When to Remain in a Job for Career Advancement

Everyone says job hopping is the only way to advance your career. I stayed at Amazon for 18 years. Best decision I ever made. People love to criticize big tech loyalty. They call it settling or playing it safe. I call it strategic. Amazon's stock went up 100x during my time there. I worked on Kindle, Prime Video, payments, and dozens of other products. I learned e-commerce, search, ads, and video streaming, at a truly global scale. Internal transfers beat external hires every time. Internal promotions carry more weight than external levels. I never worried about job security through recessions or pandemics. This wasn't about company loyalty. This was a mutually beneficial relationship that kept delivering value for both sides. Common career advice told me to leave every two years. I ignored it and built something better. Sometimes the smartest move is staying put when you have something good. Come discuss unconventional career strategies https://lnkd.in/g5gbjKPp

For several years now, many companies have been experiencing a surge in promotion requests. Employees are heavily focused on the official promotion versus the opportunity or the growth. Maybe this is the “old HR lady” coming out in me, but not every role has a promotable opportunity within a company. For example, at most companies, there’s only one CEO. Probably only one CMO, CTO, or “C” executive… so there could be many people hoping for a seat to be empty so they can slide into it. However, to get a chance at this version of musical chairs, you have to continuously add value, impact the company’s customers and/or employees, and grow your skillset & adaptability in the process. Eventually, you’ll figure out how to grab the chair you’re looking for — but don’t assume it’s the promotion chair. In my opinion, it’s better to focus on how to grab the growth chair. It’s a lot easier to see the promotion path more clearly when companies are in growth/scaling mode or when it’s super well-defined at large companies/industries (Job A to Job B to Job C) or when it’s clear that you’re performing at someone else’s level and the seat is open. However, most of the time it’s not easy to see, the timing may not be correct, or maybe you’re not ready. What do you do? In that case, there are many paths to consider , and not all of them are easy or fun. You can go somewhere else where you can seize an opportunity for growth & maybe whatever comes with that promotion you seek (title, pay, expanded responsibilities). However, in many cases, you likely decide to stay. Still, you should then look for ways to develop and grow in terms of skills, teams, relationships, responsibilities, new verticals, new businesses, and new functions. This has to be a joint effort — you, your manager & the company — all have to work together to figure out these opportunities. It will involve some patience and persistence, but if you’re playing the long game of career growth, titles will ultimately be outweighed by achievements.

I’m in the recruiting business so it might surprise you to hear that I spend a good amount of time with candidates talking about why a job change might be a bad idea. Making a change for change’s sake is usually a bad idea. Think about what you might be walking away from and if the risk is worth the reward. If the traits below are seriously lacking in the current role, it might be time to consider a change. 1. Job Stability Change can be exhilarating, but it can also be unsettling. Staying with your current employer provides stability—a familiar routine, a predictable work environment, and a sense of belonging. When life outside the office is chaotic, having a stable job can be a comforting anchor. 2. Accumulated Experience Over time, you’ve become an expert. You know the ins and outs, the shortcuts, and the unwritten rules. This accumulated experience is invaluable and must be relearned when making a change. 3. Relationships Work isn’t just about tasks and deadlines; it’s about people. You’ve built relationships with colleagues and mentors. These connections are valuable. 4. Career Advancement Career growth doesn’t always involve changing employers. Staying loyal can lead to promotions, lateral moves, or expanded responsibilities. Your current organization should know your potential and be invested in your success.

I’ve interviewed dozens of candidates in the past few weeks (and 1,000+ over my lifetime). Here are 4 underrated ways to advance your career. 🎩 Wear the “hat” of the person above you You and your boss likely work in the same function. The biggest difference between your work and theirs is usually pretty straightforward:  They take the more zoomed-out view. One way to accelerate your career is to take on this broader view before it’s expected of you. Think strategically, not just about execution. The easiest way to earn a better title is to deserve it first.  Seize opportunities in your current role to tackle big-picture tasks. ∞ Find the venn diagram Understand what keeps your CMO, CFO, and CRO up at night. Where does your work overlap with the critical goals and pain points of the leaders at your company? A fast way to move upward in many organizations is to directly combat the narrow list of responsibilities that cause the greatest sense of stress for leadership. Take some of the pain out of their work. 📊 Source the data that matters Being data-driven is common advice today. But not all data is created equal. The best accomplished people don’t measure just any outcome. They surface the most meaningful data while ignoring common vanity metrics. An example from my world of events: A lot of event marketers track new leads as a metric for event success. This can be an empty data point. If everyone that stops by your booth is counted as a lead, then that tells you almost nothing about their buying potential. Instead, many of the most successful event marketers track scheduled meetings with leads and customers. They track harder data that leads more often to a sale. Connect your actions to the few measurable outcomes that matter. 📅 Expand your time horizon The common industry advice is to switch jobs every 1-2 years. I think this is backwards. In fact, most people I know who moved quickly into positions of influence did the opposite. Top performers found companies where they could make their work integral to the long-term success of a company—and then stayed with that company for 5 or more years. Spend more time vetting companies before you accept an offer. Don’t merely look at compensation or titles. Dig into the average career timelines of employees. A long average tenure usually means the company treats employees right. P.S. We’re still hiring for roles at Vendelux. Apply today! #Interview #OpenRole #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerAdvice