How Long Should You Stay at Your Job - CareerAlley

How Long Should You Stay at Your Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao Tzu Sometimes, staying in the same company year after year waiting to get promoted isnt the best strategy for your career. It may be that your company isnt growing, or that there is no clear path for promotion in your current role. Or it may be that your company often looks to outside candidates when top-level jobs open up. For many people, the best way to move forward in their careers is to change companies. However, too much job hopping can be detrimental to your resume. How long is the right amount of time to stay at your job to show that youre a trustworthy and reliable employee, yet not too long to be wasting your time and missing out on valuable career-advancing opportunities? There are no hard and fast rules, but there are some good guidelines to help you determine the right answer for your situation. Here are a few things to consider: Are you still developing your skills? You need a solid foundation to excel in your career. Every job teaches you something new or at least it should. Are you still learning valuable skills in your current job? If you are, then you should consider staying on until you have learned all the lessons you can. Developing more skills on the job will only help you to land a better job or promotion when the timing is right. If you are not longer learning or developing any skills in your current job, it might be time to leave. What have you accomplished? When potential employers look at your resume, they want to see what you were able to accomplish in your time with each company. Did you implement a new program that brought results for the company? Did you oversee a big project that funneled in a lot of sales? If you havent yet accomplished anything substantial in your current role, it is probably best to stay in it until you do. The more results you have to show for yourself, the more marketable you will be in your next job, no matter how long you have been in your current role. What is your pattern? Leaving your job after six months might be perfectly acceptable. However, leaving every job youve ever had after only six months will start to make it very difficult to find another job. Employers dont want to hire someone who is going to leave them in a few months. If you have a pattern of consistently short stints at jobs, it will be difficult to convince employers to take a chance on you. The Bottom Line The answer to how long you should stay at a job will vary from person to person. However, most advisers would agree that anywhere from two to three years is a good time frame. You can find new opportunities quickly without running the risk of looking like a serial job hopper. However, many say that a solid six months is all you really need before you jump ship. A pattern of behavior and the skill set you have to offer your potential employer will be what makes the difference. How long do you think you need to stay at a job before you can leave? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Career Tip of the Day: Suggested Reading: We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search