In my experience, my career has always expanded by crossing bridges, instead of climbing ladders. That is, finding a new job instead of seeking a promotion.

I’ve worked at several jobs since I joined the workforce in 2006, and the longest job I ever had was 3 years, and it was the first job I ever had. Everything else usually was around 2 years before I found myself looking for something new.

I’ve almost been able to set my clock to it – and I thought it was just me, but I have observed friends and family, particularly in tech, who have this same experience as well. There’s just something about starting over that’s so, so good for growth, burnout, and your career.

If you feel that your job isn’t as fulfilling as it used to be, perhaps it’s worth crossing a bridge.

You’ll likely:

• Discover new ways to accomplish things
• Round out your skills
• (Probably) will get a raise
• Re-invigorate your interest in your career

Every time I’ve crossed a bridge, I came out in a better position than I was before.

Not all of them were smooth transitions, though. Switching from mechanical engineering to WordPress development took 3 years before I got my salary and I had to move in with my mother in law for most of that time, but I am extremely confident that my salary at GoDaddy was double what my “peak” was going to be at the job I left, and once we stabilized in my new career a little, we got to travel in an RV for four years.

It didn’t feel good for those 3 years during that crossing, but looking back I don’t regret doing it.

Take a step back. Is it time for something new? Might it be time for something new soon? Consider this a prompt – think about it, will ya?