What I Learned from Changing Jobs Three Times
I'm a developer in my mid-30s, and this is my fourth company. I spent 2 years at my first company, 1.5 years at my second, 2 years at my third, and I'm in my first year at my current one. This isn't meant to encourage job-hopping; I'm just writing down what I've experienced.
1. Your salary goes up when you change jobs, but expectations rise with it
When I changed jobs the first time, I was happy about a 20% raise, but as soon as I joined, the pressure to "prove I was worth it" came right along with it. Now, when I look at an offer, I care more about the team situation and onboarding process than the salary.
2. They ask about your reason for leaving no matter where you go
I once answered honestly with "because of the people," and the interview atmosphere went cold. Now I keep the facts but frame them around "the direction I want to move in."
3. References are so much easier if you build them up in advance
When I was preparing to change jobs in a hurry, reaching out to my old team lead was the most embarrassing and difficult part. Now there are two people I still check in with occasionally even after leaving.
4. What you did around your third year matters most
Rather than flashy projects from when I was a junior, I was asked far more often about what problems I took responsibility for through to the end in my third year.
Lastly, when a job change isn't working out, just finishing even one thing properly at your current company ended up being the fastest path. Good luck, everyone.
9 answers
The advice to build up your references in advance is really the key. I was preparing in a hurry and reached out to a team lead from 3 years ago, but got no reply... I was really embarrassed back then. Since then, I always make sure to say my goodbyes whenever I leave a job.
Agree with #4, #2 is case by case
I totally agree that a higher salary comes with higher expectations. I got a 25% raise and in my first week was told to tear apart and redo all the legacy code—talk about a reality check lol. Now, when I look at an offer, the first thing I check is the team lead's personality.
Framing your reason for leaving is really important. I thought honesty was a virtue, but not in interviews.
Agreed, especially number 4
I'm not a developer, but I've been through something similar, so I'll leave a comment. I also changed jobs three times in my mid-30s, and the first two times I moved just for the salary and left again after a year. The third time, I actually took a slightly lower salary and looked at the team atmosphere and onboarding process first, and that was where I stayed the longest. In the end, I think changing the criteria by which you choose a company is the biggest growth.
Well, saying "what you did in your third year is what matters" feels a bit outdated, doesn't it? These days, it seems like market timing and luck play a much bigger role. Even if you're talented, it's no use when hiring freezes up.
Oh, I didn't know that. So that's how you build up references in advance.
For someone who changed jobs three times, these are pretty obvious points to sum up... If it were just personal experience, fine, but generalizing it like this is a bit much. Everyone's situation is different, and some people are in a position where they at least need to raise their salary.