How Long Should You Stay At Your Job?

A majority of Americans, 95%, said they plan to look for a new job in 2024, according to a survey by job site Monster. Money’s a big part of this: 45% of American workers say they need a higher income. Data from the Federal Reserve shows that job switchers increase their salary more quickly on average than those who stay put, but hiring professionals say it’s still important for candidates to be strategic when making career moves. Watch the video above to learn more about when to consider changing jobs and how to approach your job search strategically.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:10 Why people leave
3:57 Being strategic
9:48 How employers view work history

Produced by: Charlotte Morabito
Edited by: Nora Rapport
Additional Camera by: Juhohn Lee, Andrea Miller
Animation: Jason Reginato
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images

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How Long Should You Stay At Your Job?

[ericeandco]

Get the most you can while you can. Employers will drop you in a heartbeat. Don’t think they won’t.

[MrBrewman]

My supervisor just left after 20 years which is really sad and she just finally hit 6 figures last year. Now she is a director for a rival company making double. It honestly doesn't make sense that companies do not value long term employees anymore.

[KarenDuncan-os]

I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement.

[iamajay]

Gone are the days when employees used to work for a single company their whole life. It's better to switch companies nowadays than climb the corporate ladder. Don't fall for the "we are a family" BS. Just switch jobs every few years and do something on the side. That way you don't have to worry about anything.

[barrettbritt]

Whatever you do, don’t change jobs just because you’ve hit x number of years. It’s a case by case basis. Your situation is unique, so you need to consider it in isolation.

[BOMBON]

The simple answer is stay as long as it benefits you or are happy. It should not come as a surprise that you are dispensable and will be laid off at a moments notice no matter how long or how many extra hours free work you put it in.

[Gdepp]

Roy Wood Jr. said it best: "You don't own these jobs. You rent them."

[jacobl]

Perfect timing. I'm getting a 30% raise for switching jobs. lol

[Konski]

I switched jobs 4 times since 2020 and my salary has increased by over 50K and fully remote. Loyalty to corpo's only costs you.

[jimbojimbo]

The ideal time scale is 3 years at each job
3 is a strong amount of time no one questions the length, it is long enough to justify being promoted a grade up in your next move.

[Tony-ibvm]

Job requirements, you need to be learning or earning. If neither are occuring, it's time to find a new employer.

[camariehowell]

After grad school, I worked at a job for 2.5 and I switched roles while I was there. I gained enough experience to leave and find another job with a 15k pay bump. Always try to gain as much experience you can because you will always be a student never the master. Good luck to those who are taking a leap of faith in their careers!

[tbrayden]

The mistake I see people make the most when trying to get a new job is not negotiating their new salary. Don’t be afraid to counteroffer.

[Hdhfhhdh]

The first company A, I worked for 5 years. Then I got 40% raise when I switched from company A to B and 9 months later I got laid off. To my surprise I got another 10% raise when I switched from company B to C. I should have left my first job much earlier

[manoftomorrow]

Job switching comes with its own ups and downs…including the risk of being the first on the chopping block if the company starts to go belly up. But it also allows you to raise your income…but the first 3 months can be stressful trying to fit into the culture and leading a new team.

[NewGuy]

I stayed at my first employer for 20 years. It was hard walking away from a $100k+ engineering salary and six weeks PTO in a low cost state. Oh and a Pension as well.

But when I realized our net worth was $2.5 million at age 43 and we lived a simple life below our means...I convinced myself money wasn't everything and time to do a career change.

Now making 50% less but super low stress and the net worth is actually $4.7 million now.

No more commute or pointless meetings actually came with this new job. Nothing beats using your own bathroom and kitchen on the clock. I spent more time around my kids during their high school years and finally was able to see them come home from school after all these years which was pretty important to me as a parent. Make them a snack, ask them about their day, etc.

Life is pretty easy and relaxing now in my mid-40's....I quickly fall asleep at night and no longer think about work outside of work sometimes even on the clock I don't think about work.

You just have to find a way to reach a point to convince yourself money and title isn't everything.

[joesmith-thjq]

Unfortunately, this video is irrelevant. There are many people out there applying for hundreds of jobs all the time and not even getting an interview so it’s not that easy just looking for another job.

[Westcoaststyling]

I switched jobs until the pay was right for the amount of responsibility, the culture was right and I could continue to save, invest and pursue my side hustle to replace the main hustle. Now that I'm there, I'm happy and don't plan on leaving until I'm able to leave the workforce entirely. Be strategic when switching jobs, you may invite other problems you didn't have previously.

[Alekseyo]

That lady is giving great advice. Build your skill set before worrying about pay

[IamDrDee]

I went from just under 42k as a high school teacher in 2021 to 55k in my first assistant professor position. A year later (2022), I moved to a research university, making 65k. In 2023, we got a raise that put me at just over 68k. We're getting another that will put me over 70k in Fall 2024. So, in 3 years, my full-time income increased by approximately 30k. With my other remote teaching gigs, I make well over 100k. I don't regret job hopping!