Staying in One Job Could be a Bad Move

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


Devoting years to one job was once a sign of loyalty and experience, but employers are starting to question how much a professional can grow when repeating the same duties year after year. By changing jobs, you gain new skills and stay in touch with job search trends, making it easier to market yourself to future employers. If you fear the stigma of changing jobs, consider how a stagnant work history could harm your career.

A Lack of Progress and Adaptability

Staying in the same job for years can create false security and make you less likely to monitor your career progress. Because you feel confident performing a job you know well, you may neglect opportunities to learn competitive skills or ask for more responsibilities. Even if you steadily earn promotions, your skill set becomes specific to one company and may not satisfy current expectations of employers in the wider job market.

Although evidence of constant job hopping turns off most employers, they recognize the value of diversifying your skills by testing them in new environments. Changing jobs is a smart way to step outside your comfort zone and renew your motivation to keep improving. While complacency can lead to a professional rut, starting over gives you incentive to prove your worth by developing the best solutions for each employer's needs and problems.

Dull Job Hunting Skills

The comfort of a familiar routine can discourage you from seeking a new job, even if you feel unfulfilled in a long-held position. Without the satisfaction of succeeding at new challenges, you may even take your skills for granted and have trouble crafting resumes that accurately reflect your abilities.

Changing jobs more frequently helps you stay up to date on hiring practices and business or technological trends in your industry. As an active job seeker, you learn to evaluate your work history, skills and personality from a hiring manager's perspective, so you can market yourself with a compelling value proposition. The hiring process gradually becomes less intimidating, and you continually improve your job search skills by interacting with recruiters and competing with sought-after professionals.

A Smaller Professional Network

Working for one company can limit your professional circle, making it harder to network if you unexpectedly find yourself back in the job market. Former colleagues who move on to other companies are often the best source of opportunities as you look for a new job. They may know about open positions that aren't advertised and can strengthen your candidacy with trusted referrals.

Changing jobs also exposes you to a wider range of bosses, colleagues and mentors, all of whom have a part in shaping your experience through their collective wisdom. By working with people in different company cultures, you develop flexibility and learn to collaborate well in any environment.

In today's rapidly changing marketplace, a stationary career is a sign that you don't make enough effort to grow. Changing jobs can be an empowering reminder that you are capable of doing many things, and your current position may be one branch on an exciting, nonlinear career path.


Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Ben thanks for your comment. If you like your company, try moving to a different department or talk to your manager about moving up. If that's not possible, how about asking if you could assist another department with a project that they are working on - to get experience outside of the norm. I don't blame you for not wanting to leave. You don't get great health benefits and 6 weeks vacation at another position because it's just not offered any longer. You didn't mention how much longer you need to work before you can consider retirement. But truly - maybe you should stay and find a way to stir things up. Getting involved in something that is outside of your normal work can really make a difference - can make you enthusiastic again and make you excited about coming to work.

  • Matthew  Mastrogiovanni
    Matthew Mastrogiovanni

    John, I've been trapped in the same department for 10 years. I've got great health benefits and 6 weeks vacation time, so, it's tough to consider leaving. Suggestions?

  • Kevin S.
    Kevin S.

    Where we are, leap of faith, where we want to be

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Daniel thanks for your comment. It is tough to come up with the reasons sometimes - other than it just felt like the right thing to do. It sounds like you are needing more depth in your actual work. Maybe you are bored? 7 years is a long time to be doing the same thing every day. Have you maybe talked to your current supervisor about additional work? Or work in a different area of the company? Have you mentioned that you would welcome a challenge? That's what it sounds like you want - something that would challenge your mind and would allow you to add more skills to your current resume. Since you really like it where you are right now - maybe you should consider this instead of moving on to another company where you may find the work the same or maybe even fewer responsibilities than you currently have. Just consider that before you entertain an offer for a new position. All the best and keep us posted.

  • Daniel (Dan) W.
    Daniel (Dan) W.

    Thank you for your comments. I’m currently employed and have recently started job hunting after working 7 years in the same position. Responsibilities have grown and expanded over that time but the skills required have not. My first interview is scheduled for later this week and I was struggling to find an honest answer to any question related to my reasons for leaving my current employer. I like my job, the coworkers, and the management yet despite all this I found myself submitting resumes knowing it was the right thing to do but not completely understanding my motivation.
    Your comments have been helpful and I found myself agreeing with several of your key points.

