Career Planning Leaving a Job How to Tell If It Is Time to Move on to a New Job By Miriam Caldwell Miriam Caldwell Miriam Caldwell has been writing about budgeting and personal finance basics since 2005. She teaches writing as an online instructor with Brigham Young University-Idaho, and is also a teacher for public school students in Cary, North Carolina. learn about our editorial policies Updated on February 10, 2020 Most people no longer expect to stay with the same company or work in the same position for their entire career. In fact, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker in the U.S. holds 12 jobs during his or her lifetime. When you first start working, you may be getting a feel for corporate culture and trying to decide if you really enjoy the job you are doing or if you want to adjust your career focus. Sometimes, real upward mobility is achieved by moving from one company to another. Staying at a job with no opportunity is one of the common career mistakes that people make. These questions can help you determine how long you should stay in your current position. 01 of 05 Have I Been There Long Enough? Audtakorn Sutarmjam / EyeEm / Getty Images You want to stay in your current position long enough that your next employer will not worry about you jumping ship at the next great opportunity. In most fields, a year is considered the bare minimum to stay in one position. If you do leave earlier than that, you need to have the reason why clearly labeled in a positive manner so that you can handle any questions you get about it. Note Worth noting, if you have the chance for a promotion within your current company, you should take it. 02 of 05 Am I Close to Being Vested? Another thing you may consider is how close you are to being vested in your retirement plan. When you are vested, you get to keep the retirement contributions that your employer made on your behalf. You will always get to keep your contributions. If you are only six months away from being vested, it may be worth waiting until you hit the length of time to keep those contributions. Many companies will have the cut off at the five-year mark, but some companies may consider you vested after three years. If you have two more years before you are vested in the plan, it may not be worth waiting to look for a new job. You need to find the balance for your situation. 03 of 05 Is There an Opportunity for Upward Mobility? If you know that you may qualify for a promotion after a certain amount of time, you may choose to stay at your current company. However, if you know that you have maxed out your potential for growth at your current company, you may be in a position where it is time to look for a new job. However, if you have been passed over for a promotion, you may want to start looking, because your management may not see you in a leadership role. You do not want to spend time in a position where you are not valued and appreciated. 04 of 05 Do You Have Any Obligations to Your Current Employer? When you signed on to your current employer, you may have received incentives like help with paying your student loans or moving expenses. Generally, these have a clause that state the amount of time you must work for the company without having to pay the money back. Your signing bonus will have a similar stipulation with it. If your current employer paid for some of your college classes through tuition reimbursement, you may need to work a set number of years with your employer. Note Before you switch to another company, make sure you have met all of your contractual obligations at your current job. 05 of 05 Am I Ready for a New Job? Before you begin looking for a new job, you will want to make sure that your certifications and other skills are up to date. Take the time to prepare your resume and to reconnect with your network before you start looking for a job. Note It's also wise to consider the job security of a new job before signing on the dotted line. You don't want to trade financial security for instability, no matter how much you don't like your job. Create a solid plan so that you can reach your career goals. You should also try to save up some extra money to cover yourself as you switch over your benefits between jobs. You may also decide you are willing to downsize to take a job with less stress. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "National Longitudinal Surveys." Accessed Feb. 10, 2020. SoFi Learn. "How Does Tuition Reimbursement Work?" Accessed Feb. 10, 2020.