Informal "5 year" Rule?

tjb122982

I'm trying to figure out if there is a unwritten "5 year rule" for when you are still in the same job. I'm 2 years in my second IT job. I enjoy my work and I don't see myself leaving for at least another year. Right now, I feel that I've topped out on what I can learn but it's still fun and I love my coworkers. Am I doing myself a disservice if I stay longer and then look for something new?

networker050184

There is no real rule, but move on to move up. Don't take a bunch of lateral moves for years. That starts to look bad on the resume eventually. Nobody is going to blame you for taking better opportunities especially early in your career.

Panther

In my opinion, there should be a written 5 year rule.

When I was fresh out of school, that kind of rule (drive and motivation) was forefront.
When I got into good role(s) and a steady paycheck, that rule was forgotten.
It should never be forgotten, even if you think you have a career/retirement with a company.

If you want to progress in your career and/or stay marketable, which sounds like you do because you feel like you're topped out, keep "moving".

Are you doing yourself a disservice if you stay longer, and then look for something new?
Well they say it's better to have a job while looking for a job; if that's what you mean?

volfkhat

a bunch of Nonsense; probably created by employers to keep their employees from leaving.

Always push yourself for more.

UnixGuy

As said above, there is no rule, but you seem to enjoy the environment and your co-workers and this is actually rare! Don't discard moving upward within the same company. Have a chat with your boss, express your interest to move to a new area within the business or offer to help out with projects that other teams are working on. Let it be known that you are interested in progressing. And of course, pursue certs in your free time!

EANx

If I interviewed someone and asked why they stayed X years at a place and they said "because I enjoyed the work I was doing and my boss was chill, that person would get a +1. There are two things missing in the majority of job applicants, passion for IT (as in, home lab, reading about IT on the weekends, etc.) and people who understand that there's more to life than salary (once you can pay the rent and save a little for retirement). No place is stress-free but if you actually enjoy the work you do, there's no reason to leave for another 10% in a location that has a good chance of adding stress. Sometimes though, in order to get to the next island of nice in your career, you do have to wade through deh-suck.

tedjames

In state government service, the only real way to move ahead is to change jobs. And that usually means going to another agency. Occasionally, a higher level position within your agency comes open, and qualified staff are encouraged to apply. I've received a few raises/promotions/one-time merit increases (bonuses) over the years. But I've seen the biggest increases in both salary and status by moving to other agencies.

I've known plenty of people who toil in the same job for years and complain about never getting more money. "Only 17 more years until retirement..." They don't understand (or don't want to understand) that they have to better themselves through training and education to make themselves eligible for better jobs.

Someone told me years ago that if I saw a job that I wanted but wasn't yet qualified for, use the job description as a guide for training/education. Make yourself into the person that can do that job. Great advice!

tedjames

EANx wrote: »

If I interviewed someone and asked why they stayed X years at a place and they said "because I enjoyed the work I was doing and my boss was chill, that person would get a +1. There are two things missing in the majority of job applicants, passion for IT (as in, home lab, reading about IT on the weekends, etc.) and people who understand that there's more to life than salary (once you can pay the rent and save a little for retirement). No place is stress-free but if you actually enjoy the work you do, there's no reason to leave for another 10% in a location that has a good chance of adding stress. Sometimes though, in order to get to the next island of nice in your career, you do have to wade through deh-suck.

This is true. I've had opportunities to move into management positions with much higher pay, but I've turned them down. I like what I do, and I get all the opportunities and encouragement in the world to learn and play with cool, fun toys (Kali Linux, etc.). That's more important to me than getting a $20-30k bump (though I would never complain about mo' money!). Got a great boss. My first boss told me, many years ago, that you should stay in a position until you've learned all you can learn and then move on. But if something really great presents itself, go for it. That's worked for me, lo these many years.

DatabaseHead

I've seen it go both ways......

I recently met and linkedin into a guy (from a networking group) who was a technical consultant for ~9 years and moved into a VP role in a health care organization...... He increased his salary by 100%.

I have another friend who averages ~5 years except for his first job and makes really good money relative to his locale. He's been picking off 30-40% according to him each advancement.

I have another friend who went back to back to back < 1 year efforts and landed into a director role in a small company and makes solid money..... over 120,000 with no certs and a socialogy degree. (This is a technical director role)

It's like playing cards, you have to play the hand you are dealt.

If you end up with a good hand, you might stay there for 10 years who knows? Be thankful and grateful if that happens. Sometimes you walk into a mine field and you can barely squeeze out a year..... (sometimes less!)

