14. Staying at a company for five years and hoping for a promotion is a fool’s game.
“I’m often told that I need to ‘settle down’ and ‘put in my time’ at a company. I think that a lot of older folks don’t realize that companies these days:
a) Will lay off entire departments at the drop of a hat; there is no such thing as loyalty to your employees.
and
b) Hire managers almost exclusively from outside the company; internal promotions are very rare.
The best way to move your career along these days is to get a job, learn as much as you can, beef up your resume, and use today’s job as a stepping stone for your next one. Staying at a place more than two years is like, ‘Wow, you must really like it there!’ Staying at a company for five years and hoping for a promotion is a fool’s game.”
