Is there any harm in applying?

I know some of the peers here will disgaree, but job hopping doesn't look good on a resume. When I hire, I look for someone who will be happy in the role for a good two years or so.

On the other hand, as long as you don't have a steady record of it, its ok to have one instance of it. You can say you just didn't fit in, and leave it at that if it comes up in the future.

James

Even if you dont actually change your job, applying elsewhere (or for another position), will not look good on your CV.

In my opinion, you should stick around for at least a year, and prove yourself.

I wasn't exactly clear if the new positions were government or public, but it seemed like they were probably public. So, you would be moving from a comfortable government job that you love to a higer paying public job with many unknown environment aspects (you might have a terrible boss, the work might unenjoyable, etc.)

I tell you that I have had many friends that made the switchover. A lot of them regretted the move. The public environment is different; it's less comfortable and secure. My friends left a large community of associates that they had worked with for many years to go a company where the turnover rate was high, job loyalty less than perfect, and a different how-to-get-ahead mentality existed. I guess you could say they found out the grass was greener on the other side.

If you are moving to another government position, then that would be a whole different ballgame. In that case, I think you have to examine your motives. If you say you love your current position, but are still thinking about moving, then maybe you don't really love your position. I'm sure there are other things you might find out if you take a hard look at your motivation for moving.

I always use a selfish measure for selecting job choices: where will I be most happy? Being happy with my work is extremely important to me. I get a large portion of my self-worth from the performance of my work, so if I am happy at work, my feelings of self-esteem are increased. This makes me a better person to be around and makes my wife happier. If my wife is happy, then the happiness feedback loop is complete and the universe is well.

I say you should do what will increase your happiness.

NOTE: I originally had my Public/Private sector wires crossed and had private where I meant public.

I'm not being contrary just for the sake of contrariness, but I do have a different perspective from all the other posters as well as a departure from the advice I normally give in this situation.

First of all, the mere act of applying for another position looks neither good nor bad from a resume perspective. You don't list all the jobs you've applied for, you list what you've done. If you apply for a job with me and you show ten years of experience, I don't know if you've applied for a new job on a weekly basis in all that time or not, and frankly I don't care.

While you don't say if the opportunities in question are in the public or private sector, unlike another poster I'm assuming they're public since they were brought to your attention by another government worker. I'm a government worker myself (Federal) having spent more than 30 years in the private sector, and I can tell you that job hopping in the public sector is much different...it's a lot more accepted and expected, mostly because administrations change so frequently. Washington DC is a very transient town for that reason. Don't let that hold you back.

You are correct, however, to be a little concerned that it might get back to your current employer that you're applying for another job. There are no secrets in government service, it's a remarkably tight knit community and something I've found very disconcerting considering my own background. That really doesn't matter too much either for the same reason...folks in the public sector routinely job hop. Only you can figure out what kind of relationship you have with your boss and whether or not...and how...an unsuccessful application for another position will affect that relationship.

There are just as many good and bad managers and situations on the public side as the private, so that's not a consideration. You do ultimately have to decide what makes you happy. What's your own personal Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? Figure that out first and you'll have a better idea what to do.

BTW, it's not necessarily true that the private sector is less secure and comfortable than the public side. Every single one of us should come to work every single day expecting to hear the words "you're fired". The government is just as fickle an employer as any publicly traded or privately owned company, and that's a good thing...never allow yourself to get complacent, and never allow yourself to get so deeply ensconced in a womb-like comfort zone that you're afraid to make any moves. Without risk you don't make mistakes, and without mistakes you cheat yourself of a learning opportunity.

To answer your specific question...no, it doesn't hurt to apply. You have very little to lose and potentially much to gain.

I would only suggest applying only if you are ready to leave if you get an offer.

You state "I love what I do and where I do it". In today's environment, this is not something to take lightly. Given that, what is your desire to change positions?

There is no right or wrong answer, but to be fair to whomever you talk to, be prepared to leave your current position if they make an offer. If you are not emotionally ready to leave your current position, don't take up interview time. If you are ready to transfer if given the oppertunity, then go ahead and apply and don't worry about your current boss hearing about it.

James, it's a legitimate and common question to ask, something I do myself. Of course...any competent interviewer would, since a history of short duration jobs tells you a lot about a candidate's sense of loyalty and focus.

I don't hire people who are only joining my team to build their resumes on my nickel. You don't either. It's a bit of an art to divine a candidate's motives in advance but it can be done.

In this particular case (as usual) we don't know any more about the original poster than the information provided so we have to make some assumptions. If he/she leaves the current job it'll be after only four short months. Is this a one time occurence or a pattern? We as interviewers have to put everything into context. Candidates who've had, let's say, three jobs in 20 years but then leave a fourth job after only four months don't raise the hair on the back of my neck. On the other hand, someone who's had ten jobs in six years or someone who's leaving a job after four months having only been in the work force for a couple of years, regardless of their prior history, probably wouldn't get an interview from me.

BTW, this might interest you. I've been advertising a job for a technical support manager (here in our DC headquarters) and listed the qualifications as follows: 8-15 years experience, excellent general technical skills principally in software (infrastructure not required), excellent communication skills with a consultative mindset, demonstrable experience with product selection and vendor relationship management. The comp is competitive, considering the job's in the Federal government sector. I was expecting a flood of resumes but I only got about 35. A friend of mine in a Fortune 500 company up in NY is also currently advertising a lower level position for a database developer to work in a business intelligence group. Less experience required, more technical than anything else, excellent comp and benefits. He only got 30 resumes. Maybe there's less of a glut of qualified IT professionals than everyone's been screaming about. What do you think?

If so yes, you've got a good reason, if it's more for the money then unless you are hurting financially probably not. Having a job where you are happy and you earn enough to pay for food and shelter is a lot rarer than the places where the grass really is greener. It's much much rarer than an employer's broken promise.

Job hopping within (the same) government isn't really job hopping. It's more like a transfer.

I would tell my boss I was considering it though.