The job market and the people working in it aren’t like what they used to be. It’s not unusual to find a new company listed on someone’s resume every two years, whereas prior generations stuck with one company for a decade, even two. It used to be that job hopping was a stigma, a sign that a person was unreliable or non-committal. That stigma is now lifting away and even recruiters look favorably on people who switch companies. Patty McCord, former chief talent officer for Netflix, says that young people should plan to job hop every three to four years because it’s a good thing.

Some of the benefits of changing jobs every few years include expanding your network, experiencing new challenges, and staying on top of industry trends. Changing jobs also gives you the benefit of substantially increasing your salary compared to getting a raise. 

Tech is among the industries with increasingly mobile employees. On anonymous chat app Blind, tech workers looking for new opportunities is a recurring topic of conversation. One Amazon employee expressed contemplating a switch after five years at the company. An IGT employee reached out to the anonymous community to ask how long one should stay at a startup. A Netflix employee responded with the following: “You’re realistically expected to leave within 1–2 years.” 

Some of the reasons Blind users give for changing jobs include wanting a higher salary, a career switch, new learning opportunities, relocation, or wanting work-life balance. Sometimes the change is initiated because of a company reorganization. 

The tech community is just a microcosm of what’s happening in many industries in the nation. Whether it’s because they are dissatisfied at their current company or have outgrown their role, people in the workforce are becoming more mobile in an effort to find the job that suits their needs. This increasingly accepted mobility empowers employees to take control of their careers.