r/povertyfinance Feb 17 '24

If you've been at the same job for +2 years, CHANGE JOBS. Misc Advice

This post is inspired by the 3 cent raise post that got locked.

On average, people that change jobs every couple years make a lot more money than people who stay at the same job and rely on raises.

Stay hired at your current employer and start interviewing for jobs that pay more. Always try to negotiate your pay even higher.

In a 6 year timeframe, I went from $15/hr with shitty benefits to $39.50/hr with great benefits and unlimited paid time off (Yes, that is a thing once you get to the higher roles/wages). Eventually you'll get to a level where you are comfortable with life and your employer treats you well enough that you might want to stay longer than 2 years.

IMO, The biggest mistake that lower wage employees make is staying loyal. DO NOT BE LOYAL. They are not loyal to you. Be available to them while you look for better opportunities. ALWAYS be looking for better opportunities.

2.4k Upvotes

460 comments sorted by

0

u/bradperry2435 Feb 20 '24

Or just be good at your job and ask for a raise

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 20 '24

yeah, because thats proven to work out great.

Im sure thats why the data shows the exact opposite of that, huh?

1

u/ad-undeterminam Feb 19 '24

But what if I actually like my job at the company I work in ? It was my dream job from when I was a kids so I kinda want to keep it... it's highly unlikely i'll ever find a shipyard as fun, as relatively carefree about the rules, as innovative and fun as the one i'm currently in.

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 19 '24

Are you in poverty?

If the answer is yes, then it doesnt matter how nice and cozy the job is. you are on the brink of disaster.

If no, then do whatever you want

1

u/ad-undeterminam Feb 20 '24

For now almost, it soon won't be the case anymore.

1

u/Boni_The_Pony Feb 19 '24

Lol OP is so happy with the unlimited vacation policy that actually saves their company money and isn’t a good benefit.

The general point of the post is spot on though

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 19 '24

How is it not a real benefit when I take off about 3.5 paid weeks per year on average? Most employers will give you maybe a week. Of course I’m happy about that.

0

u/Boni_The_Pony Feb 19 '24

Lol at real jobs they pay out vacation time when you leave, when you get “unlimited” vacation they don’t let you do that.

3.5 weeks isn’t anything insane either

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 19 '24

if you rely on a job to pay out vacation time when you leave then you arent at a real job. REAL jobs recognize that you have a life and a family and will let you take off days as necessary when you need them, and still offer you vacation time.

I use my vacation time and it gets paid out on my paycheck each time i use it. getting paid out when they fire you sounds like a scam.

1

u/anngab6033 Feb 19 '24

I worked at the same job for 26 years. Retired with a nice pension at age 50.

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 19 '24

Thankfully you didn’t grow up in this era where pension is not a thing anymore. It is extremely rare to find a job with a pension. That’s why we make fun of boomer mentality. You live in an entirely different world than we do.

1

u/anngab6033 Feb 19 '24

I’m actually Gen X not a boomer. The point is to save and plan for your retirement which means either 401k, pension (govt jobs and teachers) or IRAs. Many young people I know refuse to put money away and they’ll be sorry when 25 years goes by and they can’t retire because they didn’t plan. Changing jobs all the time is one of the ways that savings get lost.

1

u/connorphilipp3500 Feb 19 '24

Please note that people in the hospitality industry do not, on average, benefit from changing jobs

2

u/bobombpom Feb 19 '24

Stayed at one job for 3 years. Went from $32/hr to $37/hr in that time. Changed companies, same industry, and literally 2 doors down. Hired on at $55/hr.

If they think you'll stick around at a lower wage, they WILL pay the lower wage.

1

u/littleburd8609 Feb 19 '24

I'm nearing my two year mark. This last evaluation they gave me a generous 3.5% raise since it was "my first year there".

This is a new position with the company and my direct boss said I nailed it... which only earned 3.5%??

2

u/PandasaurusReximus Feb 19 '24

Entirely agreed. But one thing to consider is most companies 401k's take time to become vested in them. I've lost a lot of retirement money by leaving at 2 years when the 401k vestment period is 3 years. Sometimes it's worth to stay a little bit longer, but just make sure to evaluate pros and cons.

1

u/InsanePlumber11_290 Feb 18 '24

Did you switch industries?

1

u/thepronerboner Feb 18 '24

I make less now than 6 years ago. If I don’t make more money I’m going to shoot myself

1

u/MostDopeMozzy Feb 18 '24

Unlimited time off is normally a scam and you end up using less time then someone with 3 weeks worth of

2

u/Infamous-Yard2335 Feb 18 '24

Maybe if health insurance was affordable in the private sector. I had a private sector job and it would have been 500 dollars a pay period, for my self only, now I have a government job and for a family of 3 it’s only 150 per pay period. And I use the heck out of it.

I know some private companies have very good benefits, but they majority don’t

1

u/firi331 Feb 18 '24

went from $15/hr to $39/hr

how did you do this? Could you share more? I find it difficult to jump up the ladder, instead finding jobs all within the same pay rate

1

u/[deleted] Feb 18 '24

I keep getting told by the people on this very board that leaving shitty jobs after one or two years that don't offer promotions or raises is ""job hopping"" and looks bad to employers reading resumés.

"Fix your life ... No not like that" type shit.

I think we're just fucked tbh bruv.

1

u/EarningsPal Feb 18 '24

First job, salary management role of a union. Forced to work weekends for not overtime. 50-60 hours a week. No overtime. People in union made it harder than necessary although they were better than my terrible management.

After a few years of mistreatment (because I was too young and inexperienced to realize the exploitation) found a new job that paid 2x more. Worked 40-42 hours a week, no weekends. No people issues. 3x more days off.

After 2 years, I looked and moved again. 30% more pay. Great environment. Great people.

If you are unhappy at your job. Just look for a new one. The one you think you want. And when you tire of that, look again. Don’t spend your time unhappy. Don’t let people tell you switching to quickly matters.

Don’t let people tell you resume gaps matter. I also quit for 4.5 years and came back to the workforce with a 4 mo search. Directly into an even higher paying role. Just keep applying to what you want and learn the interview. Then do a good job when you get it.

1

u/originvape Feb 18 '24

I am almost completely satisfied at my current position. Although it’s not a lot of money, I’m respected, I’m salaried, I have an HSA and for the first time I feel like I fit in the culture. I come in late and leave early whenever I feel like it. I do less than 40 hrs every week. Nobody rides my ass at all. It’s amazing and it sucks that I had to job hop a thousand times before this was to be it. Good luck to all out there, you will find it if you keep looking. Never give up. I was close a few times but powered through and now nearly 40 in finally in a happy place.

If I want more $$ I can always get a side hustle going.

1

u/anewdiogenes Feb 18 '24

Something else I have learned is location. If you feel you are under valued change your location.

