Exempt Employee - Uncompensated Overtime

[Uncle Dave]

The reason I usually move around is because of government contracts.

At the beginning of any new airplane or rocket engine program is all new design. That is where the interesting work is.
Then after a couple of years of hard core design and development the good work is over and then its just piddly little engineering changes.
That is called "Sustaining engineering". Pushing paper through a gauntlet of change boards to see where the money comes from to make a change.

One that happens I am usually put on the next project...unless there isn't one. If that happens I get pigeon-holed into designing brackets till the next big thing comes along. Sometimes I can weather that storm. Sometimes I just get too bored and start looking around. Some guys are happy doing whatever work they get. I prefer to do the conceptual front end design work.

Aerospace Engineering is very cyclic like that.
That's were the term "Job Shopper" comes from

Contract Job Hunter is a great way to get short term work for higher $$$
Name your own price...like Priceline
The name of the game is per diem and overtime for this kind of work.

http://www.cjhunter.com/index.html

Tv /filmmovie/ tech moves in 5-10 year cycles. Hence in my searches I look for guys matching those cycles.

As an employer - I know well the difference between a guy following opportunities leading to upward trajectories while moving around and guys making frequent lateral moves are what set off alarm bells.

I get the scoop when I grill the fuck out them during the interview.

UD

 

[Dalton]

I look at it this way. Now that companies are only giving 2-3% raises every year it behooves us to move around to get those 5-10+% increases you typically get with a new job. I can also usually get a $10-20k signing bonus. Less and less companies are offering pensions anymore. 3-5 years is becoming the sweet spot. By moving around I am learning different ways of doing things, software, processes and meeting new people. I get to work on different products in different industries. I think its good to be diversified just like with your investments. If one industry is down another may be booming.

It's more stressful at first but also rewarding to get yourself out of that comfort zone. It's definitely not a strategy for everyone. I have no desire to move up and become a Manager/Director/CEO. I prefer to stay "under the radar" and design cutting edge product...and let my manager take the credit.

Anyone else move around every few years in their industry to get ahead?

Yep, 1 year contracts at a time

 

[Ziggy]

Advertising agencies encourage people to move around...when it's early in their career. Job-hopping isn't frowned upon at all for the young 'uns.

As you gain experience/tenure, it's more like any other job, and people will question your dedication.

I think some of you guys are missing OP's statement that he doesn't want to climb the ladder, and he's not looking for a career.

So stating "well, you'll never get to the top" is a moot point, because he doesn't want that.

He's got a well established career but the field he is in and has interest in basically dictates more frequent job moves.