What is better? Stay in a financial controller job your whole career or take on roles in other parts of finance? Stay in a project manager job your whole career or take on other roles inside professional services? Are you more valuable to your organization with 15 years of experience in one job or that same time split between two or three roles?
I am a product of my experience, in the military being good at two or three jobs is more valuable, that is why in Special Forces we cross train. It also provides coverage if you’re a person short. The same is true in a commercial setting. Employees that are capable of doing more than one job are more valuable if someone is out sick or quits. The work can still get done.
Another benefit that multi-job experience brings is that you have a better perspective on your role and its place within the organization. And what you need to do to enable the people in your direct process lines and those that are indirectly affected.
If you love being in finance, stay there and be the best you can be. Expand your knowledge and experience for your benefit and that of your employer. The same with Professional Services or software engineering.
As my 50 plus years of work experience comes to a close, at least from a full-time perspective, I can look back and see my time post military in leadership positions in professional services, customer support, software development, sales, and business development have shaped my value to my organization. And more importantly to my customers in the US Government, Military, and Intelligence Community, and 5VEY partners.