Q: I'm five years out of college. I did everything wrong as an undergrad -- no internships, no networking, no journalism experience beyond the school paper. Since then, I think I've done a pretty good job building my career. I started out at a free suburban weekly for about 8 months, spent two years at a paid-twice weekly, worked for a year and a half at a small (20,000 circ.) daily, and a few months ago I started working at a paper at the very bottom of the top-200 circulation list.

Along the way I've done some great work, winning a good number of state and regional journalism awards. I was second place candidate for a job at a 220,000 circ. paper just before I got my current job, and the editor there has kept in touch and told me she'd seriously consider me if another opening came along.

I'm ambitious and eager to advance. I'm also tired of moving and changing jobs so frequently. Even with a supportive significant other, it's draining. If I could land at a paper with circulation over 200,000, in a decent city and with motivated colleagues, I think I'd want to stick around for a long time. I'd still harbor dreams of making it to the big time, but I can wait until I'm in my late 30s or beyond in exchange for stability and some time to really delve into knowing a beat well.

Here's where I'd appreciate some advice. When do you think it would be appropriate to start putting out feelers again? Is a year at my new paper long enough? Or do you think I need to stick it out longer to prove myself, after going through so many smaller papers so quickly?

A fan

A: For someone who thinks she did everything wrong in college, you seem to have done everything right since then.

You have a very traditional career track showing clear, progressive improvements. I'd keep doing what you're doing.

Is a year long enough? I'd say, probably not. It seems to take about a year to learn a beat or an office environment. You don't really start reaping the benefits of all that you've learned until you at least get into that second year.

I'd stay beyond a year. If you just can't, or if something too good comes along, make sure that the next move you make will be to a place where you can definitely stay for a couple years. If you stack up too many short-term stays, you will look to some editors like a job-hopper who will be in and out in a minute.

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