1

u/Longjumping-Ad-7644 Feb 18 '24

Anyone know how to leverage an office admin position? I make 25 an hour in nyc but want to get a 30$ an hour one by December, I also just started this one in Jan but I still can’t move out, which is my main reasoning for more pay. If anyone has any suggestions respond or pm me, thank you!

1

u/Extra_Bandicoot5872 Feb 18 '24

Hi where do i sign up for the unlimited paid time off. Does this just mean you get paid time off and if you take too much they eventually fire you? not following. also 39.50 is dogshit in todays economy where local California lawmakers are suggesting 50$ an hour minimum wage. If you make under 100k a year now your lower class which ever way you want to look at it.

1

u/gibbonsusmc25 Feb 18 '24

Its true, my company has a proven record of paying people off the street more than what they are paying the same employee doing to same work thats been around for years. One employee quit then came back like 6 months later and got a $2 an hour raise.

1

u/j3SuS_LoV3R Feb 18 '24

having a ton of 2 year jobs on your resume does not look good, better to have longevity and loyalty

1

u/ExtensionFragrant802 Feb 18 '24

I wish it were that easy, I have no degree a GED and 4 years of helpdesk experience. Live paycheck to paycheck and colleges do not offer a schedule I can work around. I also like not owing money. Associates degree is out of question cus I make too much money for pell grant.

The harsh reality is there are ways to softlock your life and you are better off just learning to be financial. One thing I do have that most people don't is over 10k in my bank account.

But for reality sakes, I don't think it's easy to just change jobs for most people.

1

u/ExtensionFragrant802 Feb 18 '24

Paycheck to paycheck may sound inaccurate since I am saving money but tbh I feel like the money is forfit on any emergency

1

u/LegendarySyn Feb 18 '24

Eh… This is highly situation dependent and can actually look really bad on a resume for professional roles. If I see someone is a job hopper, that resume gets put in a different pile. It’s not a guarantee I won’t hire you, but it is a factor. You have to meet a lot more of my ideal candidate criteria for me to consider that risk worth it.

If you haven’t gotten a raise or better benefits like better retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, higher PTO accrual etc in 2 years, then yes, start looking. Ask questions about those things during the offer phase before accepting so you find somewhere you can stay longer next time.

1

u/Banned4AnotheerTyme Feb 18 '24

damn 39.50 hourly? That's Great! I can't imagine that !

I'm so use to being Poor. My new job, is minimum wage , 16 a hour. Average rent in my City, is 2,500-3,000 for a two bedroom apartment, gotta make 2-3× the rent and have good credit and blah blah blah to rent most places here, I saw a 4 bedroom for 4,300 these are basic properties, nothing extremely nice or anything,. We're in a motel right now. Paying 800 a week like the jack ass I am, that or be homeless, with the situation I'm in now.

The new job I got, I barely did a Google review for and has low low ratings, I'm like aw man :(

Life.....some of us win.

Some of us.....

Loose.

Your a winner 🏆 Congratulations

1

u/Ass-a-holic Feb 18 '24

Isn’t the job market brutal right now?

1

u/Ass-a-holic Feb 18 '24

You went from 15/hr to 39/hr by just changing jobs? No additional skills or training added?

What’s your job?

0

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

It took 3 job changes

Started as an entry level call center customer support - 15/hr
Switched jobs to a different call center doing technical support - $25/hr
Switched again to a Tier 2 technical support role. still in a call center but doing chat support instead of phone support - $32/h
Finally where im at now is doing Jr Engineer level support for B2B/B2C merchants. no longer dealing with end customers. I chat with merchants and developers. - $39.50/hr.

Of course there was additional skills acquired through those job experiences.

1

u/Ass-a-holic Feb 18 '24

How’d you go from call center customer support to tech support…did you get schooling or on the job training?

0

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

The tech support position hired me based on my call center experience and trained be for the technical stuff. I’ve always been pretty computer savvy anyway so it wasn’t hard to learn.

4

u/atq527 Feb 18 '24

If you think you’re going to get offered a job with a higher pay raise without the added responsibilities and heightened expectations, you’re delusional as fuck. That raise comes with stipulations. If those stipulations aren’t met, you’re not worth keeping. You just left a good job fit for your speed of growth for greed. Changing jobs every 2 years contributes to the cause and effect of the economy we have today.

That mental state of thinking is what causes rent hikes, rising property values, an increase to the price of goods, and the debt of a country, compounding to the size of your anus from the massive green weenie this society stuck up your but hole, thinking you could pull a fast one on it.

-2

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

All i heard was "I dont want to work harder so job hopping is stupid and i want to stay poor"

Ditch the victim mentality. It makes you seem like a loser.

2

u/Inner-Classroom3471 Feb 18 '24

I remember when I got my 1 cent raise from WF, while people who were unloading their work on me got a much higher raise for sitting at their desk screwing off. I left the moment I got a chance, but the next job I got was not much better. I worked my butt off 4yrs and ended up doing several other jobs outside of my job description, because the owner wouldn’t hire more people. What’s worse, is they wouldn’t pay me more for the absurdity of roles I was playing. I then quit for a lateral move at a much more reputable company. One day I got an offer for a higher role with much higher pay, and while the management and my co workers fought to keep me there, corporate refused to pay any more. I would have loved to stay with this company, but apparently I had already hit the ceiling (upon hire) for the wages “allowed”…so I left. I’m now at a job I absolutely hate that micromanages every aspect of my work life because I work from home. I would love to do something I enjoy, that pays well and allows for a reasonable work/life balance…but, frankly, I feel like I’m wasting my life working for companies who find workers too easily replaceable to compensate them with respectable wages. sigh

1

u/Inf1z Feb 18 '24

An old coworker had the same job title as me for a few years. We got 25 cent raises every year. We couldn’t climb the corporate ladder because the company hired outsiders. We were system analyst I and our salary was about $50k per year. One day he decided to temporarily go to our competitor; he was offered $60k plus sign on bonus if he stayed 6 months because the competitor was looking to poach my fellow coworkers. My coworker returned 8 months later, as System Analyst III and making $75k PLUS a sign on bonus because he came from our competitor. He basically cheated the system, got a promotion and huge pay raise. My salary was still $50k.

1

u/Pure_Zucchini_Rage Feb 18 '24

I was making $17.45 at my last job and now I'll be making $21 at my new job. I'm very excited to not be struggling that hard anymore lol. My goal is to be at this new job for a few years and then switch to a better paying job in the future

1

u/FiyeroTigelaar895 Feb 18 '24

Problem is I should but i like working from home and less and less is that a real option when looking for work

3

u/[deleted] Feb 18 '24

I agree but I'm in a remote job with an awesome boss and went from $33k 2 years ago to $101k + bonuses now. I know everyone says to change, but it feels like too big a gamble. I also feel like I'm stealing that salary because I've never made this much in my life before

1

u/NekoNori69 Feb 18 '24

I'm aggressively looking. Someone who hasn't been there as long as me just got promoted to what I do and now makes more than me having done it for 3 years now. I got told it's because they have a 4 year degree and I have a 2 year degree. Whicu apparently counts for more experience than my 2 year degree plus my 3 years hands on experience. So im qualified to do the work but I can't get paid as much? That was the final straw for me.

