Edited by writergal
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How long you stay in a job just depends. First, if you work in the IT field, 95% of that work is contract, not full-time, so it's common for IT professionals to do a 6 month job, or a 1-3 year job with a company.

 

Since your field is accounting, how long you stay in your current job depends on your long-term career goals.

 

There is also the work environment and relationship with your boss and coworkers to consider. It's not unheard of to accept a job, only to realize shortly after that it was a huge mistake (for various reasons). It's easiest to find another job while you are employed (financially speaking).

 

I have to disagree with Art Critic that you as an employee you are obligated to stay at your current job for the employer's sake. The only obligation you have is to yourself. Do you like that company? The people? The job? If you do, and you can see yourself building your accounting career there then stay as long as you like.

 

But if you don't like the work you do there, or the people, or the work environment is toxic, then you need to start your job search immediately and use the excuse of "dr appt" for interviews you set up. Or schedule interviews over your lunch hour (even if your lunch hour means you have an interview at 10 am, take your lunch hour then).

 

I agree and that's the issue with IT work that it"s not stable. I declined a contract job that paid well for a stable position. I do have side contract jobs since I do a lot of online marketing and ecommerce work.

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I agree and that's the issue with IT work that it"s not stable. I declined a contract job that paid well for a stable position. I do have side contract jobs since I do a lot of online marketing and ecommerce work.

 

I did some work for a family member's small IT company, where I was responsible for recruiting IT professionals for jobs. I actually enjoyed my stint as an IT recruiter (they couldn't afford to keep me on full-time). A lot of the IT professionals I set up interviews for, I had to interview first, to make sure they were what the 3rd party client wanted. But even then, the 3rd party client would often hem and haw if the answers weren't "perfect."

 

IT is a very competitive industry with little to no job stability whatsoever (unless you have a long-term contract) which a high salary compensates for. Too bad no other industry is like that.

 

If I were computer savvy, heck, I'd do it; but terms like "Java" means "coffee" to me, and C++ is what I got on all my Algebra homework assignments in high school (on good days when I actually read the material).

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EvelyneConnor

If you do keep interviewing, be discreet about it and keep in mind that you have a stable job now - always review how important stability vs. mobility is for you. Other than that - good luck!

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Eternal Sunshine
That is a general expectation, and just plain good business on both ends, yes.

 

 

 

No you're not. You're obligated to fulfill the job requirements. That's it. The company's goal is to milk an employee for as much as they can possibly get out of you - for as little in return as they can possibly get away with - and if you allow them to do that, they'll leave you exhausted, depressed or dead. It's up to the employee to draw a line in the sand. It's dangerous to assume for even a second that an employer is looking out for your wellbeing. They're not. That's not why they exist.

 

So - that said - my advice to the OP would be go for it! - but make sure you're not cutting into the (current) company's time or resources in your job search. And make sure you have a good reason ready to describe in interviews why you're looking after such a short time with your current employer. Because they'll be asking.

 

This is simply not true for every employer. It's not to employer's advantage to burn you out either. I know tons of people that spend most of their work time facebooking while getting the full time pay. So the "using" goes both ways.

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I did some work for a family member's small IT company, where I was responsible for recruiting IT professionals for jobs. I actually enjoyed my stint as an IT recruiter (they couldn't afford to keep me on full-time). A lot of the IT professionals I set up interviews for, I had to interview first, to make sure they were what the 3rd party client wanted. But even then, the 3rd party client would often hem and haw if the answers weren't "perfect."

 

IT is a very competitive industry with little to no job stability whatsoever (unless you have a long-term contract) which a high salary compensates for. Too bad no other industry is like that.

 

If I were computer savvy, heck, I'd do it; but terms like "Java" means "coffee" to me, and C++ is what I got on all my Algebra homework assignments in high school (on good days when I actually read the material).

 

I wonder if there's any connection between contract jobs and people on visa. A lot of people on visa have these jobs so I wonder if that's what influenced the shorter term job durations.

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I wonder if there's any connection between contract jobs and people on visa. A lot of people on visa have these jobs so I wonder if that's what influenced the shorter term job durations.

 

Yes there is a correlation between contract jobs and IT professionals from countries like India, who are here on a visa.

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Tip: If your employer provides you with a work vehicle, the odds are it has GPS so either use a personal vehicle for interviews or disable the GPS in an intermittent way. This is the most common way my friends find out which employees are moonlighting or job searching and the result generally is the person gets called into the main office and their last paycheck and a taxi are waiting for them. This presumes your employer would otherwise terminate you for actively seeking a job with a competitor on their nickel. In any event, avoid job searching and/or interviews on company time. Lastly, if the company provides you with IT, like a smartphone/tablet/laptop, etc, don't use it for such activities because they can track it and again it's the company nickel thing. If they're disclosed and agree, disregard.

 

When would it be appropriate to continue my job work search for another firm, and continue my interviews? How much time should I stay with my current employer, to not deter other employers but increase their interest in me as a potential candidate?

 

As accounting is a pretty stable employment dynamic, obviously depending on the type of accounting, I'd invest time and build contacts before making a lateral or upward move. If young, at least a year. I realize the days of guys like my dad working for the government as a CPA for life are long-gone but still there's a certain benefit to showing stability and an established work product and work ethic, especially in a relatively conservative career such as accounting.

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Tip: If your employer provides you with a work vehicle, the odds are it has GPS so either use a personal vehicle for interviews or disable the GPS in an intermittent way. This is the most common way my friends find out which employees are moonlighting or job searching and the result generally is the person gets called into the main office and their last paycheck and a taxi are waiting for them. This presumes your employer would otherwise terminate you for actively seeking a job with a competitor on their nickel. In any event, avoid job searching and/or interviews on company time. Lastly, if the company provides you with IT, like a smartphone/tablet/laptop, etc, don't use it for such activities because they can track it and again it's the company nickel thing. If they're disclosed and agree, disregard.

 

 

 

As accounting is a pretty stable employment dynamic, obviously depending on the type of accounting, I'd invest time and build contacts before making a lateral or upward move. If young, at least a year. I realize the days of guys like my dad working for the government as a CPA for life are long-gone but still there's a certain benefit to showing stability and an established work product and work ethic, especially in a relatively conservative career such as accounting.

 

These are very good points. I keep my own electronics and vehicle, and I have strict knowledge of what and who comes into my car. I always segregate personal and work use of my belongings.

 

I put everything I have into my work at the moment. This is something I was planning to bring up on another thread, but I have had some worries about the firm working at. Coworkers who have done poorly on past files, coworkers who are reluctant to explain and go into detail who are more than happy to 'just get by' with the details by focusing on cost, and coworkers who have some sort of unspoken vendetta against me (a coworker always tends to ignore what I have to say like I'm not there, and is uninterested in topics of what I have to say or when I am trying to start conversation with her).

 

I'm still trying to fit in with people at work, but I want to help my family out as much as I can and to maximize my output through jobs. For instance, I'm considering to work as a customer rep over the phone or at some sort of job (I haven't figured out what) to allow me to improve my social skills, earn a few extra bucks, and possibly as a way to get me into the bank industry.

 

At the same time, I want to move up into a bigger firm. Accounting and transitioning into industry is all about brand power on a resume when you're talking about future job prospects.

Edited by jonsnuh
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