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The Global Insight

How long is too long without a promotion?

Author

John Johnson

Updated on March 20, 2026

Experts agree that two years look better than 18 months. Four to five years is ideal – it looks good on your resume and shows your commitment to the company. For first jobs though, the average time an employee stays at a position is around a year.

Is it bad to stay at one company for very long?

By staying too long at one place you lose out on the opportunity to broaden your skills and gain exposure to other ways of working, new systems and technology, and generally make yourself far less marketable to a potential new employer.

Is it bad to go back to a job you quit?

You should only be looking to return to a former employer if the position and company provide you with a satisfying short- and long-term projection. If your old boss calls you up and offers your old job back, you would be best to take what they say with a grain of salt.

How long should you stay at a job you hate?

In an ideal world, you should stay at each job for a minimum of two years. However, if you quickly come to realize you made the wrong choice when accepting a position, don’t feel obligated to stay at the company until your two-year anniversary.

Is it OK to stay with one company?

The Advantages of Sticking with a Single Company If you stay with one company, you get to know everyone, and you can settle into your position. This way, all of the background tasks become automatic, and you can concentrate on cultivating more important skills.

How often should you transition from one job to another?

Christine Mueller, President of TechniSearch Recruiters, has had clients that “will not consider anyone who has had more than three jobs in the last 10 years, no matter the reason.” Even so, Mueller still recommends that an employee makes a transition every three to four years for maximum salary gains.

How often do people change jobs as they age?

However, the number of jobs held declined with age. Workers held an average of 4.5 jobs when they were 25 to 34 years old and 2.8 jobs when they were 35 to 44 years old. During the most established phase of many workers’ careers, ages 45 to 50, workers held only an average of 1.7 jobs.

How long does the average person stay at a job?

The average worker today stays at each of his or her jobs for 4.4 years, according to the most recent available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the expected tenure of the workforce’s youngest employees is about half that.

When do job hoppers leave for better money?

Make it clear when the hopping was involuntary: An employer may look upon job hoppers who leave positions for more money or a better title negatively. That’s not generally true for people who leave involuntarily because of layoffs, restructuring, or a company that goes out of business.