5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Stay In The Same Job For Too Long

The job market is much different now than it was even 10 years ago. Having a killer resume doesn’t seem to cut it anymore, and more of the focus is on your online presence and individuality. Younger generations, millennials especially, are much more focused on finding happiness and meaning in their careers, rather than joining the rat race and climbing the corporate ladder like the many generations of burned-out professionals before them. Therefore, if one job doesn’t serve them after a while, millennials might be less reluctant to move on to greener pastures to seek out the happiness and fulfillment they originally sought out to find in their careers.

Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t stay in the same job for too long:

1. Rapidly Evolving Skill Sets

It’s human nature to get comfortable and settle into a predictable routine. If you’re able to perform your job competently, you may have little motivation to improve or update your skills regularly. If this describes you, don’t worry — you’re not alone. But you may want to check out what’s happening on the job market. Companies are always changing how they do business and how they staff their positions. A skill necessary today may not be required tomorrow — and vice versa. If you’ve been at your job for a number of years, search Monster for jobs comparable to yours. Take a look at the requirements and see if they match your skill set. You may be surprised by what employers are currently looking for.

2. Technological Advancements

As technology evolves, so does the face of entire industries. If you have a technical job, keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry. While your current employer may not be adopting new platforms or technologies, its competitors might be. If you’ve been with your company for several years as a Windows systems administrator, for example, entire lines of software and hardware may be completely foreign to you. If you haven’t been keeping up with these changes, you may have a hard time taking the next step in your career. You don’t want to become a dinosaur in your industry by staying at a job for too long.

3. Perception

Imagine you’re on a date and discover that your companion has just come out of a 12-year relationship. Think about how you would perceive that person and how he or she may relate to you. Unfair or not, you will make assumptions based on the longevity of your date’s previous relationship. Your reaction would not be unlike that of a hiring manager when evaluating the resume of a candidate who spent the past 12 years working for another company. Will this person be easy to train? Will he adapt well to a new environment? What made this person leave after so many years? Are his skills current? Is he motivated? The questions are endless and can be enough to put the employer off the candidate entirely.

4. Career Advancement

While you can remain with the same company for many years, holding the same position for more than four years can be problematic. If you aspire to evolve within your company, you should be looking to do so within two years of joining. If you have been in the same job for four years, you may want to consider other options.

For example, if you’re happy with your employer but stuck in a no-growth position, try branching out to other departments. Additionally, ask whether funds are available for you to take some courses that can help develop your skills. As always, consult with your manager since he’ll be in a great position to advise you. The key factor here is to keep moving forward.

5. Boredom

Staying in the same job without advancing can cause you to become bored with your job and, even worse, complacent in your career. As the saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground,” and this especially applies to workers.

If you’re bored at your job, then you’re probably filling your time with things that do keep your interest, like gossiping, taking long breaks, and surfing the internet on the clock, to name a few. What’s the point of staying in a boring job and collecting a paycheck, when you could be out there doing something that you love and are passionate about?

Too often, professionals stay at their less-than-fulfilling jobs because they hope to advance up the ranks eventually, only to find out that they’ve wasted valuable time and energy on a dead-end job. The problem is that these professionals end up accepting their unfortunate fate and become jaded and complacent in their careers until retirement. That’s no way to live.