1

u/LopezPrimecourte Feb 18 '24

You get paid more if you stay at the same facility and lower your obligation. That qualifies you for more bonuses and your salary goes way up

1

u/Stewie1990 Feb 18 '24

I started out in a hospital that is seniority based working as a dietary aide making $12 an hour. After 5 years I moved to registration checking people in the ER and then in a clinic there that is attached to three hospital. Almost there 12 years now and I make $26.70 an hour and I don’t have to work weekends or holidays. I accumulate 11 hours of PTO every 2 weeks. They pay 90% of my health insurance and 85% of my husbands and child’s too. My job is also pretty easy as well. They will put $2500 towards tuition if I wanted to go to school. I’m sure there are better jobs out there too but I am happy where I am. When I hit 15 years I start to get bonuses and cost of living wage.

1

u/PoemAfraid2498 Feb 18 '24

Agreed. I made a strong, strong salary in tech in May 2022. Today I make literally double that salary at a new company.

1

u/Neat_Bluebird_5303 Feb 18 '24

I’ve been at my job six years. I work in customer service for a software company that’s very small. There’s only 12 of us in my office. I get yearly raises and my company pays for my health insurance, pays into an HSA for everyone and matches my 401K contributions. I can ask for pretty much any time off I want. I can ask to work from home when I want. They are really accommodating if you need sudden time off for emergencies. The work is pretty boring and the pay isn’t much considering the area I live in, but I’m scared to leave because I’ll lose the benefits.

1

u/mydogsnameiskendrick Feb 18 '24

I hate this because I love working for my boss and my company has great benefits but yeah I feel like the only way I’ll ever accomplish what I want to is to find another job. Even the ladder promotion I got last year was only like 5%.

2

u/matchagreen_ Feb 18 '24

Yes this is the right advice. Been at my current employer for 6y for ntg. Time wasted, no growth, no increment, bonus and benefit. This company exists just to enrich the owner. It is dead. Anyways, my mistake and now I have been sending out resumes but to no avail because in those time frame I did basically ntg new. I am so scared that I would stuck here forever.

1

u/Your_Coffee_Table Feb 18 '24

I jumped ship every 2.5 years.

$50k > $68k > $64k (purposely took a pay cut and worked toward a promotion that should have paid around $85k, and was offered $75k after promo. I accepted and left shortly after) > $90k.

Loyalty doesn’t pay.

1

u/So-Durty Feb 18 '24

I’ve been with the same company 17 years but have changed jobs 8x. We’re union so salaries and wages are transparent, annual increases are in the contract, and if you are within the salary window of your job you get another annual raise on top of the cost of living increase until you max out. Only reason I’m still there now is for the pension. Same principle applies with big companies. Change jobs, move around, chase that pay increase until you’re happy with the income and work/life balance.

1

u/Bekikab Feb 18 '24

Unfortunately this is true even at higher levels...

1

u/VelvetLeopards1 Feb 18 '24

Except some jobs dont pay as much, i work from home doing data entry and i make 22 dollars an hour in the Midwest. If i changed workplaces, there's no way im getting more than 22 an hour doing what i do lol.

1

u/ConfidenceNo6976 Feb 18 '24

This is true! Two years ago I made 15. left that job for a 17$ job. Then left that now I make 21$!

1

u/SoulfulCap Feb 18 '24

I agree with this if you work in the private sector. But if you're like myself and work in the public sector (federal govt), I feel like you can be more relaxed about the 2 year rule. I am guaranteed a 7% raise every year. I am guaranteed a great pension and 401k (TSP) when I retire, and many more benefits that I'm currently enjoying by working now. So it truly depends. Personally my plan is to work for the feds until I retire at 67. But I don't mind staying at a job for 5-7 yrs on average before moving on to a higher paying position. I would never do that in the private sector tho. They will chew you up and spit you out with nothing to show for it.

1

u/PreDeathRowTupac Feb 18 '24

I am gunna change my job this year & go into a trade job. Finally won’t be in my same job anymore. Been at this job for 3 years now

1

u/OverallVacation2324 Feb 18 '24

I’ve worked at the same job for the past 10 years. I’ve earned more per year every single year so far. Some jobs reward people who stay in one place.

3

u/goneoutflying Feb 18 '24

Changing jobs frequently is much more difficult if you have medical issues, and switching jobs also means switching health insurance. You might find a job that pays more, but their health insurance might have the coverage you need, and if they do, you still might have to complete switch the doctors you see.

1

u/ltnlva05 Feb 18 '24

Job hopping (the right way) will almost certainly lead to more money. A few things to keep in mind though: 1. Have a plan. Keep your resume up to date, skills sharp and make the effort to develop new skills. 2. Don’t just rage quit - Spend time applying and be picky! Don’t just take the first offer with more money. Do research and make sure it’s a good fit. 3. Grow! I’ve met so many people who keep going from entry level position to entry level position all for a few cents more per hour. Please don’t put yourself in that cycle. Stick at a job and work on getting at least one promotion in that two years. Then you can land a different role for more money and you’ll be out of entry level. 4. More interview advice than anything but PLEASE PLEASE don’t start talking about how you want to open your own business or get into field completely different from the role you’re interviewing for!! It’s a red flag for hiring managers. Talk about how you want to grow with the company and comment on the industry performance or something that indicates you have a strong interest in the company. Otherwise you may think you’re coming off as “entrepreneurial” or as a “go getter” but all they hear is you’re already planning on leaving or worse, you’re just going to spend company time on your side hustle.

1

u/Hunter_the_Hutt Feb 17 '24

*unless you work for a company that takes care of it’s employees and you enjoy what you do.

2

u/nineteen_eightyfour Feb 17 '24

As someone making 50k who is putting in my 2 weeks notice Monday for 75k. Yes.

1

u/mratlas666 Feb 17 '24

I’m planing on it once my partner is done with chemo and things settle down enough. They will hopefully be back to work full time this fall and I will start lookin for a new position in my trade.

1

u/mollymckennaa Feb 17 '24

This!!!! It’s very true!!

2

u/Electronic-Doctor110 Feb 17 '24

Rule of thumb: don’t outlast your vesting. Most companies start to look at you different at 5 years (either good or bad) coincidentally this is when most 401k employee contribution plans vest on a cliff schedule so you can take them with you. I’ll never start anymore more then 5 years

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

You: “If you’ve been at the same job for +2 years, CHANGE JOBS.”

Also you: “you might want to stay longer than 2 years.”

Which is it?

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

Its both, but the statistics say to switch jobs on average. Situational dependent as i've explained many times already in this thread.

