Career Trends: 3 career moves that are better than a promotion

Edition: September 10th, 2021
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS

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• Excerpts from article by Maurie Backman, published on nasdaq.com

It’s a common practice for people to work hard at their jobs in the hopes of climbing the ladder and eventually landing a promotion. And that may be a goal of yours too. But rather than fixate on that, it could pay to pursue other career growth approaches which serve you better.

Going after a promotion isn’t a bad thing. But before you get too hung up on that idea, think about whether there might be other ways to move your career in a positive direction.

Here are 3 career moves that can be better than a promotion in the long run:

1. A lateral move that opens more doors

• A lot of people assume that to grow their skills as well as their earnings, they need to get promoted at work.
• But sometimes, a lateral move can be even more beneficial than vertical growth.
• If you move to a different part of your company or another organisation/sector, you may get to develop new skills or connections.
• This can also be beneficial in climbing the ranks and/or increasing your income.

2. A step down that offers better work-life balance

• Job-related burnout is a major issue that a lot of people face.
• While it can come as a result of boredom or dissatisfaction with the work you’re doing, it can also stem from a work schedule that is too demanding and doesn’t give you enough time to unwind and engage in adequate self-care.
• If that’s the situation you’re in, then taking a job that’s a notch down on the corporate ladder may not be a bad idea, especially if you can convince your manager not to cut your pay.
• But even if your earnings do take a modest hit, if you can swing your expenses on less money, or perhaps dip into your savings to compensate.
• You may find that taking a step back leads to a better work-life balance.
• Not only might that work wonders for your mental health, it could also help you perform better – leading to more opportunities for you.

3. Switching to a more rewarding field

• It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of chasing a promotion and basking in that success. But before you push yourself to do that, take a step back and think about the actual work you’re doing.
• Is your work really satisfying to you? Are you learning a lot and enjoying your role? Or are you mostly bored, unhappy, or apathetic toward the job itself?
• If the latter applies to you, rather than go after a promotion, consider a change of career field.
• Switching industries could make you a lot happier, which may, in turn, help you become a lot more productive and successful.

You may find that pursuing the above mentioned ideas reduces your stress, while giving better results.

Tip: While a promotion can come with a pay boost, that’s not always the case. Before you pursue that new role, you may want to do some research so you don’t get stuck taking on more responsibility without any type of financial reward.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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