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I am in a small predicament. I am currently working at a daily newspaper on the east coast after graduating college in May. I really enjoy my job, but the area where I am at is not so desirable and is about eight hours away from my hometown.

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I've recently come across a job offer at a weekly newspaper close to my hometown, which I think would make me happier because of the location alone.

1.) Does going from a 10K-circulation daily in a rural area to a 7K-circulation twice weekly 30 minutes away from a city look like I'm taking a step down, even though I'd rather be in the area of the smaller paper?

And,

2.) As I said, I just graduated in May -- what does searching for another job this soon make me look like? I am not a scatter-brained person who can't make up her mind, I'm just honestly not happy with the location I am at.

Thanks for your help.

Kristen

Sit tight.

Leaving a job after seven months will not look good to prospective employers -- unless you plan to stay at your next newspaper for three years or more to show some stability.

Joe Grimm

And moving to a smaller newspaper that publishes less frequently will not help create a rising career arc, either.

Persist.

Ideally, we'll see you move to a better area as well as a better job. While this move might take care of what sounds like loneliness, homesickness or cultural deprivation, it will come at the cost of some career mobility.

Make more visits home or to other cities to keep your sanity, but also steel yourself for putting in about another year getting great at the job you have -- and then using that success to make a move that makes sense for you professionally and personally.

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Coming Thursday: She plans to change jobs after about two years, but she wonders how open she can be with her editors  -- and when to ask them to be references.

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