A Job: To Stay or Go

How long is too long to stick with an employer? What are the warning signs that it may be time to leave? The Bureau of labor statictics says that the average American has been with their employer 4 years. In 4 years can you learn everything about your employer and whether or not its where you want to be in 8 years? I would argue that 2 – 4 years is probably what it takes to fully get the feel of a company. In that amount of time you would probably see several projects from beginning to end, you would see turnover and how the company treats employees, you would get comfortable with your coworkers and boss, and you would start to identify trends and patterns in the company culture. Signs that its time to leave? Lack of communication from top down. If your boss does not know what you do, and you do not know what he does. If you directly ask about your future at the company and get the runaround. An institutionalized lack of communication is hard to overcome. When things like what I have just listed start happening, it may be time to consider moving on.