  • Michael J.
    Michael J.

    I'm willing to do what ever it take to take care of my mother . I'm a very hard worker who takes pride in what ever I'm doing.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Zale thanks for your comment. Sorry that you are having difficulty finding a new position in construction. It is a tough field - especially as we get older. They want the younger people because they can pay a lot less for them. You have the experience and know-how and companies just don't want to pay for that. Please note, @Zale, that we do not submit your resume to companies - that is up to you. We do have companies who view resumes on our sites and then reach out to you. However, we here at Beyond are not recruiters nor are we an agency and therefore we do not place job seekers into positions. We post jobs for you to review and submit your application. Hope that clears up any misconceptions you may have regarding our sites. Having said that, if you are struggling to find a construction position, you may have to reconsider your stance and look for a position outside of the construction industry. The bottom line is to find work isn't it?

  • Zale Cowell
    Zale Cowell

    I have been in construction the majority of my life. You are absolutely crazy if you think at my age(59), that I would consider changing now! The biggest problem is that jobs in my career have been reduced significantly due to Illegal Immigration, Ovomitcare, and the over regulation by this government! I won't follow the path that the Marxist's want, the fact is, way back when I was in the service(US Army), I was trained to kill Commies! You might say that is a secondary skill I have, one that there is a need for, but unfortunately it is illegal to do so in this country! So how about taking a different approach and sending my Resume and qualifications out to employers instead of trying to tell me I need to find a different career!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Amber thanks for your comments. Your comment regarding our mobile app has been sent to our tech team! Thanks for the input. As to your rant below - sadly I can't comment too much on it. I hear your pain and your frustration. It is a tough world out there when you are job hunting. We have all been there. Based upon what you said about loving job fairs over and above online applications, I would recommend that you consider finding a recruiter that specializes in the public safety sector if that's where you want to stay. This way it will be one on one with the recruiter and they can present you to the company. Then, when you get an interview, you will know that the company is truly interested in you. What about networking? Being in public safety you would have met a lot of people. Are you networking with any of them - either in person or via the internet? Don't limit yourself to simply applying on job boards. Thinking outside of the box sometimes can make a world of difference in our attitudes and in the results. All the best.

  • Amber C.
    Amber C.

    I typed this... Then retyped this so it would not sound like a rant... but in the end truth and right knowledge of things must prevail. C. • Delete • Today
    Thanks! As of May 5th this year I found the courage to resign from my position of 15 years as a 911 public safety dispatcher for the City of San Francisco. I need to assert the truth Laws and policies were changing daily. Having the same job title does not even come close to meaning that I had the same job duties in 2001 has I had the day I chose to leave. The assumption you state employers would have about me is a FALSEHOOD! I hope recruiter who know better would at least call for an interview to dig deeper. Employers are losing out on extremely adaptable,capable, and KNOWLEDGABLE former civil servants if what you say is true. Now think about this:

    1. the big boss is the mayor
    2. political changes involving law, policies, and operations changes every other election time. 3.
    3. The mayor assigns new department heads even more often than cities change mayors.
    4. Politics change operational procedures overnight at times
    5. Department heads want to make their career and sometimes political mark and will often make broad sweeping changes to further their own careers.

    Ability to adapt to a government careers plays a major role in your choice to stay or leave and when. Leaving government work completely mean NOT adaptable to RECENT changes or the worker had a "paradigm shift." Longevity in government work meaning changes were not life altering , you are highly flexible, and you readapted and relearned with each new, law, policy, mayor , and department head.

    I will be sure to start addressing my perceived weakness to potential employers and striping the ignorant layers layer involving this myth tactfully in future cover letters. This is why I do much better in job fairs than the badly managed and job app saturated multiple middle online racket that prevents human connection between employers and seekers. Thanks for the article!!! I am happy to know the ugly truth. I am saddened that my 15 years of civil service,loyalty, shifts, 4 mayors , 6 directors, 4 major technological operations shifts, adding medical /fire dispatch to was once only police dispatch would not equal extreme flexibility , growth, development, and adaptability and therefore not equal employability to SOME employers. Loyalty much???Their loss.

  • clayton c.
    clayton c.

    Makes good sense.

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