I was talking to a recruiter, and she tells me that if i stay in a job for too long i am "a dead wood". Loyalty doesn't count. I am really confused with the job market here

Your dilemma is quite common and leads to several points that may help you reaffirm your priorities around career planning.

In a more buoyant job market, we tend to see new entrants or less experienced employees using roles as stepping stones to elevate their career and salary.

Not to sound inflammatory on this, sometimes it can be the only way to progress at a reasonable speed as we all have bills to pay. It does, however, lead to several areas of consideration.

Firstly, loyalty is rewarded and everyone must spend a certain time on a new role in which they demonstrate their ability, aptitude, attitude and general fit into that organisation.

It is important for you now to really assess what you want out of your career. Write down your short, medium and long-term career aspirations, including the types of environment, culture and people you want to work with and be realistic with timeframes.

It seems your previous boss is offering an olive branch for you to return under a better salary. Obviously, you must be well thought of there and have maintained a good relationship. You must really give this some serious thought.

As part of this process, talk to others and think about your role models in both organisations. Hopefully, this should lead you to achieve what you want. Be careful, though. Too much job-hopping shows a lack of focus and may not reflect well on your career at a later date.

So think this over before you take further steps.