I would consider myself a pop-up employee. Looking back at my professional career, I've pretty much switched companies every year (4 companies in the past 5 yea

I would consider myself a pop-up employee. Looking back at my professional career, I've pretty much switched companies every year (4 companies in the past 5 years since graduation). This has been tremendous for my growth (financially, emotionally, and intellectually). The financial upside is obvious. In addition to stock options, RSU's, the sign-on bonus adds up nicely. The additional 20-50k to my (already pretty high) yearly salary helped me buy my first 2 homes faster than I had planned for. Giving myself a timeframe with a company helped me prioritize what is important. If I had a track record of not producing much during my time at a company, I would probably have a hard time finding a job again (and I don't want that). So I learned how to work with people collaboratively to get things done. For example, if I wanted to implement a new framework or system, I learned to work with my teammates to convince them to try it out with me. Then when I bring this up to my manager it is easy to switch because everybody is already doing it. (Sidenote: I learned to avoid taking the spotlight. I learned to encourage my teammate to bring up new solutions that we've been working on so they get the credit). By working with a few companies, I got to see (and compare) how different companies set up their technology stack. I thought about the stack I was accustomed to and tried to see why the company went with choices they went with. These different experiences helped me grow as an engineer. Also, I didn't have to put up with anyone's bullshit. I simply did what I believe was right (sometimes cautiously against what my managers say). My coworkers were my greatest ally (and litmus test). If I can't convince them to do whats right, then I was probably wrong. With a whole team convinced, it makes the manager's life easier. Now, 4 companies later, I live off my rental income, help my mom with gardening, and teach people how to code (and more importantly, how to think). Here are some concerns that you might have if you consider doing the same: 1. Do employers get worried that you switch jobs frequently? Depends. If you can show on your resume that you were able to produce great results, it won't matter. Here's a line I typically use: "I love my job, but I came across (your company) and I love the way you are (company's vision)." 2. Was it hard to quit a company? Yes. Having a goal to help my teammates get promoted and help them get visibility makes things easier. Friendship doesn't end with the job. You can still hangout with your manager and your coworkers! Tips: Don't apply for jobs, ask your friends to refer you. Don't have friends? Walk into a bar closest to your dream company and make one. This way, you can respond to "why do you want to leave your current job" with "I love my current job. But my friend told me that ... (insert great things about company) ..."