Job hopping is the most reliable way to make more money and get ahead in your career, even though it gets a bad rap.
At the age of 31, I'm a black woman in HR and I make $212,000 a year.
I was unaware that careers like mine existed when I was growing up in the South. I was the first in my family to attend college and I received a full scholarship. I'm good at my job and I got into HR by accident.
I take a more progressive approach to tenure than some of my more traditional colleagues do. Individuals have goals as well. I don't pay much attention to how long candidates stay in jobs. I would like to know what they accomplished.
I think job hopping is a way to make sure I get paid what I'm worth. I owe it to my daughter to give her as much money as I can to help her. There is a lot of visibility into salary dynamics that I get from being in HR.
Even though you're a great employee, you're likely to only get a 3% or 5% raise each year. According to estimates by LaborIQ, salaries for new hires are on average seven percent higher than the median pay for people already employed in similar positions. If you want to get a significant salary increase, you need to quit your job and take a new job. I'm willing to do that.
I have seven jobs and five employers.
The source's pay and identity have been verified by Insider.
I went to an executive training program after graduating from college. I didn't negotiate because the starting salary was more money than I've ever seen in my life.
The goal of the program was to give me a wide range of professional experiences. I like to work in HR because I am a natural people person.
It was hard work. I was responsible for a lot of HR functions, and I was expected to help out wherever I was needed. I ran the store and opened it. I work 65 hours a week.
I started looking for a new job after I realized I had learned everything I could in that job.
At my next job, I was in charge of HR. I did the hiring, firing, and drug screenings, as well as running new employee orientations and open enroll.
The hours were manageable and the job was well done. I was able to finish my online master's degree in HR management on Saturdays and Sundays.
There wasn't enough room for upward mobility and growth. My manager had been there for a long time. There was no place for me to go if she left.
Over the course of a year, I stayed.
I applied for a job at a well known food brand because I was ready to take on a bigger role. I got an offer after interviewing seven times. I didn't want to make a big deal out of asking for more money because I was so grateful to get the job.
I got to learn the ropes of labor relations and collective bargaining after working for a union.
My boss wanted to make me an HR business partner. The manufacturing plant I was going to work at had over 500 employees. I had to relocate because of the promotion.
The company initially offered me a raise. I took my time to compare what my peers were making to what I was making. I used Payscale and Glassdoor to show that I was making a sacrifice to take the job even though the company was covering my moving and relocation costs. I got a 26% raise and a 25% bonus.
It was difficult. There was a reputation for poor pay at the plant. People didn't want to work there. It took me less than a year to stay.
I was interviewing at a lot of places because I was ready for a new job. I moved because the best offer I received was from a tobacco company. The benefits were life-changing: a 9% 401(k) match, more vacation time, and the company was willing to pay up to 85% of my tuition.
My salary went up to $131,000 after I moved to employee relations.
The job was good, but I have changed my mind about what I want to do in the future.
I realized I didn't want to work for a company that wasn't in line with my values. Flexibility is something I value. I want to work from home after the company takes a strict approach to returning to the office. Two years later, I left the company.
I am a full-time remote employee for a large health-tech company that is located in New England.
I am responsible for discrimination cases, Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations, hostile-work environment issues, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and run-of-the-mill HR policies and procedures.
When you look at the scope of my responsibilities and what my peers in the industry earn, I could make more.
I bet I will leave this company when it's time.
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The story was first published in April of 1992.
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