It really depends, I personally believe within in your last 5 jobs you want to have at least one effort where you stayed there for 3 years or more. (That's just me) it shows you can sustain which is really important, but overall I don't use this as a guide.

TechGromit

tjb122982 wrote: »

I'm trying to figure out if there is a unwritten "5 year rule" for when you are still in the same job. I'm 2 years in my second IT job. I enjoy my work and I don't see myself leaving for at least another year. Right now, I feel that I've topped out on what I can learn but it's still fun and I love my coworkers. Am I doing myself a disservice if I stay longer and then look for something new?

So long as you find the work interesting, have a good working environment and your satisfied with your compensation level, why do you have to leave? The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence, you could be giving up a good thing. Of course if you want something better paying, more challenging, leaving isn't a bad thing, but don't feel like you have to leave after a set number of years. Just try not to get stagnate in your knowledge or skills, often these are the people that are first out the door when layoffs come.

I think the best advise I can give is have bank, so if the new job is a nightmare, you have the funds to fall back on if you have to leave to keep your own sanity. There nothing worse that dreading going to work everyday because you have to, living hand to month, no savings buffer.

Ismaeljrp

A lot of good feedback here already. But where did this 5 year rule even come from? First time I've heard of the idea.

barberj66

tedjames wrote: »

I've known plenty of people who toil in the same job for years and complain about never getting more money. "Only 17 more years until retirement..." They don't understand (or don't want to understand) that they have to better themselves through training and education to make themselves eligible for better jobs.

Someone told me years ago that if I saw a job that I wanted but wasn't yet qualified for, use the job description as a guide for training/education. Make yourself into the person that can do that job. Great advice!

Great advice here I do the same even if I don't want to leave a job I always get daily job alerts via email and look at higher positions to my current one to see what skills are in demand which are in the arena I want to pursue and use that to decide my training goals.

Also have experience of people counting down until retirement and it's so demoralising listening to it, I couldn't do that to myself.

I've never worked in one place for longer than 4 years. Worked at 1 job for a total of 7 years but had a 2 year gap at another company in between returning for a higher position. I'm currently 3.5 years in my current job now so will see if I get the itch to move! Still enjoying things at the moment which is good news but at places in the past I get to 3-4 years and the politics of the place grind you down or certain colleagues/managers grate on me to the point where I need to work with new people (not always I've worked with some top people who I consider close friends).

paul78

Ismaeljrp wrote: »

A lot of good feedback here already. But where did this 5 year rule even come from? First time I've heard of the idea.

There's really no such rule. The OP made it up and is asking if it exists. Although, in Japan, there is a 5 year law for fixed-term contract workers.

Personally, my thought on the matter is that it's not worth thinking about it. Leaving a job after 1 year or 5 years or 50 years should be the same criteria.

Spiegel

Personally I don't think you should stay in a job for 5 years to show loyalty. However, I think if you're trying to move up into higher roles it could be advantages. Using my time at the current organization I work for, I don't think I would had a shot at my current position or the position I'm currently aiming for in the networking department if it weren't for my time here. I'm 3 1/2 years into my job, started working at the Service Desk and then 2 years later I transferred over as a PC/Field Support Tech in the End User Computer team. Most of the guys that work here were contractors when they started off. This tells me that my company is huge proponent of hiring someone from within and/or people that have experience working in our environment (contractors). I've seen people with less experience than outsiders get the roles simply because of the time with the company.


Not saying you have to commit 5 years with a company because everyone operates different. I've seen outside hires from time to time in recent months become more common. If you can make a great case for yourself most people will hire you if you meet all of their expectations.


As most have said, it's just a guideline which can help you get elevated to a higher position internally or externally because it shows commitment. But, never stop moving. If you see you have peaked in your current role and want to keep moving, do it. If like where you are at the current moment you can stay. I would have liked to stay at my first IT gig a bit longer. It was a chill environment and had plenty of opportunities to study for certs but I needed more money and wanted to get professional experience in the things I was studying for and my first IT role wasn't doing that for me.

Ashenwelt

The idea of five years and out, is not an idea that makes sense to me. To me it's about forward momentum and not becoming stagnant. I am always looking to move up. In the organization, skillset, pinnical or other. Growth has to be a focus.

Granted I have been doing this a long time so my viewpoint may be different than many.

I have interviewed many people who move around a lot and that always gives me pause. 5 years though isn't often. It's an interesting concept. Granted I am on year nine where I am at.

LA2

5 year rule? Life is too short for that.