How long do you tend to stay in a job for?

[Rainydays55]

People seem to change job more often nowadays, it’s no longer that you stay in a job for years, how often do you tend to stay in a job? Do you think it’s good to change/ keep it fresh?

5 jobs in 13 years. Same organisation.

3 roles were in the same team and opportunities for progression came up so I applied. The other 2 are in the same department. No plans to move roles now, the workload is sufficiently varied that I'll stay put.

Depends on the job, the employer, the colleagues etc etc. My shortest spell in a job was seven weeks. I had had enough so I walked out in the middle of my shift.

The longest was 17.5 years and ended when the company was taken over an all head office staff, including me, were made redundant.

Until, for whatever reason, I need a change. Since I started full time work at 17, it’s been 12 months, 18 months, 2 months, 5.5 years, 2 years to now.
I loved the 5.5 year job but needed a change due to the distance and hours no longer being sustainable, for example.

I've been in my job 3 years. It is the longest I've stayed in one job and I'm starting to get bored.

I've been in my current job for 4.5 years and hate it, but thankfully I'm just about to leave to start a new job. Longest I've been in a job is 11 years while my DS was at school, but now he's grown up, I've decided from now on that if I'm not happy in a job I'll move on quickly. I've spent way too long in crap jobs, but hopefully my new one will be the start of something better.

8 years in my current job but my maximum was 3 years before this one. The reasons I’ve stayed so long in this one are a lovely manager, lovely colleagues and an interesting role. My jobs prior were lacking in one, two or all of these.

I've worked in a large secondary school office for the past 8 years. It takes at least one academic year for our new staff to get to grips with the routine (different tasks at different points in the year) and another year to get confident with it.

It's hard for us when staff leave after 2 to 3 years, most of the staff stay for the long term though thankfully.

I stayed put in my first 2 jobs for a long time. Then I had kids and changed career starting at the bottom again. I will stay at least 2 years (to give my employer their due and get employment rights that only kick in after 2 years) but typically left after 2.5 to 3.5 years almost purely to get higher salary because I took a pay cut to re-tool.

I can tell you having done 4 moves in 10 years is pretty exhausting to be the newbie and having to learn everything again, including office politics.

I want to stay in my current job for at least 5 years because I cannot bear the thought of moving and my pay and skills are now at a level where I am happy with it.

After a couple of temporary or training positions after university I've done :

6 years
Less than a year (awful place - knew I wanted to leave as soon as I got there but made myself give it a go)
7 years
4.5 years (might have stayed longer but was approached by a headhunter with my next role which would have been silly to reject)
Been in my current role 2.5 years so far.

I see 6 years as the sweet spot. You often need to move to progress, but moving too often has people asking questions.

32 years then 1 year

It doesn’t always have the same shelf life but normally when I feel like I’ve got everything out of it, there’s not really anything new left to learn and I’m sleep walking through it day to day. Normally around 2-3 years. Unless I really dislike it then I jump sharpish.

I’m probably just on the cusp of that now in my current role, I’ve taken on new projects in my team to keep it fresh but it’s fading somewhat.

However I am staying put as we are TTC and the mat pay is good. If I started new role I’d have to explore what their mat pay looked like, plus normally you aren’t eligible for it unless you’ve worked there a year or longer and I don’t want to wait that long. It’s a shame those sorts of decisions can impact your career/happiness at work but it is what it is.

@Aurorie11

32 years then 1 year

But 32 years was one organisation but about 15 different roles

First job one year - hated it.
22 years in my current job don't hate it but excellent hours and near home. Also have a second part time job.

I have stayed for 5 years at two companies where there was good progression but more recently moved every 2-3 years for a new challenge. I work in marketing and seek out roles when I can go in and make changes rather than ‘caretake’ a role, and once that’s achieved and established I prefer to seek a new challenge.

The person I know who’s done really well changed jobs every two years, had a rapid ascent and now has a phd.

She was very aggressive with changing jobs to go up a role each time. I admired her for it but management were not impressed 🤣

4 years, 3 years, 10 years and 1 year respectively.

Longer I spent in a job was 5 years. Usually I stay around 2 years or so.

I wish I could find a decent company to stay with though but the reasons for moving have included bullying in one instance and dodgy practices in two organisations.

The rest was done for more money and to get promotions when there was no scope for moving up within the company.

I work in the third sector and it is riddled with poor CEO and senior management and staff turnover can be high. The pay is not great and staff can get taken advantaged of for being committed to a particular cause and wanting to do 'good' by those who are leading these organisations.

I have worked in 3 companies since I graduated-first 5 years, second 8 years, current 1 year. I have a vague plan to move around every 5-7 years.

I'm a contractor so 6 months to 2years has been the standard for the last 10 years.
When I was perm generally stayed 2-3 years, longest was 7 years but we were take over twice in that time.

I heard that if you’ve not had a promotion after 3 years then you should get a new job as it’s unlikely you’ll move up in your current workplace.

13 years this year, but been promoted a few times and have increased salary multiple times. Do enjoy it (great people/culture, good work life balance) but I'm leaving this year to start my own business, I couldn't see myself transferring sideways and promotions are no longer possible!

I've been at mine far too long. 12 years in the same school but changed roles 3 years ago.

I'm determined to leave this year. I'll settle for a new school but I'd love to try a new career altogether, ideally civil service or finance.

I've been with my current public sector employer for around 14 years but have had 3 substantive roles, a 2 year secondment and mat leave so don't feel like I've been in over role for two long. Even my current role I've had the same job title for over 5 years but have managed two completely different teams/functions in that time

5 years but I'm pretty senior.

If you are more junior 3 years is ok.

Have been with my current employer for 8 years, but this is my third role within the organisation. I've changed role every 2-3 years, each move was a promotion.