I think changing jobs every 2 years is overrated

Last week at a meetup in Portland, everyone was bragging about job hopping for raises. But I've been at my company for 6 years now and just got promoted to lead with a 20% pay bump. Has anyone else found loyalty actually pays off?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota16020h agoMost Upvoted

Jumped into this conversation with my buddy Mark last night @wren217. He stayed at the same small dev shop for 9 years because they kept promising big roles. They finally made him lead last year with a 15% raise. But the new guy they hired two years ago already left for a job paying him 40% more with stock options. Mark's kinda stuck now because his skills are all in their old stack and nobody else around here uses it. Saw him spiral into this whole "what if" thing about his career path.

wren21720h ago

I mean sure your 20% bump sounds nice but thats a 6 year wait for what a job hopper can get in half the time. People I know who switch every 2 years are stacking 15-20% raises each time plus signing bonuses. By year 6 theyre probably sitting at 50-70% more total comp than if they stayed put. Plus you miss out on learning different systems and workflows at other companies which really adds to your skills. Loyalty feels good in the moment but the numbers dont lie for most people in tech right now.