I stayed at one company for 11 years, also my first job. Worst choice ever. The company was bad, I was not growing, it was detrimental to both my and my employer.
Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
41–50 of 94 posts
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#42I thought I was making a good decision staying at a job I liked and not taking an offer for more money. I was laid off a year later.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#43it's only bad if you don't like it
I only saw people regretting staying for too long when they whined about the job for years before actually leaving
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#44I've been "at the same job" for almost 15 years but the company been sold three times, fully bankrupt once, almost broke many times, grown to over 500 staff, layoffs to less than ten, IPO'd/re-privatized, etc Anyway I haven't interviewed in a while!
That's wild. Are you the founder?
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#45Both swe jobs I've had I stayed with for almost a decade each. I'm in a very similar position as you with similar stats. Though I am a bit older. I enjoy the predictability but both places had rounds of layoffs at various points in time and I have the concerns as you.
I wonder if staying for long stints looks bad to future employers and hiring managers. I do think the predictability hampers my drive to practice leetcode, build tech side projects, and practice interview questions.
On the positive side, I like being a subject matter expert and diving deep into a tech stack and code base and knowing it inside and out.
Do I regret it? I don't. The stability has given me time for non-tech hobbies and projects as well as the time needed to have a family.
It's a little tougher at my age and with a family to spend a lot of time on technical side projects but I make time for it. That would be my recommendation to you for concerns about personal growth.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#46I regret leaving jobs too early.
There is experience to be gained from seeing a codebase and business evolve over time that can't be replicated by switching jobs.
Plus, you never know what a new job will be like. I ended up with a worse job 50% of the time I hopped.
I'd prioritize comfort and wlb more than anything else.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#47I'm a similar position as you in terms of job, salary and balance.
But this is my 5th job out of college and the longest I've been in a single job. When I hit my 4year mark, I started to think that the grass is greener on the other side and looked for opportunities here and there.
A few years in and I didn't find the right place that would make me jump ship. I have high standards and I can spot redflags based on past experiences in jobs in multiple countries.
I also found out that after I got older and accrue more responsibilities outside work, my job became a much smaller focal point of my life.
I'd rather be employed in an okay place, being paid a competitive enough salary (75% in the curve), and have opportunity to learn new things in the job and out, even if I don't love the field. As opposed to try a new job and risk being put in a toxic work environment and lose the balance I have now.
If you are not growing as an engineer, going to a new job might not help you and could be detrimental. It's much better to learn new things while you have the time to do so. Find an area you want to learn more, try new projects or courses, and have fun at your own pace.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#48I regret leaving jobs too early. There is experience to be gained from seeing a codebase and business evolve over time that can't be replicated by switching jobs. Plus, you never know what a new job will be like. I ended up with a worse job 50% of the time I hopped. I'd prioritize comfort and wlb more than anything else.
I’ve regretted leaving jobs, but have yet to regret leaving behind any of the shit eaters running those jobs.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#49> Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
No, I stayed with one employer for almost a decade, until the product was "done."
I was able to get into more interesting technical challenges, and had a lot more satisfaction, as a result. There was no way I could get to the deeper (and more satisfying) points if I hopped out after 2-3 years.
THAT BEING SAID: No job is perfect, and I had quite a few frustrating moments. If I had changed jobs, would I have liked the new job more? There's no way to know! I can only state that I've taken two very horrible jobs, and left quickly. I wouldn't want to take the "this is awesome, but can I do better" risk when I already have a good thing going.
Re: Ask HN: Did you regret staying at a job for too long?
#50in the exact same position. 10 years, currently 130k. Very good work life balance including being able to live wherever I want and having zero stress about work. At the very least I regret not continuing to learn the last 5 years. I probably won't give up this role as it's just too comfortable.