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It's an issue that comes up quite frequently on this subforum. The dreaded "paying your dues" argument. I'm curious what people think about this particular topic. I understand that it probably all depends on the field you're in, but let's look at this from a broad viewpoint.
The main reason I'm curious about this is because I just passed the two year mark with my company and in the specific field I'm working in (supply chain management/logistics). I'm wondering if two years is considered post-entry level experience now.
It's not just the field, it's also the worker turnover.
At McDonalds, you might be long term after 6 months. At other places, you could be the NEW GUY for years. When I got a real job it blew me away that some people had been there since before I was born.
I worked in the plumbing wholesale & distribution industry for a little more than 3 years before I was laid off. At the time I was laid off, I was STILL one of the lowest guys on the totem poll. The only guy below me had been with the company with 2 1/2 years. If the economy hadn't been so slow, there might have been a chance for me to move up the ladder or get paid more money, but that didn't happen.
Long before i got laid off, I was very frustrated with the fact that I had been there for 2+ years and not sniffed any sort of promotion or significant pay raise. At the same time, I felt very fortunate to still have a job because many people who had been with the company for 5 or more years had been laid off (even though a lot of them were dead weight). Things might have been different had we not gone into this recession, but you can't change the past.
Obviously, as you noted, it does depend on the field. I put 2-5 years but I think as much as time is relevant, so is experience gained and what you are able to bring to the job over time. If you excel, you will probably go up faster,if dialing it in, someone might never move up. It really means earning a good position and the right to ask for perks.
When I hear a new grad insisting on flexibility, nice perks, lots of time off etc. before they even show what they
bring to the table, it raises all sorts of red flags. A worker who has made themselves indispensable has the right to ask for those things, and in a decent environment, will get it in order to keep him or her happy.
I am an accountant and corporate controller. In my profession, 5 to 10 years of experience plus regular continuing education will get you out of entry-level status with a reputable employer of any significant size. Depending on the industry, it can take 8 to 15 years to get into management, and in many or most cases, up to two decades to move into the executive level.
At the same time, in a fast-changing field like IT, having more than a decade of seniority can be more of a liability than an asset, as workers past their mid 30s are often viewed as being out of touch with the latest developments in technology.
So while it is possible to make some generalizations, the answer for any given individual depends heavily on their profession, and within their profession, on the specific region of the country and even the industry in which they work.
Dependent on the economy of course, but typically this is what career progression looks like outside of the military route. Assuming you have the req certificates:
1- 2 years: Flight instructing (teach others to fly), tow banners, pipeline patrol, etc. to build hours ($15k-$25k average)
2-5+ years: right seat (second in command, ie first officer) at a commuter flying props or small jets ($25k to start rising to about $50k)
2-?? years: left seat (pilot in command, ie captain) at a commuter flying same equipment ($70k to $100k+)
Hired on at a career major after that. Completely dependent on the economy however as there are some major carriers that hired their most junior pilot before I even got a drivers license.
I've been at my current job for 3 years now and I still get the vibe that I am a "new" guy. There are people here that have been here for 10+ years so for me to say that I have been here for 3 years is still sort of entry level. It's all relative...
The facts are paying your dues can last a lifetime, there is no set time, I've been working for 35 years full time never been out of work and I'm paying my dues every day, it depends on the job, I work shift work and I'll pay for the rest of my life even after I retire or I'm disabled.
We think that after we are settled we have payed our dues and everything gets easier, maybe it did in the past but now you have to compete to keep your job, you have people who will work for less or harder to get your job so thats just the way it is.
Don't mean to sound negitive but tonight I'm carrying everybody else, my back is hurting LOL
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