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How many job jumps is "too many" on a resume?


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Hey all.

Just wondering if it's "still a thing" not to have too many job jumps?

I've left five jobs in 8 years (four of those eight were my choice, and all for good reasons...either changed specialty, moved to a different state, locums contract ran out, etc)..

I'm looking to jump ship again from what has turned out to be a crappy gig in too many ways (promises not kept, extra duties outside contract, no attention to my professional desires, excesive supervisory micromanagement, poor corporate environment, etc).  I'm just wondering, does it look OK on a resume to list so many jobs as a PA? Or is this the "new normal"? I'm almost debating staying longer just to prevent my resume from getting longer, but I hate the current job...Looking for my "forever job" which I thought this would be, and it has fallen far short...

Thanks all.

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I've not been a hiring manager in medicine but I have in a past life in corporate IT.  Unless I was looking to fill a short term need, e.g. what I'd fill with a locums, I'd be very concerned about that many job changes.  There's quite a bit of work to post a job, interview, hire, and orient a new employee.  Then it takes them a while to learn how to be effective in the new location.

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6 minutes ago, UGoLong said:

Locums shouldn’t count. How many locums jobs out of the 5?



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Let's see...first job was a bad fit (let go, essentially, but kindly, with good recommendations), second job I left to change specialties after a few years, third job I was essentially laid off as department was downsizing and management was cleaning house of new people, fourth job was locums and I finished out the contract, fifth job I left after quite some some time because I moved to a different state..

So I guess that's one locums.

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As you get older and more experienced you should have increasing job length.  Most people know it takes several tries to get it right  after school but by five years out you should have some job with some longevity in your future.  If you reach eight years with no jobs over one year people will, and should, look at you carefully unless you are deliberately doing locums or short term grant jobs, or residencies, for a specific reason related to a career plan.  Otherwise it looks like you cannot hold a job or you do not do good job research (hospital changes hands, etc.)which is almost as important.  Check out future employers very carefully.  .  As you get older your jobs should last at least 5-10 years for you to gain maximally for retirement, etc.  

 

If you are in this situation consider staying for awhile until something that really looks like it might be your dream job pans out.  Moving from one crappy job to another is not really progress unless you are gaining experience that will be valuable later.  Remember that the boss or bosses you do not like may well leave before you.  Make sure to keep putting into your retirement and bringing it with you.  Set up short term goals in the job (learning more about x, y or z, procedures training, extra certifications, etc.) to keep it valuable to you in the long and short term.  

I have just retired.  The people in my cohort who have done the best are folks who have stayed in the same system through thick and thin, but came out ahead in the long run (VA, military, university systems like the University of California or plans with TIAA retirement, large health plans like Kaiser or Group Health).  Do not prematurely abandon ship in a large, stable system because of short term challenges.  

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