Hoping to hear what others’ thoughts are on making a lateral career move.
I left a company that I worked at for five years about a year ago due to layoffs and the fear of getting cut. I’ve been in a new role since then that is similar but has allowed me to learn a lot more. My issue is that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of stability here (a lot of employee turnover) and I don’t love the general company culture. The benefits are also a bit underwhelming.
I have started to look into other jobs even though I’m reluctant to leave after so short a time. Most of the jobs I’m looking at would technically be a lateral move, with not much of a potential raise but improved benefits (PTO, 401k matches, etc.).
Just looking to hear from others who have made similar career choices/how it worked out and what you all think makes it “worth it” to leave a job?
Comments
A clear path for promotion and/or raises. An increase in salary, increase/better benefits.
I did this recently. I left a job and moved to a different company, lateral move – same type of work, basically same job. I didn’t feel like I was being given the opportunity for more responsibility to show I can do more and get promoted from APM to PM. I was getting lost in the shuffle and stagnating.
I moved to a smaller firm with a $12k increase in salary, unfortunately less benefits, but more opportunities for growth and a clear path to move from APM to PM within a year.
It’s been a month but so far, so good. Settled in and have my own projects I’m about to take over and run.
More stability and better total comp would absolutely be enough for me to leave.
I’d gnaw my own leg off like a rat trying to escape a trap to get back to being fully remote.
Better title, better salary, better benefits, better culture, less dysfunctional workplace, clear upward mobility (if I’m looking for that).
Lateral moves are worthwhile if you can assure yourself the workplace culture will be better – high turnover is usually a sign of some type of dysfunction. People also are rarely rewarded salary-wise for tenure in a job, most places don’t give cost of living increases (so that’s a pay raise proportionate to inflation) and are stingy with performance-based bonuses or raises, essentially resulting in being financially penalized for job loyalty. It sounds like you’ve been at your current company/in your current role for close to 5 years – it doesn’t seem “too soon” to consider moving on at all.
People see their biggest gains in job title/role and salary when they job hop. If you’re looking to climb some kind of personal ladder, that’s generally the way to do it.
The majority of jobs I’ve left is due to lousy management, which also meant there was poor work culture and lack of opportunities..
Every single time I’ve left I’ve leveled up to a better role, and now I finally found one that is hands down the best of them all. Good pay, decent enough benefits, management respects me and lets me do my thing. Plus it’s WFH.
I need similar/better benefits + 20k raise or 40k raise to offset the cost of benefits.
Basically a miracle. But every person that has left our team has been replaced by cheap overseas contractors so I know it’s only a matter of time…
I have only ever left jobs for better pay, a role that aided in my desired career progression, or work I liked more. I have also never worked private sector in my life, but if I did, I’m pretty sure I’d leave at the first whiff of layoffs or instability. Those things would be a hard no for me.
Work culture/people is a big factor for me personally. I’ve had jobs working with some especially horrible people, and even though I was getting paid alright, I underestimated the toll it took on my mental health and personal life. The order changes depending on the role, but I look for generous PTO, good work culture, opportunity for continued learning, and fair pay.
I recently changed jobs for higher pay/title upgrade and the management is awful and disorganized so I’ve started looking already. I’d leave for similar pay and benefits.
Whatever you do, do not quit without another job secured. Get laid off and claim unemployment.
I left a perfectly good 8 year career (almost 20 total in finance) as an accountant for a government agency to pursue a totally different field entirely. I only had a high school diploma and somehow worked my way up to be an accountant. At 34 I enrolled myself at my local community college to ultimately pursue my bs in mechanical engineering. I just graduated at 39. I had a few internships, did some undergrad research, met a lot of wonderful people, and now I’m gaining experience as an R&D engineer in a field that is exciting. I do what most undergrads dream of everyday and it’s amazing.
I’m the type of person who will do any job, if I know how to do it and I’m capable of it, I’ll do it whether it’s in my job description or not. If today I’m meeting with C-suite to discuss restructuring senior management and tomorrow I’m hanging out with our janitors scrubbing toilets, I don’t care just give me enough notice to dress properly for the work lol.
But I will make moves for more money and benefits. All the career moves I’ve made have been because somewhere else was offering me more than my current place was willing to. I’m not the type to go field a bunch of offers and bring it back to my current employer as a negotiating tool. I’ll hop ship for the first place that offers me comprehensive dental coverage and a 20% wage increase.
I picture myself in 5 years – and if the 5 year path is better outside than I look outside.
In my experience the more senior you get the more likely a move is lateral – and it’ll depend on whether or not you can climb the new ladder vs the old one.
