We investigate how short-term mobility influences career advancement and which employees benefit the most from temporary placements outside their home organization. We propose that short-term mobility positively impacts careers by creating unique, sought-after skills, enhancing reputation and expanding networks. Based on a novel, longitudinal dataset of senior academic scientists, we compare career outcomes of mobile employees with a matched set of employees who do not take temporary outside assignments. Interviews supplement our quantitative analysis, shedding light on the mechanisms behind our findings that employees experience significant career advancement and salary increases through short-term mobility, especially those with longer work experience. Our findings have implications for employees considering short-term mobility as a means to enhance their career trajectories and for organizations seeking to understand the benefits of facilitating such opportunities.
