Stay in one job all your working life. Nightmare or dream?

"Thank you for 35 great years." This is probably the beginning of a co-worker's email. After spending decades in the company itself, but is there such a situation?

Professor Thomas Regotti of Johann Gothenburg University in the German city of Mainz says that during the 1990s, with increased flexibility and digitization in the world of work, the end of the "old career" was declared in many labour markets.

"However, this was not the case," he added in a statement to the German news agency. In many States, the rate of tenure has barely changed over the past 10 to 20 years.

Conversely, the rate rose slightly, according to Rigotti, professor of industrial, organizational and corporate psychology. In Germany, workers change their employer 4 times throughout their lives.

With colleagues themselves

However, "just thinking about having an entire career with colleagues themselves, and perhaps performing the same tasks, is terrifying for many", according to Goethe Romp, director of the Institute for Recruitment and Employability.

Rigotti says that as a rule, those who start their careers today after graduating from university do not expect to stay in the first job until retirement. "Many of them don't want to, but they prefer to look for a new challenge after a certain period of time."

However, the larger the company, the longer the employees stay. Regotti states that vertical and horizontal changes sometimes become easier, including assigning a mission abroad, for example in a company's branch office.

"If you have options, and you feel comfortable and things are going well with your colleagues, you can already imagine staying longer," Romp says.

Is change evidence of intelligence?

Considering work as a second home also gives a sense of security, an important factor in these times, "but not at any cost". Many people have a clear idea of what makes an employer good. For example, work on tasks or projects based on one's skills and strengths, providing a good collective work climate and a manager who values what an employee does.

Employees need to see where they are going at the personal level and for the company. "The job should also have some kind of purpose," says Romp. if this is not the case, it is more likely to seek a change of post ".

According to Romp, the rule is: Despite the many changes in your resume can be a testament to how intelligent and flexible you are, appointees have doubts if the changes are too quick. two to 3 years in the job, 5 years would be great ".

Rigotti points out that according to the career area, employers' expectations vary: in science, for example, they are expected to work in more than one company, usually also abroad.

The question remains: Do you have to change jobs at some point, even if you are satisfied with your work? Goethe Romp says no. However, it is important to stay flexible, keep your option open and not settle in the comfortable area for you (comfort zone).