WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER STAY IN THE SAME JOB FOR MORE
THAN FOUR YEARS
By Joe Issid,
Monster Canada Contributing Writer
This
is not your father’s job market. Long gone are
the company lifers from yesteryear who spent their
entire careers in a single position within a single
company. Today, we’re living in an age of job
promiscuity, where regularly changing jobs is not
just tolerated, but encouraged.
the company lifers from yesteryear who spent their
entire careers in a single position within a single
company. Today, we’re living in an age of job
promiscuity, where regularly changing jobs is not
just tolerated, but encouraged.
This
shift is a fairly recent phenomenon that can be
traced back to the dot-com rise and fall of the late
1990s. Regardless of the reasons for the shift, the
current employment climate requires job seekers to
be more agile. As such, you’ll notice that fewer and
fewer people stay in their jobs for longer than three or four years. Here are four reasons you
should be one of these people.
traced back to the dot-com rise and fall of the late
1990s. Regardless of the reasons for the shift, the
current employment climate requires job seekers to
be more agile. As such, you’ll notice that fewer and
fewer people stay in their jobs for longer than three or four years. Here are four reasons you
should be one of these people.
1.
Rapidly Evolving Skill Sets
It’s human
nature to get comfortable and settle into
a predictable routine. If you’re able to perform
your job competently, you may have little
motivation to improve or update your skills regularly. If this describes you don’t worry --
you’re not alone. But you may want to check out
what’s happening on the job market. Companies
are always changing how they do business and
how they staff their positions. A skill necessary
today may not be required tomorrow -- and vice versa. If you’ve been at your job for a number of
years, search Monster for jobs comparable to yours. Take a look at the requirements and see if
they match your skill set. You may be surprised by
what employers are currently looking for.
a predictable routine. If you’re able to perform
your job competently, you may have little
motivation to improve or update your skills regularly. If this describes you don’t worry --
you’re not alone. But you may want to check out
what’s happening on the job market. Companies
are always changing how they do business and
how they staff their positions. A skill necessary
today may not be required tomorrow -- and vice versa. If you’ve been at your job for a number of
years, search Monster for jobs comparable to yours. Take a look at the requirements and see if
they match your skill set. You may be surprised by
what employers are currently looking for.
2.
Technological Advancements
As technology
evolves, so does the face of entire
industries. If you have a technical job, keep your
finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your
industry. While your current employer may not be
adopting new platforms or technologies, its
competitors might be. If you’ve been with your company for several years as a Windows systems
administrator, for example, entire lines of software
and hardware may be completely foreign to you. If
you haven’t been keeping up with these changes,
you may have a hard time taking the next step in
your career. You don’t want to become a dinosaur in your industry by staying at a job for too long.
industries. If you have a technical job, keep your
finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your
industry. While your current employer may not be
adopting new platforms or technologies, its
competitors might be. If you’ve been with your company for several years as a Windows systems
administrator, for example, entire lines of software
and hardware may be completely foreign to you. If
you haven’t been keeping up with these changes,
you may have a hard time taking the next step in
your career. You don’t want to become a dinosaur in your industry by staying at a job for too long.
3.
Perception
Imagine you’re
on a date and discover that your
companion has just come out of a 12-year
relationship. Think about how you would perceive
that person and how he or she may relate to you.
Unfair or not, you will make assumptions based on
the longevity of your date’s previous relationship. Your reaction would not be unlike that of a hiring
manager when evaluating the resume of a
candidate who spent the past 12 years working for
another company. Will this person be easy to train?
Will he adapt well to a new environment? What
made this person leave after so many years? Are his skills current? Is he motivated? The questions are endless and can be enough to put the
employer off the candidate entirely.
companion has just come out of a 12-year
relationship. Think about how you would perceive
that person and how he or she may relate to you.
Unfair or not, you will make assumptions based on
the longevity of your date’s previous relationship. Your reaction would not be unlike that of a hiring
manager when evaluating the resume of a
candidate who spent the past 12 years working for
another company. Will this person be easy to train?
Will he adapt well to a new environment? What
made this person leave after so many years? Are his skills current? Is he motivated? The questions are endless and can be enough to put the
employer off the candidate entirely.
4.
Career Advancement
While you can
remain with the same company for
many years, holding the same position for more
than four years can be problematic. If you aspire to
evolve within your company, you should be
looking to do so within two years of joining. If you
have been in the same job for four years, you may want to consider other options. For example, if you’re happy with your employer
but stuck in a no-growth position, try branching
out to other departments. Additionally, ask
whether funds are available for you to take some
courses that can help develop your skills. As
always, consult with your manager since he’ll be in a great position to advise you. The key factor here
is to keep moving forward.
many years, holding the same position for more
than four years can be problematic. If you aspire to
evolve within your company, you should be
looking to do so within two years of joining. If you
have been in the same job for four years, you may want to consider other options. For example, if you’re happy with your employer
but stuck in a no-growth position, try branching
out to other departments. Additionally, ask
whether funds are available for you to take some
courses that can help develop your skills. As
always, consult with your manager since he’ll be in a great position to advise you. The key factor here
is to keep moving forward.
A Word of Caution
Keep in mind that being a little too
promiscuous
with your career can also be damaging. Jumping
from job to job can give the impression that you’re
not reliable or dependable. Frequent job-hopping
can also affect your seniority and leave you feeling
that you’re taking a step backward whenever you join a new team. As with anything in life, think carefully before
making any major career decisions. Just don’t let
yourself become stagnant where you are.
Exploration is vital to keeping you excited and
motivated about your work.
with your career can also be damaging. Jumping
from job to job can give the impression that you’re
not reliable or dependable. Frequent job-hopping
can also affect your seniority and leave you feeling
that you’re taking a step backward whenever you join a new team. As with anything in life, think carefully before
making any major career decisions. Just don’t let
yourself become stagnant where you are.
Exploration is vital to keeping you excited and
motivated about your work.
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