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I've always found that switching jobs is easier than getting a proper pay rise. I have found that to be the case as well. Using a combination of skillful salar

by byoung2 12y ago

I've always found that switching jobs is easier than getting a proper pay rise. I have found that to be the case as well. Using a combination of skillful salary negotiation, leveraging counteroffers (use sparingly), and hopping between companies, I have averaged 19.5% yearly salary increases for the past 10 years. Obviously this is not sustainable, since my current salary level limits the number of positions I can take without taking a pay cut. For those who are curious, it took 6 companies over those 10 years, with 1 career change from teacher/manager to programmer. During that time, the largest year to year jump was 38% (2nd was 37%), the longest time spent at a company was 3 years, the shortest was 3 months. I used the counteroffer trick twice, once quitting and once staying.

Florin_Andrei 12y ago
> shortest was 3 months What did you tell the next company during the interview when they asked you why you were looking to leave your current job?
- byoung2 12y ago
  I told them I realized pretty quickly after starting that it wasn't a good fit, but I stayed on long enough to finish my first project and for them to find a replacement. I got a 20% increase to work at this company and I would have taken a lateral move salary-wise to go to the next, but the new company ended up offering me 14% more than I asked for anyway.
rupert_murdaaa 12y ago
Yep, I'm in the same boat. I've left two jobs over the past 3 years and have gotten a +25% "raise" both times, as well as a jump in job titles. After seeing how difficult it is at any company with an HR department to approve raises or approve title changes, I'm not even going to bother in the future with trying to do that. Do a good job somewhere for 1-2 years, accept offer at new company, rinse, repeat.
- byoung2 12y ago
  Big companies seem to have it written in their DNA that 3-5% is a standard raise, and 10% is the theoretical maximum anyone could ever get. I've made it a mission to prove them wrong, even if it means switching companies every other year on average. The idea was to get all my raises upfront, instead of spread over 40 years.

by byoung2 12y ago

Florin_Andrei 12y ago

> shortest was 3 months What did you tell the next company during the interview when they asked you why you were looking to leave your current job?

byoung2 12y ago
I told them I realized pretty quickly after starting that it wasn't a good fit, but I stayed on long enough to finish my first project and for them to find a replacement. I got a 20% increase to work at this company and I would have taken a lateral move salary-wise to go to the next, but the new company ended up offering me 14% more than I asked for anyway.

rupert_murdaaa 12y ago

Yep, I'm in the same boat. I've left two jobs over the past 3 years and have gotten a +25% "raise" both times, as well as a jump in job titles. After seeing how difficult it is at any company with an HR department to approve raises or approve title changes, I'm not even going to bother in the future with trying to do that. Do a good job somewhere for 1-2 years, accept offer at new company, rinse, repeat.

byoung2 12y ago
Big companies seem to have it written in their DNA that 3-5% is a standard raise, and 10% is the theoretical maximum anyone could ever get. I've made it a mission to prove them wrong, even if it means switching companies every other year on average. The idea was to get all my raises upfront, instead of spread over 40 years.