Big Fish in a pond or small fish lost in an ocean?

Today job-hopping has turned into a lucrative option as a fast approach to avail salary hikes. But before we jump, we must evaluate whether only salary increase is the sole factor in a new job vs. a lot more factors towards overall job satisfaction.

Let me frankly put forth the noteworthy considerations

1. Being in the same company for a prolonged period, may not avail you the desired hikes, as your salary tends to slip with respect to the industry, not equal to the kind of increment you would expect when you switched companies. Hence on the external front job hopping seems a fancy option to avail a jump in pay.

On the flipside, when you jump to a new company, you have to start fresh, study the products, environment, understand people, settle which may take 6 months or more. Moreover, being unknown of organizational politics, power plays by senior employees, you may take time to get really comfortable in order to start contributing actively.

On the flipside, being acquainted and familiarized with the existing organizational culture/ products/processes/people in the existing company, you are much comfortable to contribute faster and settle any hassles or bottlenecks while working. You are well-versed with processes and systems that things become extremely easy for you. You know where to cut corners and where you simply mustn't.

Moreover your long duration of service may fetch you a promotion that would be equivalent to 2-3 jumps to another company, The ONLY way it's NOT a bad idea to stay in ONE COMPANY for a long time, if the terms of the contract grant you sovereignty over your schedule, and idealistically compliments your long-term goals there is nothing like it and then the company, employer, colleagues becomes your Family. You develop a bonding with an ownership attitude towards work within the company for growing along with it. You treat the company as your own home having developed this ownership and gratitude factor. In simple, your long tenure becomes enjoyable & you feel like a king within your fiefdom..

On the other hand, short job tenures create the 'Job-hopper' mark in your CV and jumping patterns will reduce your credibility and trustworthiness factor among the next employer. The next employer, may be reluctant to hire too easily due to your constant jumps in jobs, which may portray you as unfocussed, easily bored and lacking long-term commitment.

2. Understanding your skill sets and competencies having been in the same company for years, your job description will be specifically tailored to get the best out of you, you may be given more diverse responsibilities, higher opportunities, and even a team under you and varied tasks to get you more exposed, with practical hands-on experience, encouraging you to learn and grow faster.

Handling varied situations & exigencies comes naturally to you with advanced skill sets and confidence honed over a period of time in the same company. When a company grows, you also reap the benefits of reward, recognition, and more challenges. Simultaneously, you form strong and long-lasting work relationships with higher-ups.

Certainly, the boss/ immediate supervisor develops an affinity and appreciation for your proven track record and connect with the company's goals and visions. If a worker switches jobs frequently, it may be difficult for him to form enduring and dependable relationships.

3. Having created a trustworthy aura around your professional persona, it would be much easier for you to avail leaves for personal commitments, maternity/paternity offs, sick leaves, convince the company on investing in training you further, get flexi-timing or work-from-home options. You easily are chosen for special job benefits that are reserved for long-service workers such as loans, commissions, grants, gratuities and pensions. This facility you cannot avail when you start anew jumping after a short stint even in another company.

4. Having contributed in the growth of the company for years, your long in-house experience commands respect and you know the right diplomatic approach to resolve issues, automatically new hires and juniors gravitate to you for guidance and mentoring. Having acclimatized with people from various divisions, it really helps if you want to move to another, without desired reference. Life becomes comfortable and manageable with little effort.

Having huge institutional knowledge makes you more valuable than others in the company with the burning potential to climb to a very high position in the company faster fetching you exposure very early in your life.

The ONLY way it's NOT a bad idea to stay in ONE COMPANY for a long time, if the terms of the contract grant you sovereignty over your schedule, and idealistically compliments your long-term goals there is nothing like it and then the company, employer, and colleagues become your Family.

You develop a bonding with an ownership attitude towards work within the company for growing along with it. You treat the company as your own home having developed this ownership and gratitude factor. In simple, your long tenure becomes enjoyable & you feel like a king within your fiefdom.