If you are an average 30 yr old engineer, let's say you want to retire reasonably by the time you are 60. A year wasted at a poor job or role is equivalent to you throwing away 3.3% of your career. The older you get, the steeper your loss is.

Denis Bolkovskis

Anthropic

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The post discusses common mistakes people make in their careers, the impact of complacency, the importance of choosing growth over loyalty, the value of optimizing learning early in one's career, and how to know when it's time for a change.

How to waste your career, one comfortable year at a time

One key missing point is about life priorities - As life priorities shift, our preferences often evolve to reflect these changes as well.
In the early stages of a career, one might prioritize job opportunities that offer learning and growth over high salaries, valuing experience to build a solid foundation. However, as family considerations or personal aspirations become more central, preferences may shift towards job stability, work-life balance, etc.
Later in life, the emphasis might move towards legacy-building, mentoring opportunities, or roles that offer a sense of fulfillment and contribution to society.

I disagree with the author’s notion “a year wasted” is throwing away part of your career. Particularly when it comes to comp.
Over time an engineer’s earning power increases and building a strong foundation and breadth of knowledge is important for that.
Also, financially it’s not always necessary to swing for the fences and try to target companies or technology that is the next big thing.
I do like the advice that “If you are ambitious about your career… you need to be deliberate (in your) objectives.” Always good practice.