Compared job hopping vs staying put for 5 years and one paid off way better

I had two friends from my trade school class. One switched jobs every 18 months for raises. The other stayed at the same small shop for 5 years near Austin. The job hopper ended up making $4 more an hour but the guy who stayed got promoted to lead and now trains new hires. He told me his steady gig gave him stock options too. Has anyone else seen slow and steady beat quick moves?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_davis11d ago

My buddy Aaron was a huge job hopper. I always thought that was the only way to get ahead. But your friend's story about the stock options changed my mind. That steady growth and ownership stake is hard to beat with just hourly raises. Guess there's more than one way to win.

aaron89611d ago

Had a buddy who stayed put for ten years and ended up with a company truck and a retirement match that beat any raise.

hannah_williams11d ago

Ten years is a long time to stay anywhere, but that company truck and retirement match are legit perks. Did your buddy actually get a say in what truck they gave him or was it just whatever was sitting on the lot? I'm curious if the retirement match was a percentage of his salary or a flat dollar amount that just grew over time. It sounds like he really lucked out with a company that valued loyalty instead of just assuming people will leave. But I wonder if he ever felt stuck or if the perks were enough to make up for maybe not getting the same kind of raises a job hopper would see.