14 Jan Comfort is a Nice Place to Visit. It’s a Risky Place to Stay
In my line of work, recruiting civil engineering professionals across the US, I hear this phrase almost daily:
“I’m pretty comfortable where I am. I’m not really open to anything.”
And honestly? I get it.
Comfort usually means you’re paid fairly, you know your role, your projects aren’t blowing up, and you can do your job without breaking a sweat. There’s value in that. Stability matters.
But after nearly 30 years working with #civilengineers and spending my entire career on straight commission, I’ve learned something that may be uncomfortable to hear:
Comfort is rarely where growth lives.
I don’t get paid unless I perform. There’s no salary safety net. No guaranteed outcome. Just effort, discipline, and results. That steady, low-level discomfort isn’t accidental. It’s the thing that keeps me sharp. It forces me to evolve. It keeps me paying attention.
And I’ve seen the same pattern play out over and over again in engineering careers.
A little discomfort tends to do some very productive things:
• It sharpens your technical and leadership skills
• It forces you to stay relevant as the industry changes
• It keeps curiosity alive instead of routine
• It exposes you to opportunities you wouldn’t see otherwise
Here’s the part that surprises most people.
The majority of great career moves I’ve been part of were not made by unhappy engineers.
They were made by people who were doing fine.
Solid performers. Respected internally. Paid reasonably well. Not desperate to leave. But open enough to have a conversation and honest enough to admit they might be capable of more.
Comfort can quietly turn into complacency. Not because someone lacks ambition, but because there’s no immediate reason to question the status quo. Projects keep coming. Reviews are positive. Years pass faster than expected.
Then one day, someone realizes they’ve been standing still while the market, technology, and expectations moved forward without them.
I’m not suggesting everyone should jump ship or constantly chase the next shiny object. That’s not smart either.
What I am suggesting is this:
You don’t need to be miserable to explore what else might be out there.
You don’t need a burning platform to take a call, ask questions, or benchmark yourself against the broader market.
Staying open doesn’t mean you’re disloyal.
It means you’re intentional.
The engineers who tend to have the most satisfying careers are rarely reckless, but they are curious. They check in with themselves periodically. They ask whether they’re still learning, still growing, still challenged in meaningful ways.
Comfort feels safe. Growth often feels awkward at first.
The trick is knowing when comfort is serving you and when it’s quietly holding you back.
Food for thought.
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