A friend of mine is job hunting. Several others have just started new jobs (knowledge I have courtesy of LinkedIn). It's funny--I assume that people were moving around just as much as when I was working in soaps, but I certainly don't remember it. Is the world different now, or am I just more aware of it because of things like LinkedIn?
I imagine that it's a little bit of both. In the last few years, I have discovered a world that, at least in my industry, has "gone freelance." Not only is moving from job to job happening, it has become the norm. With reality productions that last just a few months, and talk shows that take long summer breaks, and small or large projects accomplished within the confines of small and smaller budgets, moving around has simply become a part of the equation. We TV people just have to be ready to move.
I think, however, the movement of my non-TV friends fascinates me even more. From a company's perspective, does productivity really improve with the movement of employees (or with the long hiring processes that I watch my friends go through)? From an employee's perspective, does it enhance a career--financially or creatively--to be on the move every year or two? I can't really say--I have never been through--or conducted--a long interview process, and the moves I have made have been out of necessity, not just by choice. And while I can say that each of the jobs I've done has taught me something, and that being out of work has taught me a few things too, I have to weigh the learning against the insecurity and the against the "first day of school feeling" at each new job. Is the learning worth it? Depends on the day.
I continue to read LinkedIn, fascinated by people's movement and progress. Even if the job market is no different than it was back then, it's fun to be able to "watch" it. Clearly, it's not a one-job life anymore. I suspect it never will be.
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