Longest you like to stay at a job?

Depends!

Just curious if you have a built in time-line set that you start to look after. Usually for me it's 2 - 3 years and I start to get bored. Of course of significant cash comes in I am willing to delay the move but generally speaking 2 - 3 years.

Just curious what your time line is?

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Comments

scaredoftests

Weeelll..the way the past few years have gone for me, I want to stay at my present job for 5 more years.

DatabaseHead

Hoping 5 or more years includes a few promotions. Unless you are already "there"!

NetworkNewb

As long as I'm learning and my salary keeps moving up

networker050184

Pretty hard to answer. I get board quick, but a job that has me doing a lot of different projects can keep me interested for a long time. Just depends on the position.

aftereffector

No more than about two years in the same role, though I usually move around the 12-18 month mark. I plan on staying with my employer for as long as possible but I want to change roles internally to keep engaged as much as I can.

Chevel

It varies and depends on the job environment if one is able to move up and learn many things 5+ years. Stagnant job no more than 1.5 to 2 years at least.

DatabaseHead

Yeah for me something "stagnant or not interesting" is 24 months max.

joelsfood

I just passed 8 years at this place, but I've had promotions, training, etc.

markulous

Yeah, it depends. I'll pretty much stay as long as it's further my goals at the pace I want. If I become stagnant or see a much better opportunity elsewhere though, I'll move on (whether it's 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, etc.).

Goteki54

For me it has been around a year to two years. It depends on the money and if there is room for advancement.

VinnyCisco

I usually stick with a minimum of 1 year, no more that 2 years max.

NetworkNewb

Until they catch on that I'm not really doing anything except playing solitaire on my computer and taking naps most of the day.

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TechxWizard

18-24 months is usually my time frame. then again it depends. if the position is promising and promotions are in the works. I would most likely ride the train as long as i can. I know guys who stay at a place for years because its on "easy street" and the pay is decent. personally if the job is easy, It will bored me to death. plus it feels like i'm wasting my time and hindering my growth in the IT world. i enjoy a challenge every now and then.

kohr-ah

If the company is moving technology forward and I have places I can move up -> 5+ years
(I'd love to find a place to stay at 10 years honestly. I hate looking for new jobs. It is a lot of stress on the family)

If the company is stagnant but has technology I need for future roles -> 2 - 3 years.

If the job is repetitive or the management isn't good 1 - 2 years.

ThePawofRizzo

In my first decade in IT I moved on every 2 to 3 years, but each time for a more advanced, better paying IT job. I would have stayed at the prior employer, but there was never better opportunity there, so I had no choice but to move on for more pay and advancement. My last job, however, I was an IT engineer for about 8 years, and I really hoped to stay there as I liked the team, but it became a place where no promotions were being done (after three of five engineers left in two months, the IT mgr changed his tune about promotions - LOL) I've been in my current job for nearly three, and I continue to take classes and get skills to stay marketable if needed, but I hope to be here a while.

Pmorgan2

I'll echo the popular sentiment. I look for promotion or progression every 2 years. If it's in the same company, I'll stay. If the company doesn't present an opportunity, I'll start looking elsewhere.

UnixGuy

Seems that changing jobs quickly is more common in the US; not here. The market is much smaller here. I'd like to stay indefenitely if I'm a boss, and things are great...but year, I get bored quickly....but I noticed that the longer I stay, the better I start to feel because I get used to things, and I can find my ways of doing things..

fmitawaps

For me, it's not so much how long I want to stay at a job, it is how long I am allowed to stay at a job.

Generally speaking, from what I've seen and read, the way to advance in IT is by changing jobs to a higher level job. There may be promotions in IT, but not as much.

stryder144

@NetworkNewb - So you are the one! lol

DatabaseHead

My next move would have to be out of IT if I wanted to move up. More along the lines of account management, that's how it works where I am at. Much more money but it becomes a game of CRM instead of technical skills. With a family and kids I am in no position to turn it down, we are talking currently a 10% bonus up to 20 - 25% that alone makes it hard and my company has a history of extending over a 100% due to the recent growth and success.

Either way sounds like it depends, it's what I expected..... All is good.

OctalDump

Lol, yeah like nearly everyone else, 1-2 years in the same role, if the role can grow with me, that's cool. I learnt the hard way after I stayed too long in job.

Hypntick

Wow long time no being on the forum. For me 1.5 years or so has been the norm, however I think that with the current company I'm with I'm going to plan on the long haul. There's a solid training program in place, solid room for advancement, and I think the company is pretty solid overall from a longer term perspective. We'll see how it works out though.

powerfool

I like to stay at a job as long as my relative position keeps on improving and I don't have an opportunity out there that eclipses it. I get pretty analytical when it comes to total compensation. So, I probably get a serious job opportunity every single year despite trying to stay under the radar... this helps to weed out the junk (which I still get, but they are usually via email and not worth anything... if they are worthwhile, I will get a call).

So, I want to have a visible role... I don't like being someone that toils in the background. I want leadership. I want better compensation (this includes PTO, med/vis/dent/life/AD&D benefits, 401k, ESPP, flexibility, and salary). I have turned down jobs with a fairly impressive salary (about $15k/year more) because the insurance out of pocket was higher and the 401k match was significantly lower... it came out to be about the same, on paper, all things considered, and that didn't include things like an upcoming raise.

Other factors include to long-term outlook for the position I am in. My longest job ever was a contract job and it was nearly 5 years. I left because of many factors, but among them being the re-compete outlook didn't look good (they did win, but everyone else seemed to jump ship after the new contract started... all significant roles were vacated within 6 months). Longest job before that was almost 3 years... and I am approaching that again.

ThePawofRizzo

UnixGuy wrote: »

....but I noticed that the longer I stay, the better I start to feel because I get used to things, and I can find my ways of doing things..

That's definitely true. After 8 years in my last job I generally at least knew about most of the systems - although another engineer might be primary support on them. So, if a system went down usually I had some idea of the impact, what it was, etc. That can be a benefit as there is so much to learn at a new position.

alias454

I have currently been at my company for ~5 1/2 years and moved from helpdesk(1.5 yrs) to network admin(~1 yr) to senior network admin(2 1/2 yrs) to senior UNIX admin(4 mos). Prior to this place, I usually started to get an itch at about 2 years in. The evolution of roles has helped keep me engaged and learning. With my new job change, I see myself here at least another 1-2 years.

There is good and bad about being at the same place for a long time. The good is that I know just about every system, what it does, who is the primary, and what rack it lives in because there is a good chance I put it there or helped put it there. The bad is, things accumulate over time, I guess you can call it job cruft.

ITSpectre

My timeline

- Job is good, has opportunities to move up, good management, cool work enviornment - As long as possible. 5+ years or more
- Job is good, no training or opportunities to move up - 1-2 years max
- Job is ok, may/may not have opportunities to move up - 1-2 years max (more if advancement is there)
- job is ok but bad management - 3-6 months or shorter
- Job is bad, and im just there to tide myself over - There until a new job comes a long

dustervoice

2 years max no matter what. after a year I get bored then i stay another not to make it seems like i'm job hoping.

gorebrush

Just put in 3.5 years in a shift role but it is time to go. Hence, I'm leaving next month! (New job)

2.5 years is my normal. This job has been the exception for personal reasons and because the guys I've worked with have been good to me

ITSpectre

gorebrush wrote: »

the guys I've worked with have been good to me

Thats the best part!