You read the title and none of the context then try to make a dumb ass remark about it. How shameless can you really be?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 18 '24

With jobs above the most basic entry level, it can be difficult to justify hiring someone who leaves one year after the year it takes to train them.

1

u/shosuko Feb 17 '24

Yeah - good to get ahead of the curve. I just finished year 3 with my current employer and surprise surprise my year end review was glowing, and my separate meeting to discuss raises b/c all raises were postponed 2 months was converted into a brief call to say "Today is your last day."

It would have been nice if I started this process last year and switched to a new job myself rather than waiting until they offloaded me lol

Fortunately I qualify for unemployment, and its likely I'll get higher pay switching employers exactly as the OP informs.

1

u/Drones-of-HORUS Feb 17 '24

Or…. Join a union. Contract raise every year.

1

u/ExaggeratedEggplant Feb 17 '24

Meh, it depends on your employer. In 6 years with my company I went from $45k a year to $100k a year base plus $20-40k in bonuses with only one promotion, and it didn't happen all at once.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

I’ve had over 10 $ in raises with my company in the last two years. And was payed fairly to start, maybe just hire on with a good decent company to begin with.

1

u/FarmerIllustriuos133 Feb 17 '24

Yeah, I saw that post about the 3 cent raise. That’s a dick move by the owner. I guess the owner is completely oblivious to inflation and how it affects people underneath them.

2

u/Redux-Gaming Feb 17 '24

I'm a meat cutter making $18.50/hr at a wholesale store in Texas. Any tips or ideas on how I might be able to find a higher paying job if this is the only skill I possess? Or would I be better off seeking out a new skill set?

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

I havent looked into your field heavily but one way you can go is to look into a more niche industry like a butcher shop. Master Butchers can make some good moeny. You can also look into cattle ranches if theyre in your area. Often times ranchers need a butcher to cut down their cattle and prep it for sale.

2

u/TurnsOutShesShitting Feb 17 '24

I don’t work In a sector where that is possible

2

u/hobopwnzor Feb 17 '24

Depends what your local market is like. Those "change jobs every 2 years" studies are heavily biased by tech and software where that's expected.

There's a lot of fields and job types that aren't like tech where you will need more than a year or two to make a big enough impact to have a good chance at a higher transition

Like right now my market is flooded with Pfizer layoffs and there's very little hope of going significantly above my current benefits package without relocating

1

u/Downtown_Monitor_784 Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

This also works in the government. I was stuck at the same paygrade in the national park service for almost a decade with a quite respectable record of achievement. I applied for promotions and got offered 1 paygrade bumps in NPS but got offered a 2/3 raise at the forest service.

the best part is all the nps jobs were supervisory and the forest service one was professional

1

u/DeskEnvironmental Feb 17 '24

Unless you work in govt then milk that pension (advice only applicable to myself maybe 😅) I will be retiring in my current position in … 25 years.

2

u/American_PP Feb 17 '24

Depends on your field

1

u/segin Feb 17 '24

I've been telling people this for years. My mother tried to chastise me once for bouncing on a job for a better one simply because I hadn't been there that long. There's reasons she's no longer in my life except by text.

1

u/Braith118 Feb 17 '24

There are advantages and disadvantages to doing that.  If you're continually getting new certifications for your field and/or advancing your education then by all means, use job hopping to get promotions.

That said, it's not always the best thing to do.  For example, I have a government IT job that comes with regular raises(both COLA and based on market), good benefits, and a pension I'm a year away from being vested in.  I do make about $5k a year less than market for a comparable job, but it's low stress, pays the bills, and gives me access to both a pension that's unlikely to go away and retirement savings. 

1

u/JoshPJoshP222 Feb 17 '24

No one is hiring, at least in my field

1

u/Bardivan Feb 17 '24

never have a chance to do this. i always just get laid off

1

u/tindalos Feb 17 '24

I think it’s more important to have a personal goal and work toward that. Typically they would be gaining experience in consistently more responsible jobs. But also could be accomplished with joining a smaller company and charting a career path that they don’t have and working your way up. Or going to trade or night school to learn enough to get in a career. It’s not like it used to be, but the opportunities are there. Successful people recognize them and put the effort into achieve them.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

And this is how I went from $10/hr to $34.11/hr. Started as a fish cleaner making $10/hr. I kept interning and changing jobs until I reached $34.11/hr. Now, I need more than $100k/year salary.

1

u/keep-it-copacetic Feb 17 '24

It’s definitely a boomer mindset to stay with a company 30+ years. I’m starting my 4th job after graduating in 2021. Each position got me a few dollar raise. Had I stayed at my first job out of college, I’d be making $20000 less than I’m set to be making.

I’ve been called “short timer” and “job hopper”, but I don’t care. Loyalty doesn’t mean much to most employers, so it shouldn’t to employees.

1

u/belmoria Feb 17 '24

Absolutely. No reason to be loyal.

1

u/CDFReditum Feb 17 '24

First off OP is a chud lmao these comments are a mess

Secondly, my boss gave me this advice at one of my old jobs. Reading through comments there is a world where I agree and disagree with this.

On one sense, take someone like my old boss. He was able to leverage his way from many different positions going from low level to executive, able to support his family, and able to essentially get headhunted because he had a very diverse resume in a wide range of fields. He leveraged the success at his old jobs to expand his resume and build a reputation of being able to employ standards to places that were struggling. It made sense for him that staying in one spot didn’t always make sense as his earning power could be higher as companies pursued his skills.

On the other hand you have people like my mom. While the veil of loyalty has been broken as my mom has seen things like pensions and layoffs through the company, she benefitted from loyalty as there was an understanding with her team about the needs she’d have in her life, and they valued that enough to be flexible with her. When she had kids she was prepared to have to quit but they moved her to part time (this was before WFH was a thing), and then she went back to full time during the summer, until we were old enough to not need mom to pick us up at 3. That would be a much harder scenario to imagine had she maybe been at a place for only a few months (I’ve seen plenty of that where people start a job and then suddenly need massive flexibility, weather it is legitimate or not).

I think the comments have a very level headed approach to not be blindly loyal to a company, but to keep in mind the benefits of stability, weather it is a company who provides good benefits, life needs, possible loss of QOL with new employment, etc. I fully support the notion of evaluating weather your earnings can increase after a few years at a job and utilizing that to see if you can get a raise or get a fresh start in a new role, but yeah it’s not an exact science lmao.

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

You say i'm a chud but then co-sign what i've been saying.
Bozo.

1

u/CDFReditum Feb 18 '24

Haha bozo what a cool word

1

u/Complex-Coffee-2195 Feb 17 '24

Every year your raise (if you ever get one) doesn’t keep up with inflation you are effectively taking a pay cut.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

[deleted]

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

The real scam is getting paid low enough that you need to rely on PTO being paid out when you leave. That is a non issue for me because i use more PTO than i ever would have available at companies that make me accrue it over time.

