If it's anecdata we're looking for here, I'm about to be hired "whenever I'm ready" (i.e. whenever I get sick of being on vacation... probably another couple we

If it's anecdata we're looking for here, I'm about to be hired "whenever I'm ready" (i.e. whenever I get sick of being on vacation... probably another couple weeks) and get a $20K-$30K raise (still under negotiation), because of skills I accumulated at my last job that had nothing to do with my job description. And the contact I made who pushed for them to hire me (to in fact create a job posting based almost verbatim on my resume, so that they could hire me) is someone whom I went out of my way to help and impress at the last job. The goal isn't necessarily to get a raise or promotion within the same company. And it doesn't even necessarily require you to work more than 40 hours. The idea is to do the things you want to do, which is for you and makes you "better"; and to prove yourself awesome at learning and doing, which makes you the object of somebody's desire, somewhere. It doesn't matter if they're within the same company (promotion scenario, which you are correct is less likely) or elsewhere. Demanding that the world adjusts to suit me hasn't worked out as well, so it would be bad faith for me to promulgate that advice.