One thing that other people seem not to mention is transfer opportunities. I hopped jobs pretty often. Usually between every 18 and 24 months. All of the hops w

One thing that other people seem not to mention is transfer opportunities. I hopped jobs pretty often. Usually between every 18 and 24 months. All of the hops were good career moves, or non-optional. Then I joined a FAANG about 10 years ago. Since then I've transferred 4 times. One of my posts was 4.5 years, the shortest was 9 months. When transferring (as opposed to hopping) you keep your pay, vacation and other benefits. If it's a bad fit, transferring again is probably pretty easy. And the interviews are much much easier than new-hire interviews. Potential teams can see your work, and they know you've passed the minimum bar, so unless you're changing job ladders there is no technical interview.