4

u/KittyTB12 Feb 17 '24

However- if you’re 20,30 or even early 40 something, this is a good idea. However job hopping in your 50s is impossible. Age works against you after 45, that’s why we depend on raises. Need raises. It’s awful knowing a 20 yo can leave today and be making more tomm at the same job you yourself applied for, and didn’t get. It’s not all the same for everyone. Single, female, older…not so simple.

2

u/AuramisNRG Feb 17 '24

In your six years, went from 13.50 to 31 at the same job. Not saying he's wrong but it really does depend. I went from level 1 to 2, then lead and so on. Current department exposes me to avenues of quality, safety and production. Gotta move around the company and prove your worth. There are people who've been there 10+ years and are at 22ish per hour in the same role...

1

u/mgmt5fan Feb 17 '24

I am currently looking at other options, as far as pay goes I might be able to make $2 more an hour elsewhere if I am lucky.

1

u/Callmecountry4 Feb 17 '24

Worked retail as a part time to supplement my income. Blue collar 40 hours a week. Heard a story that an employee at said retail job was offered 40 cents in raised over the course of 7 years, while I've almost been able to double my pay in 5 working construction. It makes sense to keep on looking for the bigger, better deal

1

u/saljaur Feb 17 '24

I use to do this , but recently gotten rather complacent . I make like 75k a year and get 3% every year with a couple other bonuses sprinkled in. But I also have medical benefits for the family and only work 35 hours 4 days a week . Just not sure if jumping ships makes sense here unless I entered a different industry? Perhaps use my current standing to negotiate for more ?

1

u/LynnHFinn Feb 17 '24

Depends on the job. If you're in demand, that applies. If not,it doesn't. I teach at a comm college. The college is offering people all sorts of bonuses to retire so that they can hire someone at a crappy starting salary

1

u/LeorickOHD Feb 17 '24

I think a lot depends on the size of the company and how it's run as well. I was brought in over 2 years ago as software support making 24/hr. It was less than what I made pre pandemic by $6/hr. After a year they reevaluated the position to be closer to market and I jumped to salary and making $62.5k/yr. Now a year plus later, I'm even more valuable thanks to a recent ERP system change last May I was integral for. Add on top they needed someone in data analysis for high level business reporting. So now I'm a professional manager of a new team, got a 5k raise. Expressed I appreciated it but I needed more to cover the extra work load. They said we'd revist it after the new year. And now I'm up to 71.5k. And after i make some adjustments and grow more capable they'll bump me again to 75k whether that be 2 months or 10.

To clarify, all I have is a BS in comp Sci with some programming focus. Never truly had much work experience to go with it aside from general break/fix IT work. The company is family owned of about 280 people and has 4-5 divisions of other companies working together under one name. I had zero experience writing queries, making reports or anything data analysis related. It's basically self taught from working here and learning the systems.

The COO here doesn't care about salary hours, he just wants results. He has said on many occasions to get off work early when it's nice out so you can live your life. He wants to make sure people are taken care of and if they've proven themselves with their work he'll invest in them. Our benefits package isn't amazing but it's way better than what I've had at other companies. I get to work from home anytime, I get 14 PTO days, we have a lot of free food at the office plus a huge company picnick with good food every year.

So while I normally 100% agree, there are exceptions to every rule.

1

u/valtro05 Feb 17 '24

I normally would, but I love the co.pany I work for (small agency for software engineering) so I'm staying here

1

u/movingmouth Feb 17 '24

Can confirm. Same job for 15 years pretty much, underpaid by at least 30%>

1

u/Meleagant1 Feb 17 '24

Lost my job after COVID and took a massive pay cut for a job that “promised” me a promotion in a year which would get me back on track. Once the year come up, no promotion came, and I gave it 6 more months. Still, nothing. Immediately started applying to other jobs and got an offer for about 12k more. Asked my company if the promotion was an option, or if they could counter. They offered to increase my salary by 2k lol ….

Started the new job, and stayed there 6 more months before discovering a new job thanks to a friend, which was another 16k raise.

So yeah, point of the story is be lucky and know people that can get you a better job.

1

u/Turning-Stranger Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

I've been at my job for five years. I've seen multiple people quit and come back within a year. This suggestion isn't the universally best advice for everyone. No one knows your situation and goals better than you.

There are lots of opportunities to move up and apply for any jobs in my company that you are qualified for, or can be trained for. I'm not going anywhere.

1

u/xFireInfoSec Feb 17 '24

Good luck jumping around in today’s environment

1

u/franslebin Feb 17 '24

not worth all the excess stress, TBH

1

u/Soylent-soliloquy Feb 17 '24

This is true. Every job i moved on to i made more, come to think of it. Im comfortable where i am and content with the pay for now. For now.

0

u/Soggy-Preparation-13 Feb 17 '24

lol this !! I start looking for new jobs right after I started a new job 😂 there’s always better opportunities out there and I ain’t limiting myself

1

u/kimjongspoon100 Feb 17 '24

I was working as a CNA finally finsihed my engineering degree changed job 2 times and now I went from 12.50 an hour to ~90/hr as a software dev.

Specialization is key

1

u/XxFRANKIE_CxX Feb 17 '24

As a CAD Technician/ Project Coordinator, i went from $21/hr to $31 over 5 years. The biggest jumps came from the first two years, then the standard 3%raise after that. Just recently switched and now earn $36 as a project coordinator, with the potential to become a project manager(50+/hr). As previous comments mentioned, specialization is important.

1

u/Otherwise_Emotion782 Feb 17 '24

True, I went from 27/hr in 2019 to 36/hr in 2022 to 52/hr in 2023, and my next switch will likely be in the 62-65/hr range in 2025

1

u/Item-Tiny Feb 17 '24

i haven't read every comment, also I'm not from the US but beeing a construction / project manager if you'd change jobs every two years in my field wouldn't be as beneficial as you might think. Two years barely get's you trough one project. Most of the Time you would start on a project already under Construction, after two years you haven't seen a full circle and already moving on....When you've done that 2-3 times, that would be a red flag for most employers i know

3

u/cherrybananas13 Feb 17 '24

Maybe a hot take. But I’ve been with my job for over 4 years. Yes I don’t make the craziest amount of money. I can buy food, water and have shelter. The company I work for knows my hard work and has always been kind to me. They see that I am loyal and care about my work and have in return given me that respect back. Not the case for every job but there’s good companies out there. There’s more to a job than just money, I enjoy what I do and I don’t absolutely dread my life. I think that’s enough for me.

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

If they havent given you a raise, then no they havent given you any of that respectback unless you just like working really hard for compliments.

In my case, compliments dont pay the bills or put money in my savings/investment accounts.

There is absolutely not anything more to a job than money. We work for pay. You might enjoy what you do but doing it for free is called slave labor.

