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I have been working at a large company for almost two years (first graduate job) and the work I do is interesting and I get on well with the team. However, I am aware that this team is very small and the type of work I am doing is fairly narrow. I also learned all of my coding skills during this time.

There is an opportunity to move teams. I think I would benefit in the long run from experiencing how a different team runs and learning/collaborating with new people. The team I am currently with says that I would be welcome to move back (which I am pretty sure I would want to do eventually), but politics and teams change and in the end there is no guarantee of that.

Is it ever sensible to move from a job you enjoy for experience/improve career prospects?

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    The answer to your question is yes, obviously, and you seem to know that. What are you really trying to ask?
    – user29390
    Jun 9, 2017 at 7:39
  • This question is very opinion based, it all depends on what you value most.
    – Black Magic
    Jun 9, 2017 at 9:15

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I think the answer depends entirely on the person. If you want to move up the career ladder or earn more money, moving teams and jobs is almost always the best option. But you run the risk that along the way you will trade pleasant working environments for toxic ones, so you need to be okay with that.

However, some people don't care about money or promotions and just want to be happy. All they're interested in is working with people they like on stuff they find rewarding. In that case it isn't sensible to move if you have already found that.

In short, it depends on you and what you want from life.

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  • You also need to consider that you might lose your current job due to circumstances outside of your control. You need to stay attractive on the work market. Sometimes that means moving on to new challenges.
    – user29390
    Jun 9, 2017 at 10:09
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Is it ever sensible to move from a job you enjoy for experience/improve career prospects?

Of course it is but only if you move to a job that is going to enhance you in some way.

My first proper job I loved. I was straight out of my apprenticeship and I did mostly IT networking/support. I then started to get interested in programming and started to learn this on the job. The job itself however wasn't focused in a way for me to build my skills further so I had to make a move. I'd been here six years and I was young so moving jobs was daunting.

That move was almost certainly the best move I made in the long term. Not only did I learn new skills in doing so I then found another job more suited to my skills. As an added bonus, on each move I also negotiated my salary. This in itself helps in the long term as you'll want more money to buy all those nice things, as well as affording all those expensive bills that will certainly come along at some point.

I'm now in a job that I again love, I'm comfortable in and can happily support my family. So not only did it benefit me, it benefited my family (long before I knew it would).

With all that said it certainly comes down to you as an individual. Think to yourself, what can I now get out of my job? if the answer is very little then it may be time to make that move.

Either way, good luck.

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