Basically unless I’m going to be paid like $40,000+ more it’s not worth the hassle of changing jobs, dealing with a new commute, a new team, and new boss and building credibility all over again with new stakeholders. And even if I’m going to be paid a lot more unless the hours are comparable to what I’m working now it’s not worth it for me. For instance I could move jobs to a firm that pays $60,000 more right now. (The job posting is literally on linkedin looking for someone with my background), but I know that firm’s reputation for working ppl in house 9-7:30/8pm regularly and people working through lunch because it’s a madhouse everyday. Oh and it’s 5 days in the office opposed to my job now which is 2-3 days in office.
That means the money is not worth it for me, because by the time I commute home it’ll be past 9pm, my baby will already be in bed asleep and it means I’ll never see her except for weekends. Compare that to me leaving work at 5:25pm, getting home by 6:30, eating dinner with her and my husband, playing with her for over an hour and doing the last feed/putting her to bed? It’s not worth it for me. The time is more valuable than the extra money.
Better pay, less stress, nicer colleagues.
I’m currently in a similar situation like this now where I’ve been at my job for 15 years but our new management is completely unbearable. There’s an iceberg heading straight for us and they refuse to see it.
To answer your question, my current situation has to be more miserable than the unknown in order to make a lateral move. Things like better work life balance are what would have me leave. I need flexibility and I can’t be micromanaged. I’ll jump ship so fast. I will not tolerate hostile or toxic management (if I can help it) and having to go into the office for no reason other than management is on a power trip are my achilles heel. Keep switching jobs till you find the right one, its like dating.
It sounds like there’s very little that you like about your current job. A year is a relatively short tenure but not egregiously so, and it sounds like you don’t have a recurring pattern of short tenures at previous jobs, so I wouldn’t be too worried about it. In your shoes I think it would be worth it.
At this point, I would take a lateral job that is remote. I work from home a couple of days a week and those days are so much more pleasant, calm, and productive.
What makes it worth it for me to change jobs is the pay an benefits. When I was in my twenties it was about the pay. Once I had my son it became more about the benefits. I was working at a place for about 5 years in my twenties that had good pay and good benefits at that time, and then I had my son. My parents pushed me to go back to school to get better paying job. So I did, I got a technical license, got a better paying job, but benefits sucked. Then moved to another place with fully paid benefits, less pay. THEN I found somewhere with paid benefits and more pay. Unfortunately I’m at the cap now for pay 🙁
I look for better compensation and/or better title and potential for upward mobility. Ideally, the benefits would be comparable to those at my current job.
I have a job with great benefits now, but my bosses have made it clear that I won’t be getting promoted again; as such, I’m looking to leave. I’m hoping that by jumping ship, I’ll get a higher salary (ideally a ~20 percent increase) and some respect, which is sorely lacking at my current job.
I don’t make a lot at the moment (~$54k), and I’m still paying off student loans, so right now, salary is my main priority. If someone’s already making good money, other things are likely going to be more important in their job search.
Quality of life. I left my life job due to the commute being detrimental to my health and I am so much happier. I will say though, it turned out to be a good move in multiple ways. I didn’t move for salary but I asked them to offer more than I was on and everyone is so nice in the office. It’s also ended up being generally more laid back.
Better work-life balance and respect even if it’s a pay cut. The peace of mind that comes with working 40-45 hours a week and not having to spend off days thinking about or doing work is priceless.
Last time I did it for basically the same pay and benefits but marginally more interesting work. Turns out the work is just as boring BUT they reclassed my position about a year after I started and I got a massive raise out of the deal so it worked out.
I recently moved laterally to a better employer with great benefits and better work-life balance.
Even though the pay is roughly the same, these two items will make my life so much better.
Think beyond the pay scale and see if it’s a better fit. You’ve got this! 🙂
This will sound irrational but not all of our decisions have to be.
I quit a prestigious job that looked awesome on paper because it was dulling my soul. I was doing it robotically, without any joy. The thought that I’d be into that indefinitely scared me. So I decided to try something I had a great interest in but wasn’t 100% sure was a good idea. It’s been the best job in my life so far, even if I took a pay cut. My soul is at peace here, I can bring my full self to work, and that’s not insignificant.
I recently made the decision to change jobs. I was a doctor in a large academic hospital, teaching medical students, residents and seeing a large volume of high acuity patients. I changed jobs to a smaller hospital that recently opened a residency, where I will be doing more teaching in 2 years but mostly outpatient clinic for now. So the pace is slower. I changed jobs for one primary reason- my old job was one hour away, and the new job is 7 min away from my house. I have a 15 week old baby, and the two hours to commute instead of being w my baby? just isn’t worth it. I know my career is taking a hit but I just don’t care right now.
With that said ? I am getting paid significantly more at the new job. And I lawyered up, and had it written into my contract that if I perform above 50% national level productivity, I’ll get a base salary increase of 3.5% annually.