[dirtybirdnj]

Not non-useful at all if you are willing to answer follow-up questions:

1. How long have you been continually employed for?

2. If more than one job, have you ever moved between jobs?

3. Have you changed jobs due to forces that were outside of your control? (i.e. you chose to move on out of practicality or necessity)

4. If your job moves were unrelated to #3 please expand on why

[darrenkopp]

haha no problem

1. 18 years total, 3 jobs (9 years, 4 years, 5 years).

2. I did choose to relocate for my 3rd job. I was specifically looking for companies in new locations where I wanted to live. I will specify that my job's locations were as follows: in office (10 mile commute, suburb only), fully remote, in office (16 mile commute, suburb and city driving)

3. no

4. n/a

For more context, I should say that I'm no longer at job #3 because I quit to start a new company, but that company did end up doing layoffs, but not for a few months after I left and had I stayed I wouldn't have been affected. Every time I've gotten a new job it's because I've decided I wanted to pursue something else.

[dirtybirdnj]

Your replies make a lot of sense, and it's an interesting contrast with some of the other negative experiences in the comments.

Can you think of anything in particular that you did that helped you get ahead of any of these "out of your control" type disruptions that seem to derail and upend other peoples careers? I don't want to talk about dumb luck... maybe it's soft skills?

Or maybe it was it just dumb luck? Being in good places at the right time consistently in your career? I want to believe there's more than that but also sometimes life is unexplainable and that's also a valid but unfulfilling answer to these kinds of broadly too-vague questions.

I am trying to move past the knee-jerk resentment I feel for folks that have been successful. I want to understand what they have done differently from myself so I can try to better align myself with people and society.

Really appreciate the comments, thanks