Last Updated on August 3, 2022 by
The path to business is rarely easily mapped, particularly in this fast-moving world. In a rapid fire technologically advancing society even catching your breath may mean you are behind by lacking skill or knowledge in a new groundbreaking area. Staying ahead means continuously learning. Becoming too comfortable can be bad for business – and careers in business. Shaking things up allows for growth, forces it, even. No growth happens in comfort. It happens when we are challenged. It happens when we are spurred to action, to actively learning new things, to activating our brains.
“Each and every time we learn something new our brain forms new connections and neurons and makes existing neural pathways stronger or weaker. Some experts call these changes ‘plasticity’ in the brain,” according to Central Connecticut State University.
Now it seems that growth – the willingness to activate new neurons and connections – is almost marked as a rite of passage to success.
The average person changes jobs 12 times in their lifetime, which really is not all that astounding a figure with all things considered. Most people spend around 13 years and two months of their lifetimes at work. In juxtaposition, they spend a mere average of 328 days over the course of their lifetime socializing with friends.
“We spend a significant amount of time and energy at work. Many people need to feel that they are making a contribution in some way – to other people, to humanity in general, ultimately it boils down to an individual having purpose. There are a number of factors as to why modern workers switch jobs often, in contrast to earlier generations,” said executive George Scorsis, who has successfully led a number of businesses in highly regulated industries.
According to Oliver Parks Consulting, which offers search-based recruitment solutions for the technology sector, most professionals are now switching jobs every three to five years.
“They are looking for new challenges and trust that the type of company they want to work for will value accomplishments over long tenure in one job,” according to the blog.
Companies are no longer as concerned with how long you have spent somewhere, but they increasingly care about what you are capable of doing. This is particularly true for tech sector professionals, according to Oliver Parks.
“I think people can sort of get used to ‘staying in their lanes’ at work and don’t really challenge themselves if they have held a certain position with a company for years. To me, it seems natural and healthy to shake things up,” added George Scorsis.
The Oliver Parks blog reiterates that sentiment: “When you stay put in one job for a long time, you may begin to perform your job like a robot. Even if you work on different projects over the course of a year, with different challenges, the process you go through with your team will likely be prescribed.”
New ideas will diminish and fresh “glasses” will be needed to be reinspired and regain creativity in the approach to projects.
At the end of the day, growth and the determination to expand your comfort zone is almost a requirement to become the best employee possible, a willingness to venture out can enrich your work life in ways you may not expect.
