In words of The Clash, every year brings the same quiet question for engineers: Should I stay or should I go? But in 2026, that question feels heavier than usual.

The market hasn’t collapsed, but it’s not carefree either. Skills shortages persist, yet businesses are cautious. Some roles look attractive on paper, while others feel safe but stagnant. And the cost of a wrong move feels higher than it did a few years ago.

This isn’t a year for impulsive decisions. It’s a year for clear thinking.

So rather than asking “Is this role better?”, a more useful question is:

“What problem am I trying to solve by moving?”

Why most engineers move and regret it later

Very few engineers leave purely because of money. They leave because something eroded over time:

• the work stopped stretching them
• firefighting replaced proper engineering
• ownership disappeared
• leadership got thinner as pressure increased

The danger is that frustration narrows perspective, and when that happens, any role that promises relief can look like progress. But a move that solves the symptom, not the cause, often leads to the same dissatisfaction reappearing six to twelve months later.

That’s why 2026 demands a more deliberate framework.

Step 1: understand what’s actually missing

Before looking outward, it’s worth being brutally honest inward.

Are you lacking:

• technical challenge?
• decision-making authority?
• progression clarity?
• leadership support?
• stability and focus?
• or are you simply exhausted?

Burnout often masquerades as a “bad role”. Sometimes the right decision is rest, boundaries, or change within your current environment, not a wholesale move.

If you can’t clearly articulate what’s missing, it’s almost impossible to assess whether a new role will genuinely be better.

Step 2: separate risk from discomfort

Not all discomfort is bad. Stretch, ambiguity, and responsibility are often signs of growth. But chronic stress, firefighting, and constant context-switching are signs of structural problems.

A useful test is this: Is the difficulty helping me build capability or slowly draining it?

If your role is making you more capable over time, discomfort may be temporary. If it’s narrowing your skills, confidence, or energy, that’s a different signal entirely.

Step 3: assess the trajectory, not the snapshot

Many engineers assess roles as static snapshots:

• current tech stack
• current team
• current product

But careers are shaped by direction, not still images.

Ask:

• Is the role expanding or shrinking in scope?
• Are decisions moving closer to engineers or further away?
• Is leadership investing in capability or just coping with pressure?

A role that isn’t perfect today but has a clear upward trajectory often outperforms a “great on day one” role with no headroom.

Step 4: evaluate the risk of staying

Staying put has risks too; they’re just quieter. Over time, staying in the wrong role can lead to:

• skill stagnation
• reduced confidence in the market
• over-specialisation in outdated systems
• dependency on a single environment

If you’d struggle to explain what you’ve grown in the last 18–24 months, that’s a signal worth paying attention to. The goal isn’t constant movement, it’s continued development.

Step 5: pressure-test any move properly

In 2026, good roles don’t need to oversell themselves.

Be wary of:

• vague progression promises
• “fast-paced” cultures without clarity
• roles created to absorb chaos rather than solve it
• leadership that can’t articulate trade-offs

Strong roles usually sound calm, specific, and honest, even about their challenges. If the answers feel polished but empty, trust that instinct.

So… should you move?

There’s no universal answer.

But a sound decision usually sits at the intersection of three things:

• you’re clear on what you need
• the role meaningfully improves that
• the long-term trajectory is stronger than where you are now

If one of those is missing, hesitation is often wisdom, not fear.

Final thought

2026 isn’t a year for reactive career moves. It’s a year for intentional ones.

The best decisions won’t be driven by noise, urgency, or comparison, but by clarity about what kind of specialist you’re becoming, and what environment will support that best.

Sometimes that means moving. Sometimes it means staying and reshaping what you already have.

Both can be the right call.

And if you are struggling to assess on your own, give us a call – our team has helped countless specialists to resolve exactly that question.