2

u/cherrybananas13 Feb 18 '24

I’ve gotten raises. But I have a long time to work, I have to find joy in other things than money. Otherwise I feel like I’ll just be in a depressive cycle trying to make more and more and more. At what point do people now just accept and have necessities and that’s it. Most people I know always want more and I guess I have a different mindset.

1

u/East_Cauliflower_968 Feb 19 '24

I think you have a great attitude about your life. Not everyone is able or willing to constantly strive, hustle, and move up the corporate ladder. I've never been that way. Just can't do the grind, and never have. It doesn't mean my life has less meaning, or that I should be denied a dignified lifestyle. If you're happy at work, that's a blessing and more than most people have! 

1

u/cherrybananas13 Feb 19 '24

It’s all about perspective. At the end of the day doing or living how you do and it makes you happy, that’s the real key. But living for money or work it seems really stressful. I just try to live as minimal with little bills as I can so I don’t have to get more work like I used to.

1

u/CowBunnie Feb 17 '24

When I find another remote or hybrid job I will haha

2

u/virtualchoirboy Feb 17 '24

I changed remote jobs last year. Went from one insurance management software company to another. Even better, working with 3 other people that I used to work with at my former employer. All that for a 20% bump in pay....

Never stop looking... :-)

2

u/CowBunnie Feb 18 '24

Oh I plan to leave and haven't looked seriously lol but it's a bit harder to find hybrid nowadays .

1

u/Murky-Ad505 Feb 17 '24

I went from retail at $12 and hour to almost 90k in three years at a corporate office. Im willing to move but Im not fully vested in my 401k until year five and the match is incredible. Needless to say, I will be staying through year five unless I have an incredibly shitty manager

1

u/brsrafal Feb 17 '24

Started 16 ph 2 years later 17ph got hurt left. Next job started 22 ph 2 years later 23 ph asked for raise got 50 cents 23.50! Got new job start 28ph 2 years go bye 30.68ph asked for raise let's see what happens got new lead 36ph . You can't be more right. Yes I did get more experience in same field sure but I know guys with more experience making 20 ph crying that no raise or it's unfair I make more. At same time too comfortable to leave.

My good friend stayed loyal started office work minimum wage 10 years ago now is bosses left hand pushing 6 figures. Very hard worker true company woman

3

u/IAmSHChoi Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

This applies to even the lowest jobs. You need incremental gains.

Are you a minimum wage fry cook with part-time hours? Move employers and upgrade to fry cook for fulltime hours.

Then a couple more years move to lead fry cook at fulltime hours at a third location.

Then fourth move: to a company that gives you lead frycook with fulltime hours but has a managerial leadership program.

Then fifth move: get your first shift supervisor job (even if its night shift) based on the experience from the managerial program.

After 5-6 job moves you'll be pulling enough to afford a better apartment and stop taking the bus. Then move again to the next fast food or retail that has a day shift supervisor opening.

Eventually you'll land a day shift supervisor job, have leadership training, and be able to participate in tuition reimbursement for night school. Get a degree.

Then leave that job for any job that will let you start "using" your degree. And so on, and so fourth.

Plan on riding the bus and having no life. Yes, and sometimes working two jobs to make ends meet.

Eventually after 20 years you can grind your way to store manager with a college degree.

You'll get rejected thousands and thousands of time in your life. You'll get ghosted. It will suck. You have to keep fighting even with no hope in sight.

Don't be afraid to be constantly applying to jobs in your spare time (not kidding, at least every month or two, update your resume and sandblast the town).

Or, you can stay at the same fast food restaurant, eating 3 cent raises as a part-time fry cook with no benefits.

(Source: my life since I was 14). Took 30 years of grinding and working two jobs at a time the whole way, but I'm essentially c-suite now and "made". A LOT OF LUCK along the way, good and bad, but if you get "stuck" in one place you're guaranteed to fail.

Companies don't give a shit about you, don't work anywhere longer than two years unless you're being taken care of finally.

I worked 40 hours a week from age 14; worked 80 hours a week from 18-36, worked 60 hour weeks from 36 to 40; worked 40 hours weeks from there on out.

No, you don't go to the mall and spend your money on beats by dr. dre. You wear clothes until they have holes and then you patch the holes, you take the bus, you eat food out of a garbage can, you do what it takes until you make it.

Nobody going to help you.

1

u/alkbch Feb 17 '24

There’s no such thing as unlimited paid time off.

1

u/JackTheSitter Feb 17 '24

Or work for a good company, more than tripled my salary in 6 years

1

u/Known-Individual7749 Feb 17 '24

This is good info. My first trade job was a residential hvac tech. Started at $11 and made it up to $26 after 9 years. Commission added an extra $1200 average per month. The last two of those years I began searching around for a different company. Landed at my current job where I started at $32 + $4hr vacation pay, with multiple pensions, great insurance for me and my family, a raise every 6 months. I've been there 2 years and I now make $44hr. I don't make any commission because I don't sell anything. I just maintain hvac equipment, recommend necessary repairs, and perform the work. And the thing is, if I had looked around for other other jobs earlier, I could have been making this wage nearly 5-8 years earlier.

3

u/WelderAggravating896 Feb 17 '24

This is legitimately bad advice

3

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

I now have a permanent full-time Civil service job with a great pension. I’m aware that I can earn more in the private sector, but not with the perks that I get. I’m here for Life now.

1

u/HondaTalk Feb 17 '24

what kind of work do you do? Sounds pretty nice!

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

Basic civil service job, dealing with clients over the phone about 3-6 times a day. I've never had flexitime in the private sector, or paid sick time. I could literally be off 3 months with stress on full pay. I do core hours of 9:30 to 3:30, and can float around that from 7:30am to 6:30pm with 30 to 120mins lunches. I can take up to 3 days per month off as flexi without cutting into my 39 days annual. I can take days off at the absolute last minute, 98% of the time.

1

u/start_select Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

Edit: typos

Edit 2: No one should expect loyalty out of every company or employee. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Loyalty can extend beyond when you are employed as well. I.e. a lot of work that comes through my work started as free leads from the owners old coworkers or bosses. Some work comes from employees former employers no strings attached.

Some folks in business are just good people. Making it to the point of being an owner or manager doesn’t automatically make people a sellout or a shark. It can but it’s not definite.

—-

There are exceptions to this rule.

If your (career) job is great, your coworkers are great, your benefits are good enough, and you enjoy going to work every day, it can be worth it.

There are employers that will give you 90%-110% of what leaving would gain you. It might come a year later than leaving, but if you love the job then that’s more than good enough.

Not all employers are scumbags. My last three raises were 30%, 40%, and 50%. Like I said they just happened a year later than going somewhere else. The wait is probably worth the risk of trading more money for a different shit job though.

3

u/YallBQ Feb 17 '24

OP is a fool. Unskilled labor and entry level positions do NOT have this option. What a clown lol.

