there used to be company loyalty to their employees, and employee loyalty to their companies, but things have changed, as others have already talked about.

the most important things in a job (to me) are: friendly working environment, challenging work, learning new things, flexible hours, and internet access. haha.

my current job - which i've been at for over 5 years - gives me all these things. i have seriously thought about leaving more than once, mainly because i got bored, and felt i was underpaid. but, i've stuck around. the job has changed a lot over the years, and i've gone through different positions, and seen about 80% of the employee-base come and go.

but, i have a great boss, great coworkers, a flexible schedule (4 days a week, come in at 10am), i'm well respected, i'm always learning new things, and although at time the work can be monotonous, it can also be exciting sometimes. and of course, i still have unhindered internet access, haha.

so, basically what i'm saying is that the most important thing about a job is that it meets your requirements, and you're happy working there. if working there makes you unhappy, then i'd say it isn't worth it. figure out what your list of important things are, and compare them to your job. if you feel that you might be better off working somewhere else, then start looking. don't just quit. look around, go on an interview or two, and feel out some other jobs. see how other companies work, if you can. every single job is different. and hey, if you find that perfect match, then let your current employer know, and see what happens. ain't nothing wrong with checking out other options, and often your employer won't begin to think about how important you are to the company until you tell him you've got another offer.

anyway, sorry about the ramble... just wanted to write this all down - for future reference!