People

Fact-checked

Is It Worth Staying at the Same Company for Your Entire Career?

Last Modified Date: February 19, 2024

Today’s job market has been challenging for employers, to say the least. According to Business Insider, many companies report that up 90 percent of candidates who are offered interviews don’t even keep their appointments. And many candidates who accept jobs don’t show up for their first day of work, a practice called “ghosting,” or quit after just a few weeks.

On the other side of the coin, there's Walter Orthmann. The 100-year-old has been recognized with a Guinness World Record for having the longest tenure at the same company. The centenarian has worked for Brazilian textile company Industrias Renaux S.A. for 84 years and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon.

100-year-old Walter Orthmann has set a Guinness World Record by working at the same company for 84 years.

Orthmann, who turned 100 on April 22, 2022, started as a shipping assistant in 1938 when he was 15 years old. His proficiency in German helped him to land the job. Now the company's sales manager, Orthmann still drives to work every day and also makes sure to get plenty of exercise.

Now that's employee loyalty:

"Back in 1938, kids were expected to work to help support the family,” Orthmann explained. “As the oldest son of five, my mother took me to find a job at the age of 14.” The family clearly needed his financial help – Orthmann also recalls walking to school barefoot.
Orthmann explained his philosophy on living and working to The Independent: “I don’t do much planning, nor care much about tomorrow. All I care about is that tomorrow will be another day in which I will wake up, get up, exercise and go to work. You need to get busy with the present, not the past or the future. Here and now is what counts. So, let’s go to work!”
Dubbed the "Great Resignation," millions of workers voluntarily left their jobs last year in near-record proportions. Workers in retail, leisure and hospitality, and food services led the way during the mass exit.

If you're feeling lost in your career, maybe it's time to take a career test. Who knows? You might just find the perfect job that you'll stick with for the next 84 years. And if you need some help finding the right test, check out JobTest.org. But be warned, the results might not lead to a century-long career like Walter Orthmann's, but at least you'll know what you're good at and what to avoid. So don't be a ghoster or a quitter, take the test and find your calling. Who knows, you might just make it to 100 years old in your dream job.