First, congratulations! Five-year is pretty long as people tend to change job very quickly and with all the layoffs in recent years.

Having a job is one thing while having a job that you really love is the other. I think one good thing of working for a big corporate is it may be good for future job change.

Good luck!

A big congrats on 5 years. From a personal viewpoint (and I know this is going to go against typical financial advice), but it's not worth doing if you aren't passionate about it. That doesn't mean jump off the deep end with no plan, but it means you should be looking at ways to do the things that you are passionate about and lay those foundations. At some point you'll need to jump and it will be scary as all hell giving up the security you have established, but it is well worth it in my opinion...

Congratulations!

I recently celebrated 5 years with my company, too! However, I think it's time for me to move on, and I'm now actively seeking new opportunities. I once heard someone say that one should switch jobs every three to four years to keep things interesting. Of course, everyone's circumstances are different, but in my case, I'm definitely long overdue.

Good luck to you!

5 years? wow. Never done that. But at least you were moving around. That's great.

what gift will you choose?!
we don't get stuff like that.
i am almost embarassed to say, i have been at present position for seven yrs as of june. longest for me at one place.

It's even worse when you get one of those working retail...

At least I was in college at the time. I had been working there since I was 14. It was even nicer that I had qualified for a pension and they cashed it out and let me put it in my 401(k).

5 years seems like an eternity to me right now. I just finished 3, and I'm about to bounce.

Flexo, you remind me so much of me. I have a strong background in creative writing and journalism. However, financial matters recently captured my attention and I feel very passionately about teaching others to become more financially savvy.

I still remember when I was a little girl. I was fascinated with the idea of saving every penny I found. I tugged at my dad's shirt and said, 'Daddy, what happens if I save every penny?' He laughed and said, 'You'll eventually be very wealthy indeed - but you won't be able to live like that'

The idea of wealth has always fascinated me.

Do you know what might be involved with becoming a financial advisor? (Not selling stocks persay and being a salesperson, but helping people sort through their finances and climb out of debt?)

I figured you might be the man to ask :)

hope they don't have any cutbacks

This is an interesting topic for me because I find myself in the same situation. I've been with my company for 5 1/2 years and I'm beginning to feel the itch. I graduate from the University of Phoenix with my MBA in 1 week and 1 day!!!! (Who's counting?) I originally went for the MBA to gain a better understanding of business (my undergrad degree was English) and to open up options that weren't available to me because of my lack of knowledge/experience. Now I'm at the end, feeling the itch, and I have no idea where to go next. I'm prepping my resume and will throw it out there for the world to see, and maybe a door will open.

Like you, I have far too many interests to make my path easy to see....well....here I go!

Thanks, everyone, I think. Marshall: Yeah, I hope there are no cutbacks. You never know how those things go. That's why I like the idea of diversifying my income sources. :-)

ib: I chose an expandable overnight bag/computer bag. There were about 30 different items to choose from.

Jarrod: Good luck. Make sure you come back and keep us posted with your search after getting your MBA. I'm slowly in the process of writing a series about my MBA adventures. Very slowly.

I think milestones are a great time to evaluate where you've been and where you're going. I hit 7 years in January, I'm ready for a change but have a promotion on the near horizon so will probably stick it out for a while longer. For me, it's hard to balance enjoying what you do vs. chasing the money up the corporate ladder.