The Fine Line Between Impatience and Prudence

Millennials are less likely to stay at an employer for a long period of time than past generations have been. There are many reasons for this, but it ultimately comes down to the fact that employers aren’t loyal to them either.

People early in their career typically get their largest pay bumps by moving from one company to another. Employers aren’t rewarding performance, they’re banking on their employees’ complacency. Unfortunately for employers, a lot of millennials — especially those in high demand — are wisening up.

We see this a lot in software development. There’s a huge need for senior developers, but rather than investing in training or retaining people, many businesses focus only on recruiting new talent. As the saying goes: make new [employees], but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.

I think that early career professionals should explore various jobs if they can. It helps expand your network, plus it’s hard to recognize a good boss or workplace if you’ve only ever had one or two.

That said, too much “exploring” is a red flag that every employer keeps track of. If you’re never at a place more than six months, I’m not likely to hire you.