Techie discovers workplace stability still exists and gets confused: 'Are these people stuck or too comfortable? ...'

Time of India

28-07-2025

A newly hired software engineer was taken aback when he observed something unexpected after landing his first job—several employees at his new company had been working there for many years, with some even crossing the eight-year mark. In a time where career shifts and job-hopping are often celebrated as the fastest route to better pay and personal advancement, this discovery left him puzzled. For someone just stepping into the corporate world, the idea that so many professionals would remain with a single employer for such extended periods seemed almost unthinkable.
After noticing these long tenures on employees' LinkedIn profiles, the techie turned to Reddit's Developers India community to express his confusion. He noted that multiple engineers, who had also started out as freshers, had chosen to stick around for four, five, and even eight years. While it was evident that these employees were being promoted within the company, he wondered why they weren't moving to different firms despite years of experience. His questions reflected both curiosity and concern: Were they genuinely happy? Were they stuck? Or had they simply grown too used to their environment? Would he eventually end up in the same situation?
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Reddit Users Share Their Views
The post ignited a lively discussion. One user weighed in by highlighting that switching jobs is inherently risky — it's a calculated move for higher pay, but not without potential downsides. New organizations can bring their own challenges: outdated technologies, poor
work-life balance
, or a difficult colleague. For some, staying in a familiar setting where expectations and people are known quantities might feel safer than jumping into the unknown.
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Another Redditor responded with the perspective that time brings perspective. They advised the young engineer to allow life to take its course, suggesting that after ten years, he might find himself answering similar questions from newcomers.
Others emphasized the importance of personal priorities. One user, who had nearly a decade of experience and had been in the same firm for five years, said they valued peace of mind, stability, and health more than promotions or pay raises. They preferred the comfort and predictability of their current role over the strain and uncertainty that often accompany job switches.
Another commenter shared a deeply personal reason for staying put—they had been with their first company for five years primarily due to financial responsibilities at home. Having grown up in a family where income was unstable, their parents were anxious about the idea of quitting a secure job. Even though the project they were working on was unpleasant and involved outdated, undocumented code, they had stayed on for the sake of stability.
Over time, they built enough savings and slowly convinced their family about the need to switch jobs. However, a major obstacle now stood in their way: a 90-day notice period. Despite applying to various companies, many expected immediate joiners or offered lower pay. After repeated disappointments, they were considering quitting without an offer in hand, hoping to navigate the uncertainty independently.
This entire exchange revealed that
long-term employment
isn't necessarily a sign of being ""stuck"—for many, it's a deliberate, often practical choice rooted in deeper personal, financial, or emotional needs.