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I am in an entry level position, but have gone above and beyone and have even been told this by my bosses. My question is: How long should it take before you receive a raise/promotion at an entry level position before you should decide to start looking at other companies? I ask because I've been "testing" the field with applying to other positions in my field, but at higher salaries and have been contacted for interviews. I have only been with my first position about a year.
My question is: How long should it take before you receive a raise/promotion at an entry level position before you should decide to start looking at other companies?
Depends on the industry and the company you're working for
and their policies. For example, is there room for advancement?
If there isn't anyone above you to advance, then it's unlikely
that you can advance upward. Remember, in order to advance,
you have to be able to execute your supervisor's role. There is no
cut-n-dry answer to this - there are too many variables to consider.
How many performance reviews have you had? How often does
your company execute performance reviews? Twice a year?
Once a year? Have you reviewed their policy concerning salary
and promotion advancement? If so, what is it? You can't always
count on verbalization from management ... you can only count
on what's "on paper".
I've been "testing" the field with applying to other positions in my field, but at higher salaries and have been contacted for interviews. I have only been with my first position about a year.
While leaving after one year is a little early, if you can get more money and presumably stable work and everything else is good (commute, responsibilities, benefits, etc) I'd say go for it.
Is your company able financially to give you a raise? Are there openings that you would fit into for a promotion? These days companies aren't just creating positions because someone does a good job. Have you actually sat down and spoken with your supervisor as to your career path with the company and your goals for the future?
I agree with the previous comments. There is not one concrete answer. There are many factors involved based on the company you are working for. My advice: Always keep your options open and avail yourself to other opportunities. That does not mean quit your current job, it means explore and then make a decision.
Depends on the industry and the company you're working for
and their policies. For example, is there room for advancement?
If there isn't anyone above you to advance, then it's unlikely
that you can advance upward. Remember, in order to advance,
you have to be able to execute your supervisor's role. There is no
cut-n-dry answer to this - there are too many variables to consider.
Exactly. And raises / promotions are often based on merit, not just on time put in. As I reiterated on another post here a few months back - I recently did end of year performance reviews for several employees I was managing. Two were in the same position - entry level, first job, had both been with the company for about a year, same position, same base salary. One frequently came in early, stayed late, and went out of her way to find extra work to learn more about the job because she was motivated to advance. The other basically showed up at 9:00, left at 5:00 and, while she did most of her required tasks, she essentially did the bare minimum required of her position. I gave the former a larger raise and recommended her for a promotion in the next quarter; I gave the latter a nominal raise and did not recommend her for a promotion.
But that's just one factor. As someone else said, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your field and keep your options open. That said, I would not recommend making a habit of job hopping every year or two on a constant basis. Employers do look at that as well once you have been working for a while. On some of my recent interviews, pretty much all interviewers stated they were impressed that, in the 15 years I have been working in my field, close to 12 of those years were spent at only two companies.
I agree with most everyone in this thread save having to (always at least) execute a supervisors role. That's not always the case. There can be lots of room for advancement between entry level and a supervisor. At my job it's 4-5 levels of advancement between an associate and a lab head/group leader.
But that's just one factor. As someone else said, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your field and keep your options open. That said, I would not recommend making a habit of job hopping every year or two on a constant basis. Employers do look at that as well once you have been working for a while. On some of my recent interviews, pretty much all interviewers stated they were impressed that, in the 15 years I have been working in my field, close to 12 of those years were spent at only two companies.
So basically if you're not willing to work your life away you'll never see a raise/promotion? Seems like all managers work their life away as well. Why is that?
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