Research, articles and career experts have always dwelled on the benefits of making the next career move; ‘reasons you should look for a new job,’ ‘signs you should quit your job.’
Guaranteed, this is all good in terms of exposure and career expansion, but have you ever considered the benefits that could come with staying at your job?
International best-selling author Bernard Marr shares his thoughts via LinkedIn noting that often there are perks that come with sticking with a job over time.
Some of these might be monetary (salary, benefits, vacation days, etc.) but establishing yourself at a company also often comes with leadership opportunities. It’s much easier to build loyalty with a team when you’ve worked your way up than when you’ve been appointed from outside.
He mentions that all things being equal (meaning it’s not a toxic work environment and you don’t get a job offer elsewhere for a much higher salary), sticking it out, working through challenges, and building solutions gives you the kind of grit that has been shown in studies to be a greater predictor of success than any other.
"Job hopping isn’t the resume killer it once was, but staying at a job for a longer period of time still signals future employers that you are dependable and reliable. Not only that, but it signals dependability to your current employer as well, which could put you in the running for better positions or projects.”
Hopping from one job to the next doesn’t always translate to or portray career success as many tend to believe, according to Paul Rwakahungu, a procurement officer.
"I apprehend some who choose to switch jobs because of sound reasons; it could be that they want more money or salary benefits. But being at a job for a certain amount of time does come with various advantages such as becoming an expert in your field of work, which can give you an added advantage in terms of accessing perks that come with seniority,” he says.
A number of factors come into play when deciding to remain at or leave a job. For some, it’s the money, the peace of mind while for others; it could be the company culture they consider, says Doreen Kakuru, an accountant.
Staying or switching jobs both come with respective benefits. But it all depends on what you want achieve in life. Some employees move jobs because of limitations such as a toxic work culture, an unbearable boss and so forth. These are sound reasons, but to some extent, other factors must be considered. No job is without imperfections hence challenges are inevitable, at least this should be clear before one takes any decision, Kakuru adds.
One commentator on Marr’s piece, Ronald Montero Orozco, shared his thoughts noting that he agrees with him around the generations approach adding however that this also applies with a personality approach.
"Obviously, people that are more stable and long-term focused understand benefits like seniority, leadership options but also this is something that applies to any other human relationship, trust is not built quickly and someone that has been working for you for a long time becomes your fist option on crucial moments. Business is just the same, but this is something from the heart of the company where you're working. Management has the challenge to create non-toxic environments, impartial growth opportunities and the most challenging in my point of view. Be aggressive on the market to retain talent on your side,” he wrote.
Job satisfaction can be a single construct but it measures differently for different people. What matters is having confidence in your career priorities as an employee other than jumping ship.