Austin Cooke,
Director of Recruitment,
Sapient

1. What should be the minimum amount of time for job changes? Are number of job changes important?

We are currently in a unique economy with an incredible job market. Intellectual capital is at an all-time high and companies are scrambling to acquire the best talent around. With that said, it is inevitable that we see candidates with job changes on their resume. Changing jobs is healthy for an employee's personal and professional growth-to a limit. Excessive job shifts (i.e. 4 jobs in 3 years) will provoke an interviewer to ask questions so be prepared with a solid answer.

Are number of job changes important? Yes. It's important to remember that, inevitably, the market will shift and a well-traveled career path may not be as welcome to potential employers as it once was. Remember that you can't rewrite your resume three years from now. Be smart and choose your moves carefully by weighing the professional and personal benefits of a new job (that doesn't necessarily mean a bigger paycheck).

2. How would one present several job shifts to potential employers?

Talk about career growth and culture. Often times, an employee's professional development becomes stagnant or misdirected. If you find yourself in this situation, you should seriously consider other options. Again, it's beneficial to your personal and professional growth to change jobs and further your experiences.

The same holds true for mismatched culture in the workplace. Culture is a very strong component of why people are happy or not happy. It is difficult to endure even the best job in the world if you find yourself in a situation where the workplace environment is uncomfortable or uninspiring. No one could fault you for leaving under those circumstances.

3. At what point in the interview process is it ok to ask about stock options and benefits?

Stock options and benefits are really two different questions. In regards to stock options, I think it is great to talk about stocks, from an ownership perspective, early on in the interviewing process. It helps us to understand your compensation goals and expectations from the company.

Concerning benefits, unless there is a clear medical reason to ask specific questions about benefits and coverage (i.e. spouse is pregnant), I would recommend postponing that discussion until you've received an offer. Remember that first and second interviews are a discovery period for both the candidate and the company. Interviewers may find it a bit frustrating if someone was to get into the minutia of the 401K plan or life insurance plans very early on in the process.