To ask how long you’ve been at your current place of work

[Newnyham]

I’m starting my first ‘proper’ job out of uni soon and the company will be paying for further professional qualifications so I’ll be locked in for 3 years after them. Pretty standard, but it has made me wonder how often people tend to change companies.

People my age haven’t really moved around much yet and my parents/their friends seemed to stay with the same employer for decades!

I've been at my first job out of uni for nearly 4 years now and looking to move on soon. I think three years is about when I started to look at what was around but wouldn't mind being here for another year or so.

A lot of people I have seen early in their career have stayed between about 2 and 5 years.

I've been at my current workplace 4 and a half years, 3 different roles (but same pay) and previous workplace 5 years but 3 roles with different pay. I want to stay here but I'd welcome a pay rise 😂

I've never liked to stay in the same role for long. The longest I've been at the same company is 4 years but in 3 different roles. If you're in a company with lots of opportunities it's worth sticking around but I couldn't stay in the one role for more than 2 years. Maybe all of my jobs have just been really boring but I find that's more than enough!

1st job (age16 straight from school) 3 years
2nd job 6 months
3rd job 5 years
4th job 3 years
5th job 6 months
6th job 2 years
7th job 3 years
8th job 7 years
9th job 3 years
10th job 1 year
11th job 6 months
Current job 8 months and no intention of leaving

So, apart from the fact that I've been at work a long long time, probably an average of 3 years.

I've been at my current job for 5 years now, and although I have thought about moving on, truth is I love it here and don't really want to.

Although I think it was typical in our parents and grandparents generation to stay with the same company for most of your working life, I think it's become normal in society now to move from company to company (playing the field). I think that's a great idea if you want to gain experience in another area or have stopped progressing in your current job, but you shouldn't feel pressured or embarrassed to stay in a workplace that you genuinely enjoy and love.

I've been here just over a year and my contract runs out in just under a year. I'd like them to renew it so I can stay within the organisation but go to different roles.

Before that, job 1- 3.5 years, job 2- 5 months, job 3 - walked out after 1 month.

12 years. I'm 34. I think I'm unusual though.

I'm 36 and have been in my current job for 18 years since I left 6th form college. I didn't go to University as I didn't want loads and loads of debit. Now I just work in one instead :-)

I'm 38. Been in the same organisation for almost 10 years but worked in 4 different departments. Have been in current department 5 years and been promoted twice. I occasionally look for other roles with different employers but I enjoy what I do and have good pension and flexible hours so it would have to be a pretty special opportunity to make me move.

Ten years this year! It's a government ministry though and that time has encompassed three different roles in three departments and a two year secondment to a different ministry

I’m more your parents’ generation (I guess) so was with first employer for 15 years, have been with current employer for 2. I know younger people tend to have a very different approach to employer loyalty which brings advantages and disadvantages to both. We are always wary of new recruits who have changed employers too frequently (eg annually or more than once a year) as that never gives you quite long enough to be found out... Every time we’ve taken a risk the individual has gone again leaving chaos in their wake.
Three years is fine, you can make a real difference and learn something.

First job 5 years. Current job 31 years, doing various different roles with promotions and pay rises.

HathawayGivesMeFannyGallops I love your username

I’d be changing roles in about 2 years time if professional qualifications go well. Thankyou for the responses! It really helpful to be able to gauge what’s normal.

Haha I was just adding up the places I’ve worked and I think the paper round I had as a teenager is currently my longest serving job of 3 years.

I'm 27, been with my current employer 4 years as came straight from uni (gap year and a masters so left at 23).

In that four years though I've had four rols and almost doubled my pay, so doesn't feel stagnant

17 years

3 years.

Graduate job out of uni I was with the company 3 years, including a couple of promotions, then left to go back to uni.

Since then it's varied but I've been in my current job 5 years with no intention of leaving but I have undertaken additional training and received good promotions/pay rises as a result.

Seven years. With the company before for over ten.

Neither was an office job though.

1st proper job 9 years.
2nd job I’ve been at for 8 years now. However I fear my contract will not be renewed ( early childhood work).
3rd job is seasonal. I will be entering my 5 th season at the end of September. The season normally runs till end of April ( although this year I’m lucky enough to be working a few hours over the off season).
I had a 7 year break for kids

I'm 34, for context.

2 and a bit years 3 next feb
I'm 20 for reference

I started my current job on a 6 month secondment - 15 years ago!

8 months.
previous to that 9 months
previous to that 14 years!

22 years but just about to be promoted for 8th time

18 years 😫 I'm 37.
I think that's very unusual though.
I worked here part time as a student and went full time after uni finished
I've done approx 9 different roles in that time so plenty of variety
I'll never leave now