By: Majed Farah
One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is waiting until they need a new job before finding out what they are worth.
Every three to six months, consider looking at the job market. Update your résumé, research positions similar to yours, and apply for opportunities that represent either a promotion or a comparable role with another organization. If the right opportunity comes along, take the interview.
The purpose isn’t necessarily to leave your current employer. It’s to understand the market.
When you stay in the same position for years without looking outside your organization, it becomes easy to lose sight of what other companies are paying, what skills employers are looking for, and what opportunities may be available.
Comfort can quietly turn into stagnation.
Interviewing while you’re already employed also puts you in a different position. You’re not searching because you desperately need a paycheck. You can be more selective about the position, compensation, benefits, flexibility and opportunities for advancement.
If an offer doesn’t improve your situation, you don’t have to take it.
That freedom also gives you an opportunity to negotiate. Instead of accepting the first number presented, you can confidently ask whether there is room for a higher salary or better overall compensation.
There is another benefit: interviewing is a skill.
The more you do it, the better you become at explaining your accomplishments, communicating your value and understanding what employers want. It can also reveal gaps in your experience that you can begin working on before you’re ready for your next career move.
Knowing your worth isn’t about constantly changing jobs or being disloyal to your employer. It’s about understanding your options.
Keep your résumé current. Keep developing your skills. Pay attention to the marketplace. And every few months, take a look outside the walls of your current workplace.
You may decide that where you are is still the best place for you.
But at least you’ll know you’re staying because you made an informed decision—not simply because you got comfortable.
