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Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#11

Post by sneak »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #10

Job hopping is mostly for people trying to move up to better companies, not just better titles. If you’re being paid 180K out of college and your company regularly promotes with 33% raises then you’re already at a top company that gives proper raises. You don’t need to job hop unless you want to try a different company.

Salaries are remarkably sticky, and many companies have protocols around raises (that is, percentage caps) that aren't always connected to the wider market.

I think if one is looking to maximize lifetime revenue (as an employee), then switching regularly probably makes sense. In any case, you should be interviewing regularly and soliciting offers, even if you only use them at your existing job to ensure your raises are in sync with the wider market.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#12

Post by theshadowknows »

rp1 wrote: post #9

This is separate from your question, but never trust someone who says “you’ll get promoted in X time” unless that person is directly responsible for making that happen. Promotions in large companies are done by committee, and you can be denied a promotion for a variety of reasons. When applying for a new job, the hiring manager has much more discretion over the leveling of your new job, so it’s almost always easier t…

I work with this guy who’s sort of an “automation” guy. He’s responsible for automating or at least partially automatic really complex processes. I’ve seen the guy automate away whole departments. Generally speaking my point is that he delivers huge value for the company. And a few months ago his supervisor emailed me asking if I could send in recommendation for him as he was up for a promotion, so I created quite a detailed list of all the things we’ve worked on and how they drove substantial business value. And I fully expected this guy to get promoted…and he didn’t. The board rejected his promotion.

My theory is that he’s too valuable where he is, and that they don’t want to move him elsewhere. But he just got an offer down the road somewhere else and will be putting in his notice next week.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#14

Post by rdtwo »

theshadowknows wrote: post #12
rp1 wrote: post #9

This is separate from your question, but never trust someone who says “you’ll get promoted in X time” unless that person is directly responsible for making that happen. Promotions in large companies are done by committee, and you can be denied a promotion for a variety of reasons. When applying for a new job, the hiring manager has much more discretion over the leveling of your new job, so it’s almost always easier t…

I work with this guy who’s sort of an “automation” guy. He’s responsible for automating or at least partially automatic really complex processes. I’ve seen the guy automate away whole departments. Generally speaking my point is that he delivers huge value for the company. And a few months ago his supervisor emailed me asking if I could send in recommendation for him as he was up for a promotion, so I created quite a…

There is no faster way to get someone to quit than to deny a promotion. That causes so much ill will that these stupid promotion boards never think about.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#15

Post by CyanBird »

theshadowknows wrote: post #12
rp1 wrote: post #9

This is separate from your question, but never trust someone who says “you’ll get promoted in X time” unless that person is directly responsible for making that happen. Promotions in large companies are done by committee, and you can be denied a promotion for a variety of reasons. When applying for a new job, the hiring manager has much more discretion over the leveling of your new job, so it’s almost always easier t…

I work with this guy who’s sort of an “automation” guy. He’s responsible for automating or at least partially automatic really complex processes. I’ve seen the guy automate away whole departments. Generally speaking my point is that he delivers huge value for the company. And a few months ago his supervisor emailed me asking if I could send in recommendation for him as he was up for a promotion, so I created quite a…

At that point why not give him a considerable raise or company stock and outright tell him how valuable on the grand scale of things his work is?

I just despise how companies expect strategically important workers to stay on the company without raises when it is clear for both parties just how much value they as workers bring to the table, it is insulting

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#16

Post by grvdrm »

theshadowknows wrote: post #12
rp1 wrote: post #9

This is separate from your question, but never trust someone who says “you’ll get promoted in X time” unless that person is directly responsible for making that happen. Promotions in large companies are done by committee, and you can be denied a promotion for a variety of reasons. When applying for a new job, the hiring manager has much more discretion over the leveling of your new job, so it’s almost always easier t…

I work with this guy who’s sort of an “automation” guy. He’s responsible for automating or at least partially automatic really complex processes. I’ve seen the guy automate away whole departments. Generally speaking my point is that he delivers huge value for the company. And a few months ago his supervisor emailed me asking if I could send in recommendation for him as he was up for a promotion, so I created quite a…

Wow. Haven’t seen this articulated in writing recently (maybe ever) but it is real because I hear it from senior mgmt. at my firm - “you can’t rotate to this position or try this other thing because you are very valuable where you are. Happens to many employees.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#18

Post by noud »

Your problems is similar to the Secretary problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_problem.

There is a perfect mathematical sound answer to your question: for the first n/e year n is the number of working years, e is Euler's constant) you should regularly switch jobs every 2 to 4 years. After these first n/e years you continue switching jobs regularly until you end up with a job that's better than all previous jobs you had. That's, with the highest probability, the best job you would ever get in your life. Don't switch jobs with others after that!

E.g. You would work around 50 years (from 16 to 66), which means that for the first 50 / e = 18.3 years you should switch jobs regularly. After these years you should be think twice before changing jobs.

Re: Ask HN: Is it still worth it to switch companies every few year?

#20

Post by defaultprimate »

listless wrote: post #17

I just evaluated a candidate and flagged it as “no” because they had too many position changes in the last 5 years. Switching jobs is fine, but if you overdo it, you risk looking like a bad investment.

>you risk looking like a bad investment.

Only if the potential employer isn't willing to invest in the candidate enough to retain them

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