Ask the Recruiter

Q: I started my first job in journalism about two months ago at a respectable 20,000-circulation newspaper. Yesterday, I got a call from an editor at large, metropolitan newspaper asking if I would be interested in a job (I had earlier interviewed for another one that I did not get.) Obviously, I would have loved to accept (I consider it a huge honor to even have been considered, because I just graduated from college.), but I told the editor I had already taken another job.

When I told some of my co-workers about this, they couldn't believe I turned down the job. They didn't seem to think leaving a job after just two months was reason enough to say no to the new one. Were they right? I had always thought skipping out on a job before I had been there at least a year was frowned upon. Or would this have been an understandable situation, going to a much larger paper? I should mention both newspapers are owned by the same company.

I definitely want to keep in contact with the editor, though, and plan on periodically sending him clips. My question is, how many should I send? One or two, or should I treat it as a mini job application and send six to 10? Also, should I go ahead and send my best stuff or try to save those clips for if I have to officially re-apply for a job at the newspaper?

Thanks for your help!

T.

A: I disagree with your co-workers.

In fact, I likely would not encourage someone to leave a job they had been working for just two months. It is a bad precedent and can make you look flighty or shifty.

Stay in touch with the editor at the larger paper and continue working to make good on your implied commitment that you would work for more than a couple months. It will take you several months -- maybe as long as a year -- just to get to the point where you know your beat.

After a year, you can start looking. But you don't have to.

It does not sound like this is an issue for you, but be aware that some employers hire people with the stipulation that, if they leave within a year (or two), they have to reimburse moving expenses. That gives us some insight into what editors think is a respectable tenure.