Why I interviewed even when I was happy

Things can change… very fast and you should always keep your options open. I was working at a company I really liked. I had great managers and a supportive team, I enjoyed the work I was doing and felt like I grew so much as an engineer in a short amount of time. I saw myself growing there and staying long term. It was good… until it wasn’t. One thing I look back on now is the fact that even when I was happy where I was, I would always do interviews. Not necessarily because I was intending on leaving but because I was using them to identify areas that I needed to grow in and how I was positioned in the market. I didn’t think I would be needing those interviews any time soon. I was happy and had been put forward for promotion earlier than expected and thought that would be my path to becoming a senior engineer. When I was told I wouldn’t be promoted as I hadn’t been at the company long enough, it was a shame but I could wait. I then received some not-so-great feedback a few months later