How Career Risks for IT Specialists Become Advantages

The average tenure for a programmer in a single company is about two years—half the duration of other intellectual professions. Recent waves of layoffs in the IT sector have only highlighted this trend, though instability was evident long before. However, career development expert Brian Jenny believes this trait can be leveraged to one’s advantage.

Jenny himself underwent a radical career shift: at 30, he left a stable college job with union benefits and pension guarantees to become a junior developer. Despite skepticism from others, this move proved justified. His first IT role provided experience, though the salary remained low. Transitioning to a startup just two years later doubled his income and accelerated his professional growth.

The expert identifies two types of career risks. The first involves job-related risks. Frequent job changes may yield short-term benefits, but long-term advantages come from working with top specialists. Even if such experiences end in layoffs, the acquired skills remain valuable. The second type of risk involves investing in emerging technologies. For example, learning RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) two years ago gave Jenny an edge when the technology gained traction.

Paradoxically, risky steps—switching jobs or learning new tools—ensure stability in the long run. Those who avoid change risk falling behind with outdated skills and becoming uncompetitive in the job market. The key is to embrace discomfort and commit to lifelong learning.