How does this effect your marketability?

N2IT

Just a couple of key points I wanted to hit on. I was hoping to get some inputs on these bullet points when it comes to employment, careers, resumes, and marketability.

• Staying <1 year in positions.
• Staying in IT but moving around in different job roles. [Project Management to Change Management to Release Management to System Adminstration to Software Support and Analysis]
• Working two jobs at the same time and listing it on your resume/linkedin etc. [This is a personal question, as of now I am working two jobs]
• Moving around from Management to subordinate back to management. Holding two positions a management position and non management position, working two jobs. [Personal question again]

Any contribution is appreciated.

Everyone

By "Staying less than 1 year in positions" does that imply changing companies? I don't think staying in a position less than a year has to be a bad thing. For example if you started as Help Desk, 6 months later got promoted to Jr. SysAd, 8 months later promoted to SysAd... That could all be done while staying at the same company and be a big positive.

Changing roles I don't see as negative either, at least not early in your career. However you could get stuck at a certain career level if you never settle on one role. Early in my career I changed roles a lot, but that was due to the nature of working IT as an enlisted member of the USAF. It never hurt me, in fact I'd say it helped. After getting out, I focused on a single role with logical progression to similar but higher level roles.

Working 2 jobs at the same time should be insignificant. In fact people may not even pick up on it. Unless of course you get fired from one of those jobs because the other interfered with it. I list my ANG work, which is like a 2nd job, although usually only 1 weekend a month and 2+ weeks a year. I suppose that is a little different from working for both Company A and Company B at the same time.

Flopping between management and non-management could be a big negative. It could show you aren't cut out to be management. So if you have a strong desire to be management, you may want to avoid doing this. That being said, I can relate to this. I was in a management role when I was in the USAF, and I am still in a management role part time in the ANG. I haven't been in a management role in my "civilian" jobs, but then again, I haven't exactly pursued any either. I prefer senior level technical roles to pure management roles. The flip side is, having previous management experience could be a big positive if you decide you want to go management and stay there. Much easier to get a new job as a Manager if you already have experience being one.

Bl8ckr0uter

• Working two jobs at the same time and listing it on your resume/linkedin etc. [This is a personal question, as of now I am working two jobs

Some companies frown on this. I know personally I have interview for positions (including the one I am in now) and working two jobs is something frowned upon. From time to time I take on side projects (fixing computers, wireless networks, etc) and this is a non issue. It is working another full time job or working for another company (or starting your own) that makes some managers cringe. Part of it is (imo) that managers want your undivided attention and they feel like you performance will suffer if you are working at more than one shop. Part of it is intellectual property and trade protection. Another part of it is selfishness. I think that if you own a business or are working for another place you should be up front about it. Don't let it "come up" bring it up purposefully for the purposes of full disclosure. In an interview process I think it is in your best interest to make sure this is out in the open.