Getting a job is hard. Maintaining one is even harder. When you get a new job, you tend to be excited with your future endeavors, and all of sudden the brand image of the company your new job crumbles into pieces. You don't get along with your boss, there's constant competition with your colleagues, your daily task is mundane, the pay doesn't do its justice, and it just finally hits a point where promotion is not in sight.
The thought of moving to another company with better salary, job tasks, and environment crosses our mind every now and then. When the only reason we stay at a company is only for financial reasons, it's hard to stay with a positive attitude in mind. But then there's fear of being labeled as a job hopper, someone who constantly moves to another company and doesn't seem to stay long in one company. There's a narrow line between showing that you're not a job hopper by establishing longevity at a firm and remaining so long that companies are unwilling to recruit you. Employers often look for both tenure and advancement in many professions, so deciding when it's time to move on may be a delicate balancing act. Some companies for example are increasingly including tenure criteria in job postings.
Companies' consideration regarding tenureship is simply because employees tend to only stay for 1.8 years based on a report in 2021. However, if staying too long in the same position for an extended period of time, potential employers may think that you're not motivated or driven to succeed by trying to achieve promotion. They might think that you're staying in a comfort zone where you feel most familiar with and it would be a struggle for you to adjust to a new work, leadership style, or even corporate culture. But there are a number of reasons why employees choose to stay even though the pay is not high or there's no career track in their companies. Reasons such as employees feel they're being involved in culture and company environment, they believe that what they're doing is meaningful, valued by the supervisor and acknowledged by company, great relationships with colleagues, or even emotionally invested in the company.
Then again, when landing a new job and already finding faults in this new company, people usually ask themselves, "How long should I stay in this company?" If career advancement is something that can be achieved in the future, staying in the same job for nearly five years is usually too long to be competitive in the hiring market. Two to four years in the same position is advised to study, contribute and master what's needed for further promotion. Staying in the same position can also be bad since the chance of getting promoted is smaller. If you stay in a company for a long time and still not be promoted, you might be considered as irrelevant and lose the ability to compete not only against colleagues but also job hoppers. It is not recommended to leave a position without having a new and secured role. It's a risky decision to just abruptly leave the current company without any backup plan.