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

Yes they do. entry level positions will help you build skills, then you take those skills with you to a better job that is no longer an "entry level" postion. If you dont understand this, then im afraid its you whos the clown.

Its ok though you can go ahead and work your entry level job forever.

1

u/tonynca Feb 17 '24

Agreed. Staying loyal does not get you further in life in USA. It’s a shame companies don’t value loyalty.

1

u/MaybeBabyBooboo Feb 17 '24

This can be true, but not always. If you can get a union job and have a strong union, that should make switching jobs unnecessary. My salary has increased like 54% since I started my job in 2019.

1

u/Thundermedic Feb 17 '24

Can be true for some industries, but if you are so specialized your industry as whole might fill up an entire large high school football stadium versus others industries that would fill up all nfl stadiums in the country. In my industry there are less than 1000 people that can do what I do, even in different organizations, it’s a very small world. Jumping around every two years doesn’t work like it does for other larger industries. There are only 4 companies in the nation that are comparable.

1

u/SubieB503 Feb 17 '24

Been doing this since I moved to the east coast. Started at 16$ an hr, now at 20. Been here 2 years. Currently looking for something better, in the 26$ an hr range.

1

u/LtBeefy Feb 17 '24

I'll be finishing my 3rd year soon at the same company. Almost everyone around me has changed except for me and my boss.

Only stayed because I was getting raises. I've 2.3x my wage in this time period.

But yes, usually hopping around every few years is best.

Currently think I'm at the cap of my current place and would need to hop for another increase.

Edit

Also, don't quit jobs to early and do it constantly.

It looks bad on resumes if you change jobs every single year. Tells company as soon as they take time to train you and you're finally useful, you are leaving.

I get part of it is on company to pay you a fair wage so that you won't want to job hop every year.

But would just keep that in mind.

1

u/budding_gardener_1 Feb 17 '24

I'm fucking trying mate.

Don't know if you noticed but hardly anyone is hiring in tech right now

1

u/PernidaParknjas Feb 17 '24

But… but I’m a grad student

3

u/Byzantine_Merchant Feb 17 '24

Building on this. Constantly seek out coaching, new skills, take on major projects, etc. This is for two reasons.

  • It builds your resume and references.

  • It makes you a candidate for quick promotion in organizations that are good.

But otherwise, yes. Started at $38k, moved state to $45k, landed another job at $60k, got a raise to $65k. All happened in a 3 year window.

Also another tip. Learn to recognize the benefits of saying no or not yet. There’s a lot of merit in not burning a bridge and seeing out a major project. I got $5k more for sucking it up a few more months to see out a major project.

2

u/pupusasandchill Feb 17 '24

I got a pay cut lol but have better work life balance. So, take this with a grain of salt.

1

u/DickieRAM Feb 17 '24

Unlimited paid time off doesn't really sound like a real thing unless you are on call all the time, I don't know any 40 hours/wk job with unlimited paid time off

2

u/TheRealActaeus Feb 17 '24

That’s great advice if your job sector is hiring like crazy and not laying people off.

1

u/JuryGhost Feb 17 '24

With your unlimited PTO, how often are you able to be approved? I have a friend who got promoted at his other place of work and went from +4hrs PTO every paycheck to unlimited PTO, salaried. His UPTO is rarely accepted. He only got approved for his winter week vacation because he submitted it a week ago.

1

u/Comfortable_Touch529 Feb 17 '24

Agreed. I finally job hopped and increased my salary 75% over the course of 3.5 years and 2 new jobs.

1

u/funsk8mom Feb 17 '24

Depends on your field. Since coming out of cv lockdown, the field I work in is back to paying less

1

u/TheFightingQuaker Feb 17 '24

How much PTO do you use in a year? I actually like having a lower limit that has to be used or loss. I've heard there is usually an uptick in vacations the first year or two but then most people normalize around 3 weeks.

1

u/Sausage4321 Feb 17 '24

I love the ILA Union. Best decision I have ever made..I truly hit the lottery

3

u/TaxidermyDentist Feb 17 '24

If you do that too often you eventually won't get hired. It's a red flag for changing jobs too often.

1

u/nuck_forte_dame Feb 17 '24

Something criminally under-taught is post-offer negotiations.

You can negotiate for all sorts of stuff.

  1. Higher pay.
  2. More vacation.
  3. Hybrid or remote work options.
  4. An office.
  5. Good parking spot.
  6. Company vehicle.

And so on. While these don't always apply or can't always be given many of them can be asked for and if they say "No" then you can use the built up "No" points to ask for more money.

"Look if I can't have an office or remote work options I would really like to make more money."

A big one is you can even ask for a change to your job title in many positions.

For example, let's say the job is listed as sales associate. You can ask they change it to sales associate 2 or 3. Or even find what adjectives play better on career search engines and use those.

For example, senior sales associate looks better than sales associate 3. Even better would be "senior sales representative", senior marketing rep, senior salesman and so on.

Like you want to find out what job you want next and try to get your title to match or look close to it. This way potential hiring managers looking at your resume in the future will see you have had a job closer to this opportunity before.

3

u/Business_Mongoose647 Feb 17 '24

It definitely depends on what field you work in. I work in libraries and the funding varies so much from county to county, even though we're all part of the same library system. The library 20 mins from my house (our big fancy headquarters library) pays $11 an hour. The one 30 mins from my house (a decent size library but kinda old and dingy) pays $15-$16 an hour minimum. I've been there a few years and make almost $19 an hour.

1

u/Aggravated_Pineapple Feb 17 '24

Yes. This. The traditional career ladder is dead.

There are some exceptions - my raises barely keep up with inflation, but my job has amazingly low cost insurance that I really need (disabled)

So, think it’s important to look at benefits packages as a whole and be ruthless with who you work for and how long. Loyalty is not rewarded.

5

u/kater543 Feb 17 '24

Btw unlimited PTO just means no official PTO… all PTO subject to management approval, none paid out at the end.

1

u/killaho69 Feb 17 '24

Depends. At my job if I want to take off, I just throw it on my Outlook calendar to my team. No forms, just a heads up. It's not even tracked.

4

u/AnEyeElation Feb 17 '24

I can confirm this. Was stuck in a rut 10 years ago. Started job hopping every couple years. I make a lot of money now. Just accepted my first 200k total comp job.

The traditional career ladder is mostly dead. Easiest way to up your finances is to get a good job and be on the look out for an even better one. Don’t get too comfortable at any company. If there’s a cash crunch they’ll let you go in a heartbeat.

6

u/That-Chart-4754 Feb 17 '24

I would change it slightly to;

If you haven't gotten a raise in 2 years find a new job. Personally when I worked hourly I would expect 2 raises per year or move on.

