You're misinterpreting me here, I never said work overtime or devote your life to the company. My point was that your work and skills are an investment in yourself (especially if you work in software), and you're sabotaging yourself if you take the cynical view that what you do doesn't matter because interviewing pays off more than a capricious promo process. The fact is that doing good work has long-term feedback loops that build your opportunities from both a skills and relationships perspective. Job hopping early in your career will definitely ramp up your salary faster, but over the long-term it pales in comparison to having a good reputation.