What do you think is better for career advancement?

Changing jobs every few years looking for better opportunities which could mean more money and better position now as no one will leave their current job for a worse job, or staying with the same company and working your way to the top, which may take more time, i.e is slower but more secure because you know your company inside and out, you have a solid history with company.....


Please note that I delibirately did not add the self-employment option. This poll is strictly about being an employee.

I have been with the same company for 9 years. This is the only company I ever worked for.

On the plus side, I am very respected, my job has become a second nature to me even though it is not what you call routine as I am the business development manager (new title ) and I am very respected by the management.There is also job security as I know if they ever decide to downsize, I will be the last one to go.

However, I feel I have reached my limits. Like if I stay in the company for the rest of my career life, there won't be much more advancement, except maybe money wise, but slowly though.

Changing companies means an instant raise of at least 50%, if not more, better package but the risk of not liking the new environment, having to prove myself again, to fit in, remember a career change now means joining another company as an instant manager, and many people within the department would have been hoping for that position....

I think changing jobs every few years, in general. But it depends on the person and the company, some companies offer great benefits for staying with them.

But like i said generally speaking, shop around. At least until you find one of those employers worth sticking with.

I think it depends on the person and their stage in their career. I'm mid-level (about 10 years as a professional web developer). At least in this industry it is hard to find people who stay at a company more than a year. My present employer is great, however I feel to get a raise would mean moving on to another company.

I have friends who jump every 6 months, and are now making quite a good salary. I typically stay around 2 years w/o a significant bump in salary before I venture onward.

On the other hand, I'm sure there are people out there who are "go getters" -- people oriented schoozers or who can climb the ladder rather quickly.

In the end it is your responsibility to set a goal -- determine and prove to your boss how you can effect the bottom line and justify your raise...otherwise, start looking

So would I -- but what I want, and what I am offered are rarely the same.

I wish I was in an industry w/ a pension...fire + police get around 90% of their salary from what I've heard...I'd be stoked with that.

Unfortunately, in most companies there is no pension in my field (tech)...and my only hopes is a 401k that could/could not have a positive return.

anything is possible...typically though from what I've seen is that traditional companies that aren't focused on the web (my field) don't have a lot to offer.

It is true that it is not total reboot, but you still have to justify your employment, to prove that you are as good as they thought you are when they hired you, whereas this is something I have for granted now.

And this means longer hours at work, because each company has its own culture, to familiarize with the environment. In my line of business, it is very important to know how things work, and the procedures within each company are different, the back office, the IT systems...I am in business development and unconventional projects. The most important thing in my function is to know as much as you can the points of strength of the company and the constraints you face. These differ from company to company. So even though my experience is valuable, it depends on factors that I can't transfer from comapny to company. It has taken me years in my current company to reach this level of internal knowledge about the company.

Now I just ask set the procedures without having to turn to the IT departement or the accounting or the technical department....i.e. I tell them what I want, not ask them if this is feasible because I know our strength and weaknesses.

I don't know if I explained myself properly