Knowing when to walk away

We have seen a few employees stay a little too long at their job. And that can be ok for someone who is comfortable with the status quo and/or is happy with his or her annual compensation. The real problems arise when someone wants annual raises year after year after year, but does not provide enough value to deserve them — or to grow their salary high above market.

The best way to grow is to learn more. You provide real value when you get out of the four walls of your current job, learn something different and bring it back in. Maybe you discover a new project management tool or a new way to capture a lead. Maybe you will learn some soft skills from being the president of your community association.

When you have nothing left to learn

There are times, however, when the only real way to make more money is to get a new job. (DISCLAIMER – of course this isn’t always true, like if you are a consultant always on a new and exciting job.) We do know though, that when employers are looking to hire new staff members with a certain experience level, they are willing to pay.

Consider this scenario: you’re working for Widget Co., and you’re running the production process. Your company has been making Product A for a while, and then went through an acquisition of Small Co Inc. Soon you’re moving to a new purchase requisition system. You’ve nailed down all these skills because you’ve been with the company for eight years. In fact, Widget Co. is all you know. You’re so busy at work you never have a chance to get out. The very last thing you want to do on the weekend is read industry magazines or attend events about products. Your value with Widget Co. is tapped out.

Enter Thingamajig, LLC, which is about to go through a cycle in their company and needs someone with your skillset and experience. You’re up for the challenge of being their new leader who is full of ideas.

The takeaway

What employers and employees should take away from this is that you need to grow to make the most money and discover your true value to your employer – and often, this has to be through a change in your employer. Bottle all that experience you have and take it somewhere else. There is no better time than today to see what’s out there.

WARNING – we will talk out of both sides of our mouth here. As an employee, you have the right to make a move if you’re seeking growth. But you also don’t want to become a job hopper — most people consider that a resume red flag. We want you to spend enough time at an organization to learn all there is to learn, and to build a strong story to tell about why you left that job and went to the next one.