My College Classmate Has Been Switching Companies and is Now Making Much More Than I Am. Should I Be Doing the Same Thing?

Brick by Brick is a new monthly column that helps professionals tackle the intricacies of workplace issues and answer questions about career growth and advancement. In the inaugural edition of Brick by Brick, our columnist responds to a letter-writer wondering if the grass really is greener on the other side.  

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Hi Esquire, 

I've been working at my job for about eight years now. The pay's pretty good and I get to spend some time with friends and family over the weekends and holidays. There are a few things I was hoping could be improved in the company I work for, but overall, I can't complain.  

I have a close friend and classmate from college who works for another company in another industry. He's actually skipped companies a few times over the years, but always within the same industry. While we never really talk about our salaries, recently I found out from common friends that he was offered a huge basic salary and amazing benefits in this new company he just joined late last year. I won't say I'm jealous (maybe I am, in a way), but I'm truly happy for him and the fact that he and his wife are expecting their first baby together makes me think he definitely deserves the money. 

But it did make me wonder if I'm making the right choice staying with the same company for eight years and just waiting for the annual merit increase instead of maybe trying my luck elsewhere and getting rewarded for it with a heftier paycheck. I can't help but think I'm just coasting and getting too comfortable at this job instead of maybe challenging myself with a new environment and new people. On the other hand, I'm afraid of taking that leap and realizing that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. What do you think?  

Sincerely, 

Salaryman17

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Dear Salaryman17,

Thank you for your letter! 

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate your ability to tune into your own thoughts and feelings about where you are in your career. Knowing that things are good but could be better is a healthy sign of self-awareness. Being happy for your friend while recognizing your own aspirations is a good sign that you are open and seeking ways to grow (along with and inspite of the fear that these thoughts can bring). The potential for change and the possibility of the unknown can really be daunting. But know that that sense of “wondering is a gift. 

When thinking about one’s career path, it is so much easier to focus on the greener grass on the other side of the fence –without looking at the whole farm on which it grows. What I mean is that there are other factors at play beyond the surface of what we see and hear from friends. We know that we can never really know what anyone is going through completely. But dealing with peer groups is especially tricky. Because our sense of being on the same playing field disappears after schooling. Once upon a time we were all freshmen taking the same tests, aiming for the same grades, and then suddenly—there was no clear criteria for “making it in life.” Social media posts of fancy vacations, business trips, and #blessed and subtle flex posts do not help either.

Now we can go philosophical and talk about how success is how you define it. And that we must recognize that we are all on our own paths and be grateful for what we have. And that life is not a competition. Which, deep, deep inside, we know to be true. But I don’t think going all wise and “woo-woo” at this point will be that helpful for you.

But I will ask you to consider the metaphor of bricks. That if your career path was made of literal bricks—think yellow brick road—what kind of bricks would you be using? Growing up we are taught to build our careers with bricks of security, stability, and company reputation. But in today’s changing world, what company doesn’t face the risk of technological disruption, financial instability, and going viral for the wrong reasons?  And when that moment comes—when we have a glimpse of our former peers’ own career journeys that make us question our own career choices—what bricks can we possibly build with? As a former corporate HR guy and current change consultant and coach, please allow me to share three bricks, so to speak, to consider: COIN, CRAFT, & CAUSE.

1| COIN

More specifically, total compensation, the total value an employee receives from the company including both monetary and non-monetary rewards—direct salary, incentives & bonuses, benefits and other perks (working from home, for example). While you may have “heard” of someone’s “basic salary” which, face it, you are likely never to be able to verify anyway, you do not know the total package.

Is this “basic salary” a combination of direct pay and incentives or even a function of having to work in a shifting schedule? Could this “basic salary” be high because the company focuses more on cash versus benefits? Could there be other benefits and perks in your company that compensates for the level of compensation you receive? Including the flexibility of work hours and remote work or hybrid set-ups? Or even the distance from your home, given the inevitability of daily traffic?

The bottom line is that COIN comes in different forms that impact the quality of life you live in different ways. Sure, there are benefits for higher and higher salaries, but there are also trade-offs that are less likely to be talked about. 

On a practical note, total compensation is also a function of a company’s competitiveness in the market while maintain internal equity within the organization. And so, staying in a company for a relatively long time, will likely give you steady returns: your mostly predictable annual merit increase might not bring in large increments, but steady, stable growth. Now on the other hand, companies on the lookout for talent, will of course tend to offer attractive premium packages, precisely to attract talent talents to jump ship and get onboard to a new company.  So, there is truth to the notion that transferring ships more frequently than not, can lead to higher base pay growth rates due to the hiring premiums. The question is, how frequently can you move from one company to another, before companies begin to question why you keep jumping ship and cannot seem to stay put long enough to be of real value or to have really contributed.

This leads us to the second brick.

2| CRAFT

While we have all heard the mantra of “pursuing your passion,” what I’d like to offer is the idea of “building your craft.” Your craft is the unique expertise and skill set you are developing to solve problems for people—and that companies are willing to pay for. As you build your career think about your interests and natural abilities; what field of work attracts you? What body of knowledge or skills would you want to learn more about and become an expert in? What set of your abilities would companies want to bring into their fold? 

As traditional employment makes way for the gig economy, solo entrepreneurship, and start-ups, the real game changer is VALUE. What competencies—knowledge, skills, and abilities—do you bring to the table that you can use as leverage to chart your career growth?

Within one company, you might develop a specialized skill (Finance, Marketing, or Analytics for example) and grow your career from individual contributor to people manager to a leader of teams. This is a traditional career ladder.

Or you may want to leverage that specialized skill and apply it across different industries and companies. For example, using your marketing skills, in different contexts and settings. From manufacturing to consumer retail, to digital marketing agencies. This is a portfolio career.

Or you may want to specialize in a particular set of inter-related skills. A deep expertise in one area, say HR, but applying across different settings like corporate, SME, consulting, or in NGO work. This would be an example of a T-shaped career—deep expertise plus a wide application or exposure to other fields. 

Knowing and growing your craft allows you to pivot from one company or industry to another or even a related area of expertise. Your craft also serves as a guide for you when looking beyond your current company. You can do more research on what kinds of companies would be interested in your craft.

Whichever way you want to build and apply your CRAFT, the point is to diversify your experiences—vertically or horizontally or both—focusing on the value you create for those you serve. By focusing on honing our craft, perhaps the fear of uncertainty of moving to another company is lessened because of the sense of purpose your craft brings to you.

Which leads to the third brick.

3| CAUSE

With the level of COIN bringing you the level of lifestyle you are willing to live with, with both benefits and trade-offs, and having a clear intention for growing your CRAFT, the third brick is about where you would want to spend your discretionary time and effort applying the craft and earning the coin. 

We are often drawn to organizations with well-known brands and strong positive reputations, but we must also be aware of the CAUSES these companies stand for. Remember that most of our waking hours in our lifetimes will be spent at the workplace. So, it would be prudent to be intentional about it. 

A company’s cause is an important part in building your career path because it will inevitably shape the professional experience and network you will develop, from where you will possibly find deep friendships and partnerships, like-minded comrades, teachers, coaches, and mentors even beyond the company. The community of your professional network has a key contribution to your career growth. When you go beyond the three to five officemates you have lunch with, you multiply the work friends you have who are looking out for possible career opportunities for you. They are a potential source of referrals and support in your growth as you may be for them.

A company’s cause also serves as the platform for the value you bring into the world. How you impact co-workers, clients, and society. What good does the company you choose bring into the world and do you want to be a part of it?

Growing your craft in a company with a cause misaligned with your values: motivating but eventually confusing. 

Earning a lot of coin in a company without a cause: rewarding but meaningless.

Working hard on your craft and not getting enough coin: keeping productive but feeling unrecognized. 

Hmm, looks like I did go a bit philosophical there, didn’t I? Let’s end with some practical tips:

1| Be intentional about your current career ladder. Ask your manager what it takes to grow in the company. Beyond “when is the next salary increase,” ask “what would it take to reach the next level in the organization, what skills must I work on, what expanded roles or projects might be open for me?”

2| Do your research. Learn more about possible opportunities in the market for your type of expertise through LinkedIn and other job market sites. Ask your professional network to be on the lookout for you. Take that interview from the recruiter who has been calling you (not the spam messages on your phone). You aren’t moving yet; you are collecting data points that will give you a clearer picture.

3| Appreciate yourself. Take stock of your strengths, skills, and experiences. Acknowledge everything that has brought you to where you are today. Reflect on what really matters to you at this point and what better could look like. And then, be honest about what it would take to get there.

Dispel that sense of fear from uncertainty with curiosity.  Knowing more about the unknown is not the same as taking the leap. It helps prepare you to make that decision.

In parting, Salaryman17, I hope you consider these three bricks—the level of Coin, developing your Craft, and finding your Cause—in building your career roadmap ahead. Remember that not one is the right answer but a guide to be used at different times of your working life, individually or collectively. And that we all share the same journey of life ahead.

All the best.

Myke

Myke Santos is a strategy and HR consultant, a university faculty member, and the founder of Brick Management Consulting. His focus is on facilitating change for individuals and organizations by shifting perspectives. He is a certified coach for Transformative Coaching and The Leadership Circle, and a certified facilitator of the LEGO^® SERIOUS PLAY^® Method, which he helped pioneer in the Philippines. He is a seasoned executive and HR leader with more than 25 years of experience in Human Capital Strategy specializing in Organization Development, Change Management, and Mergers and Acquisitions. Myke has led various enterprise-wide initiatives in business and people strategy alignment, corporate restructuring, talent management, and culture transformation. Having worked in a variety of settings, from startup to corporate, local to regional and multinational, has given him a broad perspective of the dynamics of business, organizations, and culture.