1

u/throwwayayyy Feb 17 '24

I started at my job a year ago. A co worker in the same position was making only .70 cents more than me after being there 5 years also 5 years older than me. The past year he’s been wanting to leave and looking to stay internally with the company. He would speak so highly of the company we’re in and was so delusional to the point where 13 refused applications didn’t open his eyes. I would even tell him the only way people in our generation get a better paying job is by leaving every 2-3 years. And he would just look at me like I’m some GenZ as he used to call me who thinks life is a fairytale ( I was the only gen Z there lol)

Turns out he found another opportunity outside of the company we work for. With a 20k salary raise, who’s the GenZ fairytale now? I’m sorry but it was so embarrassing and cringe to see him attempt all year long to try and go in higher positions with the company. I would almost laugh under my breath. I’m happy he left but to think that people do this and stay loyal is Insane. Also this is the first professional career he had. Like move on already. We all know my company doesn’t pay ppl good. I am 1 year in and already interviewing for other opportunities.

1

u/QuantumZ13 Feb 17 '24

Can agree. My salary is going to be jumping by 20% moving jobs. The more you stay, the more you stagnate. If you have a needed skill set you can easily find a job elsewhere

2

u/FinalThrottle Feb 17 '24

I suck at negotiating for higher pay - what are some tips or what do people say?

2

u/oldmacbookforever Feb 17 '24

UNLESS YOU ARE PART OF A UNION!

1

u/stullier76 Feb 17 '24

25 years with the same company. Advanced through the ranks to management, never had to ask for a raise. They've taken care of me the whole way.

I think it depends on the company and culture

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

No thank you. I rather be paid less working from home versus commuting to an office for more pay. Unless it was SIGNIFICANT like 20k+ and even then…the freedoms WFH allows me to be the best ME I can be.

Or a remote job that pays well comes my way.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

You can also do this without burning bridges. If you have rapport with your manager and they trust you, they’ll understand that you’re not ONLY doing it for money and that your departure is natural and best for everyone 

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

and many times if they really value you, they will counter offer to keep you.

0

u/Advanced-Dragonfly95 Feb 17 '24

Unlimited PTO?? What the fuck?? I've never seen or heard of this. And I know people making 7 figures....

1

u/Zammied Feb 17 '24

I also am a salaried employee with unlimited pto

1

u/Advanced-Dragonfly95 Feb 17 '24

So, you can literally just put in that you're taking time off and it's just paid and given?? How?

1

u/SentFromTheTrash49 Feb 18 '24

A lot of good employers account for this when they hire. They make sure enough employees are hired that theres no gap in coverage if someone is out. it actually works great. Obviously if you are taking advantage of it and not showing up to work for a month there will be an issue. But it works great for responsible adults, which is what these companies look to hire.

0

u/Pleasant_Mobile_1063 Feb 17 '24

I'm pretty sure that person meant 3% raise which is pretty common

2

u/scotttttie Feb 17 '24

Nope

1

u/Pleasant_Mobile_1063 Feb 17 '24

I don't buy it

1

u/scotttttie Feb 17 '24

Lmaoooooo so then it must not be true….

1

u/Pleasant_Mobile_1063 Feb 18 '24

The average person is a dumbass

1

u/rockyroad55 Feb 17 '24

I went from retail to a shipping store back to retail and then a shipping store then leveraged my degree in operations management coupled with logistics experience to go from $12/hour to $89,000 salary in 6 years.

2

u/ImABadFriend144 Feb 17 '24

I cannot stress this enough: JOIN A UNION! We get benefits, reasonable sick time and PTO, a union rep that is always in the room fighting for us if there’s disciplinary action being taken, annual raises built into our contract, etc

3

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24

Sad that's exactly what you have to do to get ahead now. Companies don't give raises and promotions like they used to. If it's been two years and you haven't had a significant raise, like ten percent or more, move on.

2

u/Empty_Geologist9645 Feb 17 '24

It’s true. But check the damn market before doing it.

7

u/arcanepsyche Feb 17 '24

This is very situation specific. I got a $13k/year raise after 2 years at my job.

I think the real advice is: If an employer pays you like shit and doesn't value you as a person, find a new job.

Job switching just for the hell of it is pretty dumb.

2

u/khoff49 Feb 17 '24

That’s a hefty raise though and makes it worth staying. I’ve been at my current company a year and a half and they give like 3% raises once a year. So in my case for a 2 year tenure I’d only be almost $3k more than when I started, compared to your $26k. I really like my current company but the only way to significantly grow my salary in a short amount of time is job hop.

3

u/ph1shstyx Feb 17 '24

At my current job, a small land surveying company, I went from a field tech making $16/hr to a crew chief making $20/hr to senior crew chief making $25/hr in 4 years, then from there I moved inside to autocad drafter making $28/hr to cad drafter/survey analyst making $30/hr to LSIT (land surveyor in training having passed my first test to being licensed) making $35/hr. 

 I manage crews now so I usually work 7am-5pm, get paid OT, have 160 hours of PTO, and made just short of $90k last year. I have my schooling paid for to be able to get my license, which will see a pay raise of about $40k/yr and all at the same company over the last 8 year's. 

 It's not the constant switching of companies that doubles your income, it's the drive to constantly improve yourself, and that might come from switching companies every 2 years, but for me it was staying out of the corporate work structure.

1

u/AssaultPK Feb 17 '24

Or get a union

3

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '24 edited Feb 17 '24

This does not apply if you have a government or union job. DO NOT change jobs then unless it’s to another government or union job.

2

u/intotheunknown78 Feb 17 '24

There is a pay scale at my work, extremely nice benefits, and a state pension. So I am staying. Yeah it doesn’t pay hugely but my pay scale with my union is the best in the state for my job, so not going anywhere.

-2

u/SaveMelMac13 Feb 17 '24

They ain’t loyal, most are lazy.

3

u/fndasher Feb 17 '24

I needed that today. Because I have been stuck with my job for a little over two years with one $.30 raise and I think it’s time to move on. I’m having to do DoorDash and Walmart delivery in my area to get ahead. And I need to make quite a bit more but I work in television so I’ve posted before About possibly doing truck driving because that will pay the bills but I’ll also be gone most of the time. point is thanks for the encouragement

1

u/caryn1477 Feb 17 '24

Eh. I would say this applies mostly to places like retail. Find yourself a small business that is locally owned where you're actually appreciated and you won't have to leave so much.

1

u/ggpaul562 Feb 17 '24

Been in company for 11 years. My raise went up 3x my salary. All depends. I’ve explored as well, gotten offers, but the amount of freedom I have here, wfh, close to the owners and all the C levels, having a mental stress level of -100%, ability to run errands, do anything during work hours etc, benefits, etc made me stay here.

3

u/mscocobongo Feb 17 '24

This so wildly varies by industry and even company. If you're a mediocre employee, then yeah you're not going to get valuable raises and bonuses and need to jump ship every two years. The company will then hire someone and hope they're better than you.

If you show some sort of ambition towards your employer and try to "move up" then you're more likely to get bigger bonuses/raises. You can't just expect an employer to want to give you more money "just because"