Why Should You Change Jobs Every 2-3 Years?

Long gone is the era where professionals spend their entire careers at a single company and retire with a gold watch and unlimited pension payments.

In today’s job market, professionals are changing jobs more frequently than you might think. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average employee tenure is currently 4.2 years.

Many professionals are quitting their jobs in search of a more fulfilling job – now more than ever.

At Dynamo Careers we recommend changing jobs every 2-3 years, and here are the top 6 reasons why…

1. Changing jobs significantly increases your $$$ earning potential - both now and over the long haul

Your annual raise is usually determined by your job performance. According to Forbes, the average employee can expect a measly 3% raise each year. Even the small % of employees who achieve high performer status can only hope for an average 4.5% annual raise.

The US inflation rate is generally ~2.1%. When you factor inflation into your compensation increases, that means the average raise will leave you with a mere .9% increase in pay each year. If you make $100,000 per year, this means you will only be netting $900 more per year. UGH…That’s not much!

One of my very wise mentors always told me, “If you are going to work for the man, find a way to make the man work for you too!”

So think about this…

When you change jobs, you can generally expect to receive a 10-20% pay bump. If you were to change jobs every 2 years for a decade, this would equate to a 100% increase in pay.

Here at Dynamo Careers, we have helped professionals achieve significantly BIGGER jumps in compensation in a single career move. We have helped clients earn up to $100,000 more per year (than they were previously making).

We can even guarantee you will make a bare minimum of $10,000 more per year in your next job. To see real results from real clients (who are now earning $10,000-$100,000 more per year), click here…  

 2. Changing jobs offers you opportunities for substantial career advancement 

When you stay in the same organization, it’s easy to lose touch with the demands of the current job market. The need for self-improvement can gradually decline and your professional skills may start to drag behind industry standards. A CareerBuilder Survey shows that 50% of employees feel they have ‘just a job’ instead of a solid career plan with enticing long-term growth opportunities.

Changing jobs every 2-3 years enables you to be a driving force in your own career trajectory. In today’s modern work environment, you simply can’t sit around and wait for your current organization to deliver your dream job on a silver platter. When you go out and enable new opportunities for yourself, you can climb the career ladder of your design, rather than playing it safe and potentially limiting your opportunities by staying in the same job for an extended period of time. 

3. Changing jobs keeps you from becoming complacent 

According to The Gallup Organization, roughly 70% of employees are not committed to their work and are not delivering their best performance. Another report by Inc. Magazine reveals the top reason people quit their job is boredom. The complacency that stems from boredom is a problem that affects many organizations.

If you look around, you just might spot some of your colleagues who are complacent (and may be challenging to work with as a result). Rather than wait to hit the threshold of your own complacency, changing jobs more frequently can help you stay sharp and energized in your career.

Want help clarifying how to change your job every 2-3 years? Plus define your best career path, make more money, and gain real career satisfaction without exhausting yourself in the process, or sacrificing your personal values?
Discover How To Increase Your Income By $20K to $100K or MORE Per YEAR!... By Making ONE Simple Change To Your Career! Watch this short 9-minute FREE Masterclass to learn more featuring Chief Career Strategist Sonja Price.
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4. Changing jobs broadens your skills, scope of projects, and responsibilities 

When you stay put in one job for a long time, you may begin to perform your job mechanically, meaning your quest for new skills will gradually diminish, and your supply of fresh ideas will begin to die out.

Changing companies every 2-3 years allows you to take on challenging projects, continuously grow your skills, and generate more results. Greater results generally lead to better opportunities. Furthermore, having a greater span of work experience (across different industries and organizations) allows you to have greater problem-solving capabilities – which can be seen as fresh and valuable in a new company – and can continuously lead to bigger and better opportunities (and also more pay) in the future.

This may sound like a lot of work, but don’t be exhausted by the prospect of all of this. One way or another, time is going to pass by. Would you rather stay at the same company and keep working on the same type of projects over and over again, or keep it fresh and exciting and be continuously learning and growing - and reaping the benefits that come along with it?

5. Changing jobs help you continuously build a strong professional network 

Did you know that 70% of jobs are filled through the ‘hidden job market’? You might be asking yourself what the heck is the hidden job market? The hidden job market is a term used to describe jobs that aren't advertised or posted online – meaning those open roles are often filled through networking.

The more companies you work for, the more compelling your resume will become, and more people will know you. Remember, in networking - it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you! Staying in one organization for too long can constrict your network rather than expand your possibilities beyond your current company’s walls.

When you change jobs often, you will never run out of people that can give your career growth a boost when you need it. You want people to know you and what you are capable of. Then when the next big opportunity comes along in their new/current organization, you want them to be thinking ‘I know the perfect person for this job.’ You! It feels really good when people reach out to pursue you for an opportunity, versus you banging down doors just trying to get noticed.

6. Changing jobs can get you promoted sooner 

One of the key reasons many people stay at one company for so long is that they hope someone will recognize all their hard work and promote them soon. Did you know that of the 97% of Americans who advance their career each year, only 7% take new opportunities in their existing organization? What? Wow! That’s so sad!

Changing jobs might not get you the promotion you want in your current company, but if you know how to properly position yourself for your next career move, you just might land your coveted position in another company within a much shorter timeframe.

STOP and think about all this for a moment!

By changing jobs more frequently, you are proactively creating opportunities to re-establish and significantly upgrade your value in the job marketplace. You will develop new skills, and cause more results, that will keep you in high demand.

Approaching your career growth in this manner will also allow you the opportunity to negotiate your compensation from a position of strength for each and every new job moving forward.

Sometimes the grass really IS greener on the other side - but you won’t know if you don’t make a move. Bloomberg puts it aptly, “In the future, the most successful employees will move in and out of roles and industries throughout their working lives.” Instead of getting limited to a single company, you can take the wheel and drive your career in whatever direction you want it to go.

Ready to make a career move?

Dynamo Careers is here to help! We work with career professionals across a wide range of industries and roles.

Remember: When staying at the same company, the average employee raise is 3% per year.

We can help ensure your next career move produces the absolute best results for you – including a fulfilling role, that produces opportunities to continuously advance your career, and earn you significantly more money!

We have even helped some clients earn up to $100,000 MORE per year (than they were previously making in their last job). For the very best chance of getting the raise and the advancement opportunities you are due, send us a message or watch our free masterclass today!

Sonja Price

Dynamo Careers

Chief Career Strategist