> This is very true. They value your ability to do a job. If you've been around a long time and aren't being valuable in your current job they often won't value

> This is very true. They value your ability to do a job. If you've been around a long time and aren't being valuable in your current job they often won't value you. But, if you are being useful in your current job they will value you. I think this point is correct - but I think a more important point is that companies forget how much value an employee that prevents fires creates. If you work in a position where you reduce risk to the company you'll need to work hard to constantly remind the company of how much risk you're helping them evade. > Hiring companies are looking for that number which will pull people away. Even from a job they like. What they initially offer is almost always lower than they are able to go. That's absolutely a core truth - nobody wants to pay more than they have to and salary negotiation is one of the only fields where (in western cultures) we actually haggle over prices. Employees almost never have significant experience advocating for themselves since haggling is a very rare activity.