When to Move on From a Job

And the surprising truth about what motivates us

Jan 10, 2024

When to Move on From a Job
- Don’t run away just because it’s bad
- Value experience over money
- Think about length of service
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- Are you worried about AI taking your job?
Bonus Link
- The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

When to Move on From a Job

Introduction

I have had a lot of jobs! Through my dev career I was always quick to take my ball and go home. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, but I’ve learned more than most about moving on. Here’s some of things I’ve learned from my experience and others.

Know why you’re running

A good friend would call me occasionally, often in a state of near-meltdown, saying how awful his job was. I didn’t know why he was still there, and told him as much, but one day he said this:

Don’t run away from something bad, run towards something good

Sure enough, he went through six months of a constant and arguably unnecessary nightmare, but during that time he relentlessly improved his skills. He now has the perfect job at an exceptional company that he loves, which would not have been possible had he left the nightmare at the earliest opportunity.

It’s not all about the money

In general, I have worked for companies I believe in and support their vision, but I have always been aware it’s a transaction: time for money, but more importantly, time for experience.

The most valuable thing you get from your job is almost certainly experience*. You will trade on that experience long after you have left a job. I have landed jobs using experience I gained a decade earlier. Experience is the money multiplier.

When all you’re getting from a job is money, leave.

*This only attenuates slightly with age.

How short a stretch is too short?

This is the age-old question: how many years should you work at a company before moving on? Is a year enough? Two years? Five years?

When I’m hiring, I think about it in terms of how long I would like the candidate to stay at my company. If I hope they will stay for three years, it makes little sense hiring someone that has consistently lasted only 12 months at their last few jobs.

In general, I think expectations of length of service are lower than they used to be. Length of service of at least two or three years I think is fairly safe.

My experience

My average length of service is a fairly short 22 months, including a few inevitable redundancies. I have had a largely successful career and I never felt like I suffered because of it, but of course, I don’t know how many times my CV was rejected because of it without me knowing. I would certainly not endorse following my example.

Alternately, I know several people that have worked for companies for over a decade. Some regret not getting experience elsewhere and feel trapped. See the earlier section ‘It’s not all about the money’.

Finally

In summary, I think there is a balance to be had. If you’re asking yourself ‘should I leave?’ that’s probably saying something in itself. However, you should still look at the big picture and plan your move carefully.