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Comment by parpfish | Hacker News Reader

i worry that i've job hopped a bit too much and have a series of 2-3yr gigs on my resume.

part of my problem is that I get unhappy (or bored) with a job but sit in denial for too long. so by the time I start looking for a new position, I'll desperately jump headfirst into a new gig instead of lining up the perfect gig.

Or maybe not. maybe it's impossible to tell if a place is a good fit from the interview.

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2-3 yr gigs in 2025 is completely OK, we're not in the 80's and people are not expected to work many years for an employer, especially in the modern workplace where the "normal" way to get a promotion is job hopping.

FWIW I have several shorter gigs in my resume. A combination of me being still young and not evaluating things correctly, and employers not being honest about working conditions. I even once stayed at one job for less than 2 months, but to be honest I have left that one out of my CV.

One more thing: I've been on the hiring side a few times and I have observed that candidates with very long gigs (5+ years in the same job) are often seen negatively (Why did they stay in the same job for 6 years? Do they lack ambition? Don't they like a new challenge? Etc.)

Same company same title for 5 years is slacker zone. Same company getting promoted is a good sign. 10 jobs in 10 years is a never ever.

You're right I should have clarified that - in my previous example, by "same job" I meant same company AND same title. If you have promotions over time, then of course it's fine to stay with the same company for many years. In my experience this is becoming rare nowadays but might be more common depending on industry & location

> One more thing: I've been on the hiring side a few times and I have observed that candidates with very long gigs (5+ years in the same job) are often seen negatively (Why did they stay in the same job for 6 years? Do they lack ambition? Don't they like a new challenge? Etc.)

Even so, there's some companies with notorious reputations for culling staff (often only loosely correlating with performance). I'd be wary of hiring someone with long tenure from one of those places, to survive, you have to be a certain type of ruthless.

I'm the same as you. A series of 2-3 year gigs. Some I left because I was bored and not getting any new challenges. Some I was laid off from. Some I left because for some reason everything I enjoyed about the job fell apart. My favorite coworkers left, the executives clawed back all the nice perks, etc

I'm in this situation right now. Just passed the three year mark and the new executive team is starting a rodeo

I honestly feel very down on myself, as if I'm incapable of staying at a job more than 3 years. Like I'm making excuses for moving on, not reacting to a change in reality

Don't feel down on yourself in the least. Two to three years is a good run in the tech industry.

If I'm not learning new things that will get me the next better job that's a rung up the ladder, there's no point in staying. I've never had a job where that's the case three years in.

I hear this quite a bit, and I appreciate it, but it is still difficult to shake off the feeling I'm defective. My Dad worked at a Tool Store for 25 years, you know?

Also the company I'm currently at boasts a lot of engineers who have been with the company 10+ years, some who have for 20+. It's an abnormal software company for sure

I feel this.

I can’t help but feel like I’m being some soft and prissy when I switch jobs after a couple of years. Previous generations worked jobs they hated for decades and got paid way worse than I do. Why can’t I just deal with it? It’s a job, it’s not supposed to be fun it’s supposed to be a thing I do in exchange for money.

Is it realistic to find a perfect fit job right now?

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