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Марія БровінськаWork
11 March 2025, 08:01
2025-03-11
"If you're the smartest person in the room, you're not in the right room." How often should an IT professional change jobs, and what influences this dynamic: hiring experts answer
Changing jobs — a necessity or a challenge? How often should IT professionals change roles in a company or even an employer? In today’s realities, this issue is complicated, since the market has fallen, and whether it will recover to the level of pre-Covid times is unknown. However, updating a workplace can be both a springboard and a stupor for a specialist — it all depends on the conditions, willingness to take risks, engage in new processes, etc.
dev.ua asked hiring specialists how often IT professionals should change jobs, and whether recruiters distrust or suspect a candidate who has stayed in one place and position for too long.
Changing jobs — a necessity or a challenge? How often should IT professionals change roles in a company or even an employer? In today’s realities, this issue is complicated, since the market has fallen, and whether it will recover to the level of pre-Covid times is unknown. However, updating a workplace can be both a springboard and a stupor for a specialist — it all depends on the conditions, willingness to take risks, engage in new processes, etc.
dev.ua asked hiring specialists how often IT professionals should change jobs, and whether recruiters distrust or suspect a candidate who has stayed in one place and position for too long.
There is no stable benchmark in this matter: if a person is comfortable working in one company for 10 years and at the same time developing professionally, then that is absolutely okay. It is another matter when it is about unwillingness to leave the comfort zone, which in practice will mean losing relevance in the market. This may be a great specialist, but limited by the technology stack on the project.
The market is very dynamic, and if a person does not update his knowledge, he will not faces new challenges and does not adapt to changes, this may reduce its competitiveness.
From an employer’s perspective, long-term employment in one position can indicate stability, loyalty, and deep knowledge of the company’s internal processes. But at the same time, it can raise questions about the candidate’s ambitions, ability to self-develop, and adapt.
Recruiters may be wary if a candidate has worked in the same position for 10 years without change. This may indicate a lack of initiative and weak motivation for development.
However, if a person has a clear explanation, for example, they grew within the company, participated in strategic projects, or deeply specialized in their field, this can be an advantage.
The optimal frequency of changes depends on the specific situation, but in general, changing roles or expanding responsibilities every 3-4 years allows you to maintain the relevance of your skills, gain diverse experience, and be a sought-after specialist in the market.
Daryna Kuzmyk, Talent&Culture Lead, Railsware
If a friend asked me this question over coffee, the answer would be simple and complex at the same time: you should change jobs as often as you see fit. Or until you find the right place where you will feel happy for a long time.
One popular wisdom states: «If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.»
Translating this into career language, change jobs when you have already learned everything at your current place. Conditionally, like in school: once you have mastered the syllabus of a class, you move on to the next one.
From the perspective of a recruiter looking at a LinkedIn profile, of course, just a few months at one company can raise suspicion unless it’s project work. However, the nuances and history behind those months can be learned during an intro call.
A number of studies show that a specialist becomes fully immersed in work and masters all the nuances of the role, team, and company in about three years. Therefore, at that time he is ready to move to a new level, increase responsibility, etc., if he wants to. However, generalizations are unlikely to work here, because a lot depends on the specific person and his motivation.
Moreover, candidates who have worked for the same company for many years are more likely to be respected than suspected. That’s why we at Railsware, for example, are proud that engineers stay with us for more than 4–5 years on average.
In particular, because we do a lot to help our colleagues grow both professionally and personally. And this does not necessarily depend on a change in title: our Full Stack Engineers can change projects, join products at different stages of development, and offer their solutions to various problems.
Olena Oleksienko, Chief of People Team at EVO
On average, IT professionals change jobs every 2-3 years, especially when it comes to technical roles. This dynamic helps to gain new experience, work with other technologies and teams, which are the main criteria for development. At the same time, changing positions within the company is no less useful. If the company offers options for internal transfers or growth within the same direction, then you can grow without changing employers. For example, this happens quite often in our company and we support such a practice.
Regular job changes can indicate both flexibility and a desire for development, as well as instability. If a specialist changes companies every year, this may raise questions about his ability to work for long-term results. On the other hand, staying in one position for too long without changing (especially early in his career) may indicate a lack of ambition or skill development. It is important that the candidate can explain his choice, for example, why he stayed in one position for a long time or, conversely, changed companies frequently.
Does hiring specialists suspect a candidate who has worked within the same company and in the same position for more than 5-7-10 years? Not necessarily. It all depends on the context. If during this time the candidate expanded his area of responsibility, worked on various projects, then such experience will be an advantage. However, if a person has remained in one position for a long time without significant growth, then this may raise questions. It is important to understand what exactly motivated him to stay in one place and what was the development within this position. In the end, the main thing is not the frequency of job changes, but the quality of experience and the ability to apply it.
Tetyana Lobetska, Talent Manager at Levi9
If your job is no longer fulfilling, it’s a sign that you need to consider making a change. But before you make a drastic change, it’s worth looking into opportunities for growth within your company. Talk to your manager or HR about changing projects, expanding your responsibilities, becoming a mentor, or developing your expertise.
Most employers are interested in retaining talented professionals, so an open dialogue about your ambitions can lead to new opportunities.
Working at the same company for 5, 7, or even 10 years is perfectly fine if you are evolving: changing projects, working with current technologies, monitoring trends, and suggesting improvements. If the company supports your growth, there is no point in changing it just for the sake of change.
But if you’ve been living a «groundhog day» for the past 5 years — with no changes in tasks, technologies, position, or salary, and you’re still at the Junior level — you should think about entering the market. Sometimes, leaving your comfort zone is the best way to a new stage in your career.
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