Re: CHANGING JOBS - GOOD DECISION
Yes the salary generally goes up while switching jobs but if there are too many hops in a resume the next potential employer tends to get worried because in that case they will know that the employee is going to stick around for only x number of years. In IT industry, if x < 2 and if number of hops are higher then many employers will be concerned with the stability and retention of the candidate. However spending 4 yrs at a company before switching jobs seems to be a good compromise. But again, this is relevant to industries. The same may not be true for Academics or Research work.
Of course, most jobs value contribution more than longivity and that is a fair demand. I believe many companies would not even have the employee hang around for 5+ yrs if they don't seem him/her contributing. So there is no point in spending any time (be it 1 year or 6 years) in a company where you don't find yourself to be adding value to the company and don't see your career progressing anywhere. One should always guage onself on this basis otherwise a forced or voluntary exist is just a matter of time