17 years of professional life.. Aaaand counting...

So yesterday, I completed 17 years of professional life. Seems like a lifetime ago when I stepped into the training college of my institution for my induction. I can vividly recall my first day when I was so anxious about joining the job. At that point in time, I never imagined that I would have continued in the same profession for so long.

Seventeen years is definitely a long time. Cut to the generation of today — these people have an attention span of 17 minutes (yes, sarcasm!) and I can assure you they will never stay in the same organization for more than 17 months.

During the course of my professional life, I’ve had the opportunity to be on several interview panels for recruitment, and all the résumés I looked at had a common factor: those applicants consistently jumped from one job to another. I noticed that, on average, people stick to a job for about 1.5 to 2 years.

As I was thinking about what a long time it’s been in this organization, I also thought about why I have continued to stay here. I joke to my closest friends that I’ll be retiring from this organization. But I’m serious — I will be retiring from this organization.

So what binds an employee to an organization for close to two decades?

Loyalty: I’m loyal as a person. This organization has given me a lot — a sense of identity, financial independence, and a vast number of opportunities to learn. I’m not here now only because I can’t find another job (although it does weigh on my mind heavily). I’m still here because I feel my job matters — what I do matters. And I’ll always be loyal to the organization that played a huge role in shaping who I am today.

Another factor that has kept me here is purpose. Over the years, I’ve realized that beyond the salary slips and the promotions, what truly matters is whether you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and feel a sense of contribution. My work hasn’t always been glamorous, but it has always been meaningful. There is a strange kind of satisfaction in knowing that, in some small way, what I do impacts people’s lives.

Then come relationships. Seventeen years in one place also means seventeen years of colleagues who became friends, mentors who became guides, and juniors who, over time, became teachers in their own right. Workplaces change, people move on, and yet, some bonds remain unshakable. I’m grateful for all my friends from work, many of whom I’m not in touch with anymore, but still feel closely bound to through memories.

Of course, it hasn’t always been sunshine and roses. There were moments when I was frustrated, disillusioned, and tempted to throw in the towel. But every time I reached that point, something — a new opportunity, a kind word, or even just the stubborn voice in my head — pulled me back. And looking back today, I’m grateful that it did.

Seventeen years later, I don’t measure my journey in promotions, increments, or designations. I measure it in experiences, in the stories I’ve collected, and in the person I’ve become because of them.

And if there’s one thing this milestone has taught me, it’s this: careers are not built in years, they’re built in moments. And I’ve been fortunate enough to have had plenty of them.

Just yesterday, I was having a chat with a friend who was venting. When this friend mentioned that the only reason they weren’t resigning was because quitting would feel like accepting defeat — and they didn’t want to accept defeat — that line was exactly the kind of motivation I needed to hear on my 17th work anniversary. To keep going, and never give up.

So if I were to leave a message for the younger professionals reading this, it would be this: don’t chase a job only for the money, the perks, or the titles. Those things are temporary, and they lose their shine faster than you think. What lasts is the sense of purpose you feel in your role, the people you surround yourself with, and the values you uphold even when nobody’s watching. (I think it’s precisely for this reason a colleague/friend called me Mother Theresa yesterday. Of course, they were being sarcastic — but I’ll take it as a compliment!)

So yes, changing jobs might give you newer experiences, but staying rooted in one place gives you something equally valuable — depth. Depth of knowledge, depth of relationships, depth of growth. And sometimes, it’s this depth that shapes you more profoundly than a string of quick switches ever could.

Seventeen years is a long time, but if I had to start again, I’d still choose this journey. Because at the end of the day, a career isn’t just about what you do for a living — it’s about who you become while doing it.

Here’s to the next chapter, the next milestone, and maybe even the next seventeen years. Cheers!