First, a little background. After finishing MBA school I took a job with the company I interned with the previous summer. I accepted the job in December, with only the promise of a job in the Finance department. In April, I was instead told that I would be asked to do Systems work... WHICH I HATE! It was the reason I had gone back to school so I could get away from it!

Having rejected all other offers, and told that the Systems work would only last a couple of months, I followed through on my committment. Now, six months later I am still doing Systems work!

Now for the problem. I've been offered what appears to be a potential dream job with another top flight company. Is it too soon for me to leave my present job? What will be the long term effect on my resume? Should I just wait it out and hope that they eventually fulfill there promise to me? Thanks.

Neal Simmons

-- Neal Simmons (fedexstud@yahoo.com), December 05, 2000

Answers

Neal you are penalized when you are not learning and developing in your career and what company these days is going to penalize someone out of grad school with a freshly minted MBA for doing something that turns him a better and more effective player. You have got what they call a negotiating position, so long as the offer is a firm written one. No point in jumping ship if you have not got a bona fide offer. Always get something in writing, verbal contracts though legally binding do not offer much clout when you trying to negotiate your future. If the merits of the offer were fairly equal I wouldn't want to stay at a company that was apt to stalling me and reneging on their word. Of course this is your life and so its not for me to say what is good for you, your intelligent enough to look at the view from your standing and smelling if the opportunity smells right.

As long as you have top-flight companies on your resume and you don't burn bridges, I can't see what there is stopping you from taking the other option. Is it a question of better job security or a better career opportunity? If you get both then it is not a terribly hard call to make. Anyone who can come up with a name like "fedexstud" in his e-mail address has enough chutzpah in my book to explain the reasoning for a quick move on the resume. These days you have to explain why you didn't make a move as well as why you did, if indeed this particular question comes up at all. Everything today counts in achievements and what you brought to the revenue/cost line, not the number of career years you stack up.

Best of luck Neal, whatever you decide to do.

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), December 05, 2000.