#CareerChange #JobSatisfaction #GrowthJourney
Hey everyone! 😊 So, I’m in a bit of a dilemma, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. After spending 5.5 years in my first job, I’ve realized I’ve pretty much outgrown it. It’s become a routine where I’m no longer learning or growing, and I’m stuck in the same tasks without any chance for promotion. Here’s what’s been bothering me:
- Stagnation: Doing the same things day in and day out has turned my job into a bit of a snooze fest. I’m often more confused about what to do than actually doing it.
- No Promotions: Zero promotions in over five years? Playing it safe hasn’t paid off in this case!
- Fear of Irrelevance: I’m concerned about falling behind technically. I don’t want to be the person stuck in the "same year * N times" syndrome.
I’ve started interviewing for new opportunities, but every time they hit me with the question, "Why have you stayed so long?" I feel like I’m being judged for my loyalty. 🙈
Now, here’s my internal struggle: Is it worth risking my stable job with a smaller salary for the chance to grow in a new role? What if the new position turns out to be a total flop and I end up without a job?
So, what do you all think? Is it time to take the plunge and leave a job I’ve outgrown, especially during these uncertain times?
✨ Possible Solutions:
- Start Networking: Reach out to former colleagues and friends in the industry. You never know where a referral might lead you!
- Upskill: Take online courses to enhance your skills and make yourself more marketable. 🎓
- Freelancing: If you’re worried about stability, consider freelancing on the side until you find that perfect new role.
I’d love to hear your experiences or any tips you may have! Have you ever faced a similar situation? What did you do? Let’s discuss! 💬
When you talk about why you stayed I would talk about the different things you leaned and how you mastered the sector snd industry.
The spirit of their question I think (I hope!) is: “show us where your trajectory is, and how it lines up with the role we have.”
They shouldn’t care about time in your job, but they do have an interest in hiring people who demonstrate that they are growing.
Answer that question: point to areas where you can demonstrate growth over the past few years, and now that those are exhausted you are taking the next step.
If you say “I’ve been there 5.5 years and I’m not growing” in an interview I will become concerned because I will believe that you want to grow, but I won’t know if you can grow. If my position doesn’t give you the growth you want then my job is bad for you. But if it does and you can’t show a record of growth then you might not be the right candidate for me.
You stayed for loyalty, family commitments (children were young, parents were old, whatever), stability, good income, loved my team, loved the company’s product, …I’m sure you can come up with very valid reasons why you stayed so long. – Oh and like HackVT said, you ‘mastered’ something. You are a SME and that’s rare these days.
Staying at a company isn’t a red flag especially rn. Just say covid and you didn’t want to leave. Lack of promo in 5 years is a little concerning though
So… why did you stay? Presumably it wasn’t boring from day one.
If you’ve been in one job for five years, there’s not pressure to stay at the next job if it sucks. Leaving the job that sucks after a short tenure is stressful (because you don’t want to start accumulating short jobs), but one bad job isn’t an issue.
Nothing in life is without risk but if you have a better offer in hand yes I would take it. There’s no guarantee that your “safe, stable” job is going to be there tomorrow, even if the company is.