After how long at a job can you start looking for another one?

Tough question. If you leave it off, then people will assume you couldn't find a job throughout senior year + the time since you graduated. I think you should leave it on and reach out to headhunters, alumni etc to explain your situation. When you apply through websites (Doostang etc), its going to look bad because most people probably won't read your cover letter, but there's a chance some people will get back to you.

But I think its important to mention that you were selected by a BB and went through a IB training program on your resume.

PM me for more advice if you want/need it.

I agree with aviator. It will look bad to hr dipshits who get your resume online. But people who count will understand the situation.

Also, I'm taking the CFA Level I in December...

I say go for it. You have to remember at the end of the day, your current company would fire you just as quickly if the economy went south. You don't owe them anything, and they don't owe you anything.

If you have a better offer or there's a better position that you have a shot at, take it, and don't look back. The only thing to consider is that you may burn a few bridges at your current company if you jump ship this early, but whatever. After you have a couple more years of experience, it won't matter in the long run.

I'm curious to hear what people say about this as well

I say stay on friendly terms with the BB, but stick it out for one full year. You owe them at least that. They typically do too.

Back in 2007 and 2008, a number of MBBs furloughed their analysts, but most typically waited one year. Others felt that they had made at least a one year commitment and gave them a one year severance.

There's not a lot of loyalty in the employee-bank relationship these days, but there's typically a level of professionalism in the interest of long-term reputations on both sides, and I think the minimum from an employee is one year- ideally 18 months.

You want to stick it out for a year to not look like a flake. Leave only if you really, really hate the job and can't stand coming in to work. Otherwise, wait at least 6 months and then start tapping into your network.

Seems like there's a couple of conflicting viewpoints here.

The point I'm trying to stress is how would it look from the perspective of the companies employing me? The work I'm doing right now can be done by half a person and that includes 2 side projects I'm working on besides the day to day processing. I feel like the company should have given me a good rotation since I interned there. Some other rotations require 60+ hours of work.

It's a great place to work in terms of benefits and pay but I don't know if all that matters to me right now.

There's no doubt that your current employer will be sad to see you go so soon (possibly even mad). I agree with the above posters, but you need to do what's right for you, and at the end of the day, if you aren't happy at your current employer, then it's time to move on.

You can do it delicately, and tell them that you didn't plan to move on, but a position came up that's in line with your long term career goals, the pay is better, you'll have better exposure to an industry that interests you..yada yada yada.

Do you.

My Dad had an old saying:

"There's a reason they call it work. 1% of the population really enjoys what they do and another 10% can put up with it pretty easily. Consider yourself blessed if you fall into one of those two categories."

Yes, I can imagine it's probably very frustrating and dull. If you don't hate it, though, stick it out for a year and collect your bonus.

One last thing...if in another interview you're asked why you left your current company after X months, just be honest and tell them that you wanted something more challenging, you saw a better opportunity and took it. At the end of the day, I don't think it comes down to loyalty. It's about what YOU want to do as a career, and it sounds like your current employer isn't giving you enough work or enough of a challenge.

You do not owe an employer anything anymore. The understood employee-employer relationship was terminated during this recession. It is clear most employers have no interest it keeping employees for a year, as seen by the voiding of contracts. Though the above posters are right in saying you will be asked why you are leaving. The apparent answer, stated above, is you are not being challenged and you wish to do bigger and better things. The firm you work at would let you go tomorrow if it benefited them, so you should do what is in your own best interest.

employers will view it negatively but who cares you have nothing to lose

Yeah, you have nothing to lose by applying for the better jobs--just don't do the same thing at those companies. From experience, it's doubtful you'll get anything by going for the senior-year, entry-level analyst job being recruited for right now. I tried doing the same thing the first year out of school and I didn't even get an interview, and the economy in 2007 was still much better than today and I had already passed L1 of the CFA exam. They are pretty serious when they say, "2011 graduates ONLY" (in my case, "2008 graduates ONLY").

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have decided to take a shot and apply with what I have. Since the firms I'm looking at will be MM and Boutique in nature, I should not come across the "2011 Graduates Only" problem as much (atleast I hope not).

Another question: Should I put my current work experience on there? Besides the day-to-day processing, the projects I have been given to spear head will add value to the back office in the future. The downside is firms might look at my resume and say "he has a job already, lets move on to someone who doesn't have one." I maybe wrong on this. Feel free to correct me.

Thanks DJR

Are you going to the Career Fair at UNCG? Or is this one at Elon? I go to High Point University and am looking at career fairs in the area on top of participating in on-campus interviews.