How long do you stay in a job for?

nozzferrahhtoo

Laois_Man wrote: »

I will be hitting my 10-year anniversary soon. I got bored a couple of years ago so I am tackling that by doing a part-time Masters - leaving jobs isn't the only way to cure boredom or upskill. The 10 minute commute to/from work and being able to go home for lunch is too good a gig to resign from. I simply couldn't get that anywhere else.

I am in a somewhat similar position at the moment where I feel "trapped" in a job with a lot of nice attributes.

The ideal commute, having less hours than is normal for this country and industry, and my time being so flexible in that I can start and end when i like each day all make it very hard to leave and go somewhere where all that would be reversed. I also get pretty decent holidays for this area (30 days a year) and every minute of over time is recorded and given back meaning I tend to work up about 20 or 30 more holidays over the course of a year on top of that.

Yet I am overwhelmed with a feeling of wanting to leave. And can not really identify why given how otherwise ideal the job is. And until I do I am caught in this limbo of not wanting to jump ship but also feeling in my heart like I have already left.

So far this is kinda ok, but it is an emotional precipice I can imagine will get unhealthy fast if I keep it up much longer.

Sugar Free

I don't think there's an ideal number, it's very much dependent on the person and their goals e.g. there was a good example above of someone who is getting paid less now but their role has a lot flexibility which is important to them.

After 8 years I had started with my fourth company (4 years, 1 year then 3 years). The moves were necessary to get the compensation and progression that I wanted. If I had stayed with my first company I would only be getting ~50k with a single digit bonus by now. Which if I was still in Dublin would not be much.

Current company has lots of opportunities without needing to move location (I'm in the global HQ) as well as providing me with the level of lifestyle I wanted while still being able to invest and save significantly each month. So I intend to be here a while. That said, if any of those factors change, I will look elsewhere. Especially if I don't progress in the manner I would like to.

howamidifferent

Currently 34 years...

Wildly Boaring

9 jobs in 14 years since graduating


3 years
3 years
3 companies in 2.5 years - self employed uk
2 years
2 years
6 months
Current

In construction so its expected that managers may move companies to stay in one geographical area, however I haven't even managed that.

Have made a decision that I must stay in current role for few years as CV getting messy. In very good role too so looking forward to it

UK and returning role were recession enforced and easily explainable as staying in work but still too much moving about really.

There are some poor employers in construction here and UK that you just have to get away from. Prefer more roles on CV to staying in a couple of those roles.

Wanderer2010

Im not a career progression kind of worker, im perfectly happy doing what I do until the day I retire. I look at the kind of people who are "company people" and its so far removed from my personal opinions or way of working its unreal. Never would I ever give up my evenings or weekends trying to climb some fictional ladder only to be rewarded with yet more work/responsibility/stress and less time with family and friends. Might be for some folk but not me. I work to live not live to work.

Tell me how

4 years
2 years
1.5 year
12 years (2 years too long)
Expect next 2 - 4 years to see at least 2 - 4 jobs for a number of reasons.

MillField

Software developer. I was in my first job out of college for 3.5 years. In my new place 4 months. As mentioned by some people here, moving is the only way to progress your career and earn more money especially early in your career.

HalloweenJack

In seven years, I've worked in jobs for one year, three years (moved country),one year (part-time job while I did my masters), two years and in my current job since January, which has also been a career change.

I'm happy in my bew job so far. How long I stay in it depends how my life plays out from here. As it's a new sector, I'm focusing on getting experience first.

SVI40

I've had 2 jobs since leaving school in '82. 15 years, and the current one will be 21 years this December.

Greyfox

Anywhere between 3-5 years, applying for jobs is as bad as cleaning the bathroom so I'll only leave when the job becomes crap

RiderOnTheStorm

First serious job, 4 years. 8 on next. 14 on last. All IT jobs. Current one 3 years (medical job) .... Wish I started this one earlier. 14 years is too long. Had become institutionalised by the end and definitely effected my outlook (for the worse). Gone is the day of a single career.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Last job was 30 years. Same employer but the role changed many times and progression brought new dimensions constantly.