Career strategy: Change of boss means change of job?

Last week I was chatting with a colleague about the topic of changing bosses. During my own career, I've had the experience of getting hired by "Jane" only to arrive and find "Julie" in charge. I wasn't alone. In her wonderful (but sadly out of print) book, Thursdays Till 9, advertising superstar Jane Trahey described her first copywriting job at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas. She too arrived to find a new boss in place and, as she writes, "I was all hers." Fortunately, the boss left after a year or so and Trahey soon took her first steps to running the show. So...what if your boss changes soon after you arrive? I say it depends on your personality and your fit within the organization. (1) Some people come equipped with easygoing personalities. Most people like them and they know it. Godzilla could be their next boss and they'd do just fine. (2) Managers try to hire employees who will fit in to their organization. But let's say "Jim" feels a spark when he talks to applicant "Harry." They're from the same city, fraternity or college. They both follow the Lakers. Or they just click. On some level, Jim realizes Harry's a misfit but hey, he's willing to take a risk. Maybe he knows he won't be around long and wants to leave the company a farewell gift -- someone who definitely can't be his successor. And six months or a year later Harry's working for George. George soon realizes Harry's a misfit and (consciously or unconsciously) decides Harry needs to go. George needs to look good in this job and can't afford any loose cannons, which misfits often turn out to be. So bottom line, it's a combination of personality and fitting in. If you're an edgy personality and/or a maverick, you have to be more cautious and stay more marketable than your more easy-going, easy-fit counterpart. Click here for my irreverent job hunting guide.