I don’t disagree with anything others have said. I’m sure the messages all come from valid experiences. But a lot of the advice doesn’t ring true for my career. I think the factors that determine the best option of staying or leaving are very different depending on your career choice, your experience level, your location, etc. Based on my own experience, here are some thoughts I’ve had while reading this thread so far.
On starting your own business to avoid having a boss: That isn’t always an option. If your career interest requires a multi-million or billion dollar infrastructure, it’s hard to go it alone. For example, if you really want to work on avionics system designs, it’s hard to set up a business in your garage. Plus, some people would rather deal with a boss and/or co-workers than to deal with customers. “Customer” is just another name for “boss” to the independent. If it works for you, go for it. But it doesn’t work for everyone.
On company loyalty: Loyalty might make sense in a small company where the loyalty is to the company founder who is likely to be there tomorrow. But the half life of large corporate managers is short. Corporate memory does not go beyond immediate management, so loyalty is as likely to be forgotten as rewarded.
On the value of staying for pension benefits: Benefit packages need to be examined closely. Pension benefits are seldom worth staying around for, but if you are near a milestone in benefits or have spent enough years at the company, they can be significant enough that they should be considered. Also, if you do consider another position, you should be armed with specific information on what your existing package is worth so that you negotiate the best possible deal.
On the value of staying in one place: If you are building a career – not just bringing home a paycheck from a job – it is probably important to you that you have some accomplishments. Sometimes, the way you get things done is related more to your intimate knowledge of the informal mechanisms of the workplace rather than to your position. When you start at a new place, you don’t know who the guru in the lab is, who can cut through the paper hurdles, what executive is most likely to sponsor new ideas rather than stifle them, etc. It takes time to develop relationships and become as productive as you were in your old place. Of course, if you’ve lost effectiveness in your current situation, this does not apply.
