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All of the talk about coping makes me think about one of the
really bad things that co-op work placements / internship taught
me ... specifically, it doesn't matter whether I love my job, I
always get restless after 4 months and want to move on to
greener pastures.
Since I graduated from university, the longest period of time I've
spent in one job (and at one company) is a year. Eight months
seems like an eternity. I can't even imagine staying at one
company for five years.
I'm curious about whether other tech writers out there have the
same 4-month itch? How do you cope with it? Does it go away
after a few years? How much does the high tech environment
feed into the "these boots are made for walking" mentality?
Also, do you think that constant movement from job to job helps
or hinders a technical writer's career? I've learned extremely
valuable skills from every job I've had, so I can see the value of
"moving on". On the other hand, I can understand why an employer
would be nervous about hiring someone who can't seem to stay
in one place for more than a few months.