A. How often you jump typically matters less than why. Are the job changes logical progressions in a coherent career path - one that can be articulated in an interview? Or are they just part of a chase for fat salary increases and juicy promotions?

"If you have a good story line about how your moves are part of an overall plan for developing your skills and competencies, it doesn't really matter," said Wendy Wallbridge, president of On Your Mark Corporate Coaching and Consulting in San Raphael, Calif.

Q. So any amount of job hopping is O.K.?

A. Well, no. Any tenure under a year on a résumé starts to look suspect, Ms. Wallbridge said. It can give the appearance of a gnat-sized attention span, or trouble with committing. A company wants to ensure that it will get some value out of an applicant before she disappears like a plate of cupcakes at a 5-year-old's birthday party. And keep in mind that in some professions, like medicine, staying put for some time is crucial to building a practice.

A. The best reason to move on is the opportunity to develop new skills. Dawn Wells Nadeau, 30, an executive event planner in Manhattan, has had seven jobs since she graduated from Wellesley College in 1995. Ms. Nadeau began her career in business consulting. She moved into event planning, first at Fast Company magazine and then at Fortune. She also had a stint as vice president for executive training and development at Goldman Sachs.

"I've felt like I've been building a portfolio of experiences," Ms. Nadeau said. "Each move has broadened my experience and made me a better, more nuanced performer. I have always thought of my jobs as gigs. Once I mastered the primary challenge of the position, it was time to move on."

Q. Don't employers become miffed when you leave so soon?

A. In Ms. Nadeau's case, no. Today, she runs her own event consulting company, eos studios - an entrepreneurial venture that would not have succeeded without connections from previous jobs. Several clients are previous employers. One key to preserving relationships is to time the leaps so employers aren't left in the lurch on big projects.

Q. Is it necessary to keep moving around to find new challenges?

A. No, Ms. Wallbridge says. If your company is large enough, great opportunities may lie in a different department or office. The trick is to learn how to jump internally, by networking in the company and not relying on corporate human resources. "These days, companies are more fluid and project driven," she said. "It's like making movies. People come together, churn out a product and then move on to the next thing. It's up to you to know what the hot projects are in your company - and how to get assigned to them."

A. You have to know the power players in your company and develop relationships with them. And you have to market yourself in a way that matches the specific needs those players have for their teams.

Cynthia Klustner, 51, recently wanted to jump internally at Hewlett-Packard. Ms. Klustner, a senior finance executive, had been with Hewlett for 24 years and had held 15 positions. But after the company merged with Compaq, Ms. Klustner's job was disappearing. Her choices were to leave the company or to move to the East Coast from Palo Alto, Calif.

Ms. Klustner wanted a third option. First, she worked with her coach, Ms. Wallbridge, to market herself in the broadest terms possible, incorporating her finance background but highlighting her leadership and managerial skills. Then she went hunting for the hidden openings in Palo Alto with the power-player teams.

Q. That's easier said than done. How?

A. Lots of lunching. Ms. Klustner came up with a list of top executives who had insight into multiple divisions. Their referrals led to more lunches. Ultimately, she wound up talking to an executive who had just accepted a request for a sabbatical from a high-level employee. The job hadn't been listed or announced anywhere. Ms. Klustner was hired for that job, the director of finance and operations for Hewlett-Packard's real estate division, overseeing $3.5 billion of land and building assets in 69 countries and 1,100 locations - and she was able to stay put.

Q. Is there a stigma attached to staying with one company for years?

A. Not if you manage your jobs the way Ms. Klustner did, taking on new roles and new responsibilities regularly. What you want to avoid is parking at a company - particularly one that isn't performing well - for years in the same job, Ms. Wallbridge said.

Whether or not you decide to change jobs, your goal should be the same: having a development plan that is in your best interest in the long term.

"The No. 1 skill to develop in this day and age is career self-reliance," Ms. Wallbridge said. "You can't just live by an arbitrary set of rules that says, 'Hop,' or 'Don't hop.' Nor can you rely on the human resources department to look out for you. You have to be your own best advocate."

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