Learn what you like in a job, find one like it, and stay there
Q. I have held three full-time positions since I graduated from college in 2004. I was unhappy in my first job and was laid off after six months. My position was outsourced at my second job after 13 months. I have been in my third job for just shy of a year. I am not 100 percent happy and want to change careers (my first two jobs were telesales, and my current is banking services, but I would like to get into marketing/advertising). However, some people tell me that it will look very bad on a resume if I show I've had four jobs in the three years since graduation. Myself and a few others feel I can use it to my advantage, as there are valid reasons why I have had so many jobs and I can apply what I've learned into being a solid candidate. I would stay at my current job and hope for department shifts, but I was told that is a rare occurrence and would take many years, at least. Are multiple jobs in a short period a good thing, or is it better to get more time on my resume? How can I "spin" the situation on my resume?
A. The good news is you know how to get hired. The challenge is to get a job doing what you want to do, that puts you on a career path to where you want to go. Assessment, strategy, and patience are called for in this job search. First, evaluate the positions you have taken. Ask yourself these questions: What attracted you to each of these jobs? What made you happy about the job? What did you like and dislike? What were you good at? What could you improve? What kind of manager did you work best under?
Secondly, figure out the environments you liked best. Fast-paced or slow? Structured or unstructured? Team or solo? Continue to perform a thorough assessment of what made you unhappy, because you will want to steer clear of these areas. Completely happy may be too much to hope for immediately, but what percent would you say is intolerable? Tolerable? Good? And great? You will want to make decisions about job offers based on the opportunity to stay in the job or with the company for a while, and turn it into a great track record of success.
You said you would stay at your current job, and hope for department shifts. If you can focus on what you are going toward, instead of what you are going from, people may be more willing to consider helping you make the transition. It may make sense, before you start looking elsewhere, to look around your organization and see what opportunities are closest to the marketing and advertising positions that interest you. Start doing informational meetings with more senior people in those areas (on your own time, not on the job) and find out what it would take to transfer in, and how you can develop the skills and experience they need. People want to see determination, drive, interest, and a willingness to learn and to work hard. If you aren't able to make this move internally, use what you have learned to strategically look for the next right position outside your company.
Your resume may make you look like a "job hopper." This next job will be important for your resume "image." Hiring managers may worry if they hire you, you will only stay a short while, and they will waste money, time, and energy training you. Your "spin" should include how you have learned more about what you want to do, the research you have done, skills you have picked up along the way, and your commitment to the position and the organization. You have started down a few career paths, and it is time to build some momentum to move past entry level.
A. A nondisclosure agreement is a legal pact to keep information confidential. An employee does not need to be in senior management, or know all about internal corporate details, to be asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement . The information the company would be concerned about protecting, often described as trade secrets or intellectual property, could include a proprietary process or practice, a customer list, or a marketing strategy they would not want to fall into the hands of a competitor.
A nondisclosure agreement does not prevent an employee from joining a competitor, so long as the promise not to discuss or disclose confidential information from the previous employer is maintained.
Your friend may be concerned if he also signed a noncompete agreement, which employers use to limit an employee, for a period of time, from engaging in a business similar to their own, or that of a competitor, in a similar geography, by soliciting their customers.
Encourage your friend to apply for the position. Neither of these agreements is designed to keep people unemployed -- particularly if the company is closing its local operations. The new employer, via its attorney, will also be able to tell your friend if they anticipate any issues in his joining their organization.
I recommend that any employee asked to sign either of these legal documents consult with a lawyer. I also recommend keeping a copy of these agreements so that you can review your commitments when looking for a new position.
A. I commend you for planning ahead. You have managed to work your intentions for work/life balance and career satisfaction into your decisions. I do hear quite a few "what ifs" in your many questions, and sorting through those will help you identify your next move.
After your layoff, you sought better work hours to correspond to your children's schedule. Teaching offered that benefit. You continue to enjoy this career, though needing those hours is no longer the reason you stay (or it won't be soon). Identify why you enjoy this work and compare that to what you see as opportunities in healthcare or corporate training. I would also encourage you to look at higher education as an industry that will value your experience and the additional education and training you have. You may also want to consider staying in primary or secondary education and changing roles to begin using the additional skills you have gained.
If income and retirement income are now your primary drivers, you can assess opportunity by that variable. Earning a higher income allows you to put more into a retirement account. Industry employers vary by how they contribute to employees' retirement; higher education, for example, typically has a lower pay scale but makes a significant contribution/employee match to retirement plans. You may decide that higher education can also offer tuition benefits for your children, which will minimize your costs, and allow you to contribute more to your own retirement than you might otherwise.
A good financial planner can help you outline your financial goals. You will then be able to match your career goals accordingly.
Elaine Varelas is managing partner at Keystone Partners, a career management firm in Boston. E-mail questions to jobdoc@globe.com or mail to Job Doc, Boston Globe, Box 55819, Boston, 02205-5819. 
