I always said job hopping looks bad, then my old boss said something over coffee that stuck

Holly Brown · 2026-10-31T01:00:05.539985+00:00

I used to be that person who thought staying at one company for years was the smart move, like it showed loyalty. I had been at my job in Cincinnati for about 4 years and kept turning down recruiters because I thought short stays would make me look flaky. Last Saturday my old boss, who I still grab coffee with, told me she turned down 3 offers in her 20s and regrets every one, because the raises she missed stacked up against her. She said something like "the company won't remember your loyalty at layoff time." That hit hard because her old team got cut last year and she was gone before it happened. I sat there with my cold latte thinking about how I have been telling myself I am being smart when maybe I am just scared. I actually updated my resume after that and sent it to a recruiter on Sunday. Has anyone else flipped on this, and how did you decide what number of years feels okay on a resume?

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I always said job hopping looks bad, then my old boss said something over coffee that stuck | Career Advice - The Community Guide