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I started an apprenticeship with a startup in 2014, but the startup went bankrupt. So I switched to a web agency where i finished the apprenticeship earlier this year and am now employed at as a software developer.

The job is kind of okay, but i don't enjoy my colleagues very much nor do i enjoy the work I'm assigned (and there is no sign that this is going to change in the near future).
I now got a tempting job offer; I would be working with colleagues that i already worked with for two years and that i enjoy working with. I would work on a product that i imagine is fun working on, and I would probably make more money than i currently am.

Apart from others, one of my concerns is this: i am with my current company now for 10 months. If i sign into the new job it will be 14 including the notice time and stuff. I am worried that it will look bad on my resume that i left the company that let me finish my apprenticeship just a few months after.

Can someone please shed a light on how important the duration of employment is in the software industry today? Will it hurt my career if i now go for the (seemingly) much more fun job?

Thanks for your time :)

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  • "I'd probably make more money than I currently am" - Why probably? If you have an offer, didn't they tell you how much they pay?
    – Brandin
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 19:24
  • We did not talk about that, yet. But i'm 100% certain i wont take the job if i get less. Also, the position is further up the hierarchy. I believe less is unrealistic. Right now im just trying to figure out whether accepting it at all is a good idea. If i decide that i want the job, i'll negotiate the salary
    – user846711610724
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 19:28
  • 14 months is a little shorter than usual, but if the new job is a better fit and you don't end up making a habit of switching companies every year, I don't think it's going to be an issue in the long term. It's common in our industry to switch jobs every two or three years, so long-term company loyalty isn't expected as much as it might be in other fields. Be prepared to explain to a future employer why this move was the right choice (example: "job X consisted only of maintaining Y technology, and I wanted greater opportunity for my skills to stay current/relevant"), and you should be fine.
    – Josh1billion
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 19:37
  • @user846711610724 You can't really accept the job if you don't know the salary. "Employer: Do you accept, not knowing the salary? You: Yes. I accept. Employer: Great. Let's talk salary now. Do you accept salary x? You: I would like at least x + 10. Employer: We can only offer x. You: Then regretably I cannot accept."
    – Brandin
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 19:45
  • If this new job is a startup beware, these same people have already failed once (I am assuming they came from your first job not the current one from the wording). Ask a lot of questions around the funding and how they think this one will be different.You may not want to go from a stable job to an unstable one. Fun projects are often very risky because they are often at startups most of which fail. Don't get seduced by the fun part unless the financial management part is in place this time as well.
    – HLGEM
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 21:15

1 Answer 1

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Will it hurt my career if I now go for the (seemingly) much more fun job?

Most likely, no - but the operative word here being "seemingly".

It's quite common for people to interview with other companies every so often. This helps you stay fresh with your interview skills and up to date on the current state of the job market. This is especially important in the software world. Plus, you never know what good might come out of a potential interview to job offer opportunity.

I encourage you to be mindful of the "grass is greener on the other side" paradigm, however. Remember that an interview is a two-way conversation. You are interviewing your potential employer just as much as they are vetting you yourself.

This is your chance to turn that "seemingly" into a "definitely". Or not - you may find out that job really is not for you in the end.

As a manager, I definitely encourage my employees to be mindful of their career paths. Sometimes this means employees moving on to bigger and better opportunities. If an employee is not happy at their current role, their production level is negatively affected. It benefits both parties by not discouraging them from applying elsewhere while simultaneously being mindful of this as a hiring manager.

In the end, it's your career. Do what's best for you.

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  • Thanks for your answer :) I already thought about getting a day off at my current job to come see the new team, the work environment, the project and so forth. Judging from your answer that would be a good next step to take, would'nt it?
    – user846711610724
    Commented Mar 13, 2017 at 19:35

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