This Is How Long You Should Stay at Your Job

Over the years, you’ve probably heard people balk at the idea of switching jobs frequently. “It will look bad on your resume,” your parents might say. “You’ll look like you can’t commit.” But as it turns out, millennials and their work habits might just have it right — changing jobs every few years can actually be beneficial for your career.

Fast Company recently interviewed career experts who say three years is the max time to stay at a job. Penelope Trunk, author and entrepreneur, says life is actually “more stable” when you switch jobs often. “In terms of managing your own career, if you don’t change jobs every three years, you don’t develop the skills of getting a job quickly, so then you don’t have any career stability,” she tells Fast Company.

Patty McCord, former chief talent officer for Netflix, says in the article that job-hopping helps people learn faster because they are always out of their comfort zones and forced to gain knowledge quickly to make a good impression. Trunk agrees that the longer an employee sticks around, the slower the learning rate becomes.

As if that weren’t enough reason to flee your cube, in 2014 Forbes reported that employees who stay at the same company for more than two years make, on average, 50% less over their lifetime than those who change jobs. So the next time someone comments on how many jobs you’ve had, say it’s all part of your strategy to become rich and successful.

What do you think about switching jobs every three years? Let us know @BritandCo.

(Photo via Ian Gavan + Chris Jackson/Getty)