Are you in line for the next big promotion at your company? If not, you are probably convincing yourself that you are happy right where you are. Here are several final pushes to get you out of the daily grind, never mind the potential pay raise!
1) You deserve an ideal situation. Hypothetical questions are how we get to know ourselves and each other outside of our current situation. So it is time to ask yourself some: If you could survive/pay rent, would you do your current job for free? The answer is probably not. Here’s a non-hypothetical: do you accept mediocrity an any other aspect of your life? If yes, it’s time to stop that cycle. If no, then you already know you need to make some changes.
2) You’ve outgrown it. Research has shown that the average worker masters his or her specific job over the course of three years. After that, the pace of industry-focused learning and skill mastery decreases drastically. This means that changing jobs after that three-year point resets and recharges the process, giving you the opportunity to grow and learn at a rapid pace for another three years in a new position. Changing to a new position forces you to learn new skills and make you more well-rounded and able to clearly make future career decisions. [source: National Executive Resources Inc.]
3) You need to be challenged. I’m sure you know many people that have “cushy” jobs that sound great to you at times. They seem to enjoy slow-paced, easy work and going home feeling well-rested… bored and unaccomplished. If you are one of these people, then I doubt you would be reading this article unless you were trying to improve yourself. You owe it to your long-term career goals to stay challenged, otherwise you will develop bad work habits that will just make it harder to be hired when you finally decide to upgrade your life.
4) Your ideas/skills aren’t being valued. If management doesn’t acknowledge that you have more to offer than what you’ve been contributing for a significant amount of time, it’s time to contribute to a different company. When you produce a great idea during a meeting or even to coworkers, it shouldn’t take long in a well-run company for you to get feedback for that idea from higher management. You will eventually stop having ideas if they never are fostered or even recognized.
5) Your duties have increased but the title/salary hasn’t. Even if there is a good reason for your hard work to increase, like downsizing, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a promotion for doubling down. Unless you think all the new duties will bring on a raise and title if you continue to thrive, it is time to take the new skills and work ethic you have to a title that call for it.
Make the change, you deserve it.
