I've only had two real jobs in my life.
Each one I started at the bottom and worked up.
There are some here that say they have  switched jobs several times for more money.
I'm guessing they are going to different companies and still doing the same work?
I would most likely go from a decent wage to shit pay by leaving my job as there is nothing else like it in my area.

Then you would have to move areas then wouldn't you.

I went from the parts department to repair man, now I'm an account rep.

Xerox certainly treats me well.

I find that getting fired helps.

Go and work for shitty companies that look good on paper and have a CEO that bankrupts the company, twice, in two years. Have a Robert Half rep on speed dial.

Much easier to find a new job, doing what you do, for a $10k+ raise than to beg your boss for a $2k raise.

Depending on the industry, IT for large corporations or Federal Gov, contracts end, companies fold, layoffs, terminations, part of the job.  The key is to have a good network of coworkers and peers in the industry that can help you out with the next job.

Learn a new skill, certification, do interesting projects, be friendly with your vendors, etc.  Look at job offerings in your industry and see what are the job requirements.

If you want to try something new, get experience, even if its a non paying opportunity in the evenings and weekends, etc.  Do your homework.

If your not working towards a pension, ownership stake or advancement, what are your goals.

If there aren't any jobs in you area or trade, might have to move to where the jobs are located?

What trade or industry?

Haven't changed companies in over 30 years, have interviewed and gotten different positions though internally.

Hell, I doubt I could figure out how to do a resume anymore.

Hopefully I'll never have to find out.

Very common in IT.  My entire team switched companies.  Team leader went and then hired us all.

I raffed

I went 5 for 5 in my early 20's. 5 employers in 5 years.

Each time was for a little more money, and slightly different work. I hate ruts, I hate doing the same thing every day and I wanted to (still want to) learn as much different stuff as I can.

This set me up for when I quit my last job and just started working for myself. I do all kinds of stuff now, and I set my own schedule. I don't make a killing, but it's a good balance between working and family.

It sucks, but is the reality these days. In my opinion, the only way to really keep people is to be large enough to allow internal transfers/growth opportunities. That, or be growing fast enough that new stuff opens up in the pipeline as people outgrow their jobs.

Of course, this only applies to people seeking to advance their potential/career. The system largely appears to be setup for people parking themselves in one spot after 5 years and never learning anything else... If you do that you should never expect a raise larger than inflation.

A friend of mine just did that after far too long at a small company.

He nearly doubled his yearly take home just by adding 20 minutes to his commute.

I'd have to move overseas most likely.

A friend of mine has a small company and he has 3 key guys, basically his lead guys. Everyone below them is usually a revolving door of new people. The key guys get nice trucks they can take home, fuel for them, and a bunch of other benefits, as well as the ability to borrow equipment for personal projects whenever they need it.

This keeps them happy, and keeps the crews running smooth even though there are constantly new people in an out below them.

It sucks leaving a job or company you like. I've quite jobs that didn't pan out, but what usually happens to me is the company is purchased by a foreign multi-national, they take the IP home, and fire all the US employees. This has happened to me several times. Two of those times they were really good, high paying jobs close to home, which made it even more painful because I knew I would never find a similar job 10 minutes from home. To go from a 90 minute commute to a 10 minute commute without a cut in pay or benefits is a wonderful thing and it sucks to lose it.

Nothing sucks more than having to leave a job you like and people you like and respect because some foreign bastards bought the company, took the tech, and fired everyone.

The last time this happened, the management of our company had two bids they were looking at seriously. One bid was from an American company, 3M it was. They wanted to keep all our divisions open and all our people working because our company offered them technology they were interested in but did not have in-house.

The other was a French company in the same business as us, but our technology was better than theirs. In fact, the guy that invented the technology and wrote all the standards for the technology, worked for us. All they wanted was our IP. They didn't even hide the fact that once they got the tech, they would close us down.

One bidder would keep everyone working. The other bidder wanted the technology and planned to fire everyone after they got it.

The French company offered $1/share more than 3M.

Guess who our CEO sold the company to and guess what happened to our 3,000 employees?

(I expected we would get fucked. During the sale, the CEO came to our division to give a pep talk and all he talked about were the race horses he owns.)

^ this.  Very common amongst techies that work IT projects. 

A painting company gets a contract to paint all houses in a subdivision, hires 10+ painters.  When the last house is painted, they lay them all off.  Painters find other jobs. 
Same concept in the IT industry.  Only it's techies working instead of house painters.

I'm in public accounting, people tend to last 3-5 years and jump ship to industry for a 20% pay increase and less hours.

Same, I have been with the same employer sine I was 19. I have had several diffeent postiions in multiple states but all with the same employer.

sales...

go where the money is at and i hitched my wagon to my president too 

Isn't that the truth.

ME

Like others have said, I hate doing the same thing over and over again. Plus, I've never been content with the idea of doing the same thing for the rest of my life.
Tried for a long time to figure out what I want to do for a living. Now I'm taking the time to figure out what I want to do with the living I earn. I guess I focus more on what to do next than anything else.
Also I think new jobs help keep things interesting.

I have been in my career for about 18 years now and changed employers about 8 or 9 times before starting my own business a couple of years ago.
Have had two companies fold while I was working for them, been a victim of recession layoffs, and walked on employers who were outright frauds and thieves.
Every time I changed jobs I wound up with more money, a better position or some sort of perk (like take home truck, gas cards etc).

My industry is pretty small, a lot of us know one another either directly or by reputation. Pretty much none of my moves have been cold situations, all have been referrals by sales reps, former coworkers or industry cohorts.

So? By the time I was ten, I had went to 7 different schools, on two different continents.

