How long should I stay at a job?

The 2-4 year UK norm. Two to four years is the typical UK professional tenure in 2026. Under 18 months, you'll get questions about stability ('what happened?'); over 5 years at the same level, you'll get questions about progression ('why didn't you move up?'). Both are answerable, but neither is the comfortable middle.

By industry. Tech and growth-stage SaaS: 2-3 years is typical, 18 months is acceptable, 4+ years requires explanation. Big professional services (law, banking, consulting): 3-5 years is typical, with associate→manager progression expected. NHS and public sector: 5-10 years is normal, less stigma on long tenure. Senior leadership: 4-7 years is typical, often longer because the role evolves.

When short tenure is fine. Two years or less is fine if it's the role progression — promoted internally, scope increased, role changed. Two years or less also fine if the move was structural (company sold, redundancy, role eliminated). The interview question is 'why did you leave?' — if you have a clean answer, the duration matters less.

When long tenure is fine. Five-plus years is fine if you've been promoted twice during the tenure (signals progression) or if the role itself has evolved materially (signals adaptation). Five-plus years in the same title and same scope flags stagnation in the interview, even if you've been performing well.

What progression looks like. The pattern that wins UK interviews in 2026: 2-3 promotions or scope changes within a 4-7 year period at one company, then a move to a new company at the next level up.