I can see how that would very easily happen, but my experience is that it's easier to find a new job than get a raise. Eventually you'll get that senior position too.
this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2025
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Forbes magazine found a long time ago that the best way to get a raise in America is to find another job.
Also true in Germany
Also true in the UK, I could get an extra +£10k just by leaving for a senior position elsewhere.
But I don't want to for two reasons:
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I don't feel I have enough experience to actually be a senior in my job and want to stay where I am currently to learn some more before I leave.
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I really like my current company because they treat me very very well and are the complete opposite of my previous company who gave me workplace PTSD, anxiety, and made me suicidally depressed. On top of that my company commits to inflation matching yearly wage adjustments, so I'm not loosing money by staying here.
In Italy, for technical jobs, traditionally a new employer should offer your 10% more on your yearly gross. Conditions apply of course, such as being already above the average pay for your position and experience, or having already changed job recently, but it's way more than you usually would be able to bargain for a raise (idk why employers are allergic to pay raises, but replacing you when you leave with someone more expensive apparently is ok, despite the new hire requiring time to get up to speed).
Nowadays it works less for roles that aren't in high demand, and even then they try to low-ball you whenever possible, but it's still better than fighting for raises.
I've gotten anywhere from 20k to 40k increases when I switch companies. If I stay I'm only getting the "standard" 2~4%
Probably true everywhere in the world, but may vary across fields of occupation.
Literally just got a 300% raise from switching
That was a long time ago though. Since covid the market has changed and it’s probably not as good of an idea to be a job hopper as it was.
Depends on what job you're in. If it's highly technical and niche you'll have an easier time finding a better job. A competitor recently tried to poach me for a 50% raise but I turned them down since they didn't have hybrid work available. Sometimes it's better to stick with a job that offers things you value more than money.
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The job-jump pay benefits may be true long-term but I've been keeping my eye on the Atlanta Fed Wage Growth tool with some relevant data. The difference between switchers and stayers is very small right now probably driven by slow hiring. The market is cold. We may all become seniors unless we get laid off or the market changes for the better.
I'm currently at the 1 year mark of my IT internship, idk when I should leave. Should I stick with it for another year while I'm still in school and then jump after I graduate? Should I get a new job and jump this summer? So many options
The best time to shop other jobs is while you're still getting paid at your current one.
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Stick around for at least five years and you're the guru who knows everything, so you've got job security
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Change jobs every five years, because managers love to offer "experienced hires" more than the current actually experienced staff
The Two Genders
Woah woah woah, 5 years? I can't pretend to be a good worker for that long
You either leave for a better offer, or stay long enough to see yourself become laid off.
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Important Note: Being "the person who knows how everything works around here" means nothing to them when it's time for layoffs.
Also, your yearly performance reviews are less than meaningless
It does mean something to them, but not in a way that will stop you from getting laid off; what it means is that after laying you off, they'll quickly come to regret it and scramble to try to fill the knowledge gap they now have. I know a few people who were called up by the company basically begging them to help. A couple of people I know were able to leverage this to get a short term position contracting (at exorbitantly higher rates than their salary way), and a few others instead just cackled in schadenfreude.
Haha, that's the former head of my department. They asked for a good raise (after building the infrastructure from ground up), the company said nah, so they left for a better position and much more money than what the current dept. head is making. The company now pays for their consulting, and the management still hasn't learned their lesson, because they're still stingy with the raises.
You must tackle that with being underpaid!
/j
Funny idea that you’re going to get promotion and pay rise by staying where you are and hoping the management will magically appreciate your efforts and reward you.
Yes, if you stay at a dysfunctional company for five years, and everyone more competent left: Steve in sales will address you as the senior engineer at the start of the call.
It won't feel good, that guy is an idiot.
Hahaha yep after five years you do become the person who knows how to do shit. But you still get paid the same wage just for more effort. If you are working for 5 years and you are being mistreated please leave without a two week notice. I never thought I would the one to do it but its good for your mental health
Just gotta do it with confidence
The managers do say "move fast and break things."
They don't like it when we do which is odd.
Nah, they also don't like when we move slowly and keep things working either.
“We actually need to do both”
An AWS employee, I see
It also means not absolutely hating your job. If you're the only hater and everyone else likes working in the company you'll have a bad time waiting for everyone to leave.
If you’re the only hater and everyone else likes working in the company
If everyone hates that one guy, they're probably an asshole. If you're the one guy that hates everyone else, you might be the asshole.
"The best career advice is to just not get fired or laid off, idiot, duh."
Wow, why didn't I think of that.
Nintendo career advice!
Worst advice ever. Your blood pressure will rise and you will wish you were a farmer.
And when you're the knowledgeable senior you will also have the knowledge that they're hiring people for more than they pay you.
Yeah. But that doesn't reflect salary. Staying Long enough isn't going to be a higher position.
the people in my team started in the company: 1992, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2020 and me: 2025, it's gonna be a long wait 😞
The 92 guy has to be retiring soon.
I started in 1990, my official retirement date is 2037. That's the date I can claim government pension in the UK.
I already chose my retirement room! Its a nice plot very close to a Costco. Lots of people to watch although I got no windows and my room is a micro basement. Its around 6ft under actually, pretty cozy if you think about it. They haven't installed it yet. They're literally waiting for me to make it my size. I'm gonna be spending a long time in that place. I don't know, the current administration just might change their minds and give me an involuntary cremation instead. It lets family move on. Good for business.
Congratulations, you got hired somewhere great! Or your team is filled with masochists, who knows.
Literally me right now in my job after two years. Projet Owner left, Tech Lead left, two Devops engineers left... I was supposed to be just a Dev and instead I end up doing a bit of everything. Fucking crazy. Coincidentally, I've never been in a job for more than two years...
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I speed ran this. First job right out of uni, the team lead went on holiday 2 weeks later and never came back. Everyone else was gone within 3 months.
You had your first total team wipe within 3 months? Impressive.
I had three of them so far, but within 12 years.
Advancement by attrition
I've done that. It sucks.
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