When you are a developing professional chef, you generally only stay in a kitchen for 2-4 years. You hit a wall as you have absorbed much of the chef's style and technique and want to learn new things.

It also might be the only way to move up on your career as sometimes Chefs have a core cook or two who is never going to leave. So, you take a position with a Chef you are interested in who has that Sauté position you want.

It is also not uncommon for the Chef to pull you aside(at least when I was cooking in Napa and Sonoma) and tell you "you have been here for sometime and are doing a great job. You need to go work with my friend who can teach you new things.  I will call him as I know he needs a skilled grill/sauté cook". They would then keep tabs on you to see how you do in hopes you would return one day as a Sous Chef or they thought you were on a good career path. I think this is less common these days due to the talent shortage in kitchens.

In some very rare cases, top level Chefs set up their most talented cooks to work with their mentors. "Bob, you have been with me 4 years and have just become a super strong line cook....totally killing it. I called *big name/highly respected chef* and suggested you go work in his kitchen. He wants to talk to you...this is a great opportunity for you!" Then deals like "you go work there for at least 2 years, then you will return here as a Sous Chef", etc are made.

I have worked in 8 kitchens in my career, on average 2-3 years, with my longest stint being 5 years(top 50 ranked kitchen, worked every station, totally refined my cooking technique, etc). Every kitchen gave me new ways of doing things and refined my style. Now that I am at Executive Chef levels of skill and knowledge, I am looking for a kitchen to stay with for a long period of time.

Being a Chef is almost like being a Mercenary and a bit of a pirate. Hard ass work, but man it has been a blast. I am not getting rich, but I would not trade it for the world.

I nearly went to school to get into that, I ended up at trade school instead.

I still kind of want to get into, but I'm afraid like anything, it will kill my drive for doing it recreationally.

I love to make food at home, doing it every day would likely end that.

How's it to work for Mother Xerox?

I'm an FSE at a GIS subsidiary.

I guess you could say that you'd need to have a sense of entitlement. I've hopped jobs every couple of years because I felt that I wasn't advancing fast enough, be it pay or rank.

This pretty much sums it up.

Did the Big 4 gig for awhile (advisory side) and left after 6 years for a crazy raise/perks. Sure I was underpaid and they took part of my soul working there but now I work 35 hours/week for more money so I where those stripes like a badge of honor.

I did it after a 14 year gig and the company shut down my division.  I took a few temp jobs to avoid being a welfare rat until I landed some $$$$.  Even that was a toxic slaughterhouse and I was constantly looking until I found my current gig.  All were requiring the same skills, yet were vastly different industries.  

So it was 14 years, 1 year, 1 year, 5 years, and now 8 years.  Job hopping used to be a bad thing on a resume, but now I interview looking more for lazy gaps in employment and also to make sure the applicant isn't sand bagging to get a short term job while looking for a quick out.  Match skills to job and pay and all that stuff.

I found that having three gun websites open on your firing day turns it into a layoff with severance pay.  

I have worked for five different companies in the last 15 years.
One closed their doors, one was a layoff, one I departed to better myself, and one was a POS place I wasted three years at.
They all have one thing in common, none of them are very stable, it's just the type of work it is (Engineering)
The present company seems to be the best of all of them, I'm two years in.

I don't actually work for Xerox or any remotely similar industry...

This. When I changed companies last year all my old coworkers asked when I'd be coming back as their boss. Running joke there was the best way move up is to leave and come back.

It seems like I'm on a 3-5 year run with each job. I hope to stay in my current role longer, but if a good opportunity presents itself I'll take it. Remember, a company doesn't owe you anything besides your next pay check. If you're happy in your job, great. But if not you're not gaining anything by being "loyal" to the company.

I've been known to switch companies about every 5 years or so.  If you have this type of lifestyle it helps to keep certain things in mind.

1. Use Linkedin.  Keep contacts with former employers and co-workers and get them to endorse you.  People will contact you with job offers if you do it right.  If you have an interview or a phone screen with someone look up their profile.  When you know more about them and what drives them, you'll know how to talk to them

2. Everytime you start a new job, look for new skill to acquire.  Always make yourself better for the next position.  Exploit any training and all training resources you can get your hands on

3. Use glassdoor.  This is a great tool to learn about a prospective company, and it gives you insight to what salary range you can actually get from a company.

4. There are some recruiter you need to avoid.  But there are also some that are your best friends.  For those in IT around the SF Bay area, Contact TekSystems, and The Armada Group.  Ask co-workers if they know anyone they like, and share your contact.  Even when things are going great, keep in touch with these people who have worked well with you.

5. Take at least one training workshop for writing resumes.  In California if you apply for unemployment they make you take one.  If you're not applying for unemployment they still offer it for free, along with other job seeking workshops.  Take advantage of that.  It's always good to talk to people in similar areas of employment about resumes, and the job seeking environment in your area.

the usa is a pretty big area. i doubt you can't find a better job, in such a large area. (according to the flag in your stats box)

THIS!!!!   I started in IT back when Desktop guys made money, I realized that was coming to an end and transitioned into Systems Administration, from there added more skills until I became an Systems Architect.  last few places I worked averaged two years each place.  Left for better money I knew I would never get in a raise if I stayed.  Now I work contracts independently and switched from the Systems roles to a developer....scary but keeps me interested in what I do and keeps  the income potential high.

Apply, interview, resign from old job, start new job. Repeat.

Another thing I'm really big on is training. The companies I've worked in LOVE to give employees training and no one wants to do it. I sign up for everything I can. Guess what, the next company can't believe I have so much training in ____.

It's all a big game, you just have to play along.

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