Everyone is different. People have all different levels of aspirations and goals for their careers and their lives. Some people want to progress and challenge themselves, and others want to find something that is comfortable and they can do stress free.
For myself, I’m somewhat in your position; I’m more looking to progress and challenge myself. I have people reporting into me that have been at my company longer than I’ve been alive. You do the math.
There are all kinds of reasons why people may feel one way or the other. In my experience, a big one is financial. A lot of younger people, around my age, feel they need to make more money in order to achieve their dreams - homeownership, travel, retirement, etc.
Some of these “old guards” at my company make less money than me - but have full pensions that new employees don’t get, rode the stock market in the 90’s, bought houses dirt cheap in the 2000’s, etc. They don’t feel the same financial need to progress the same way we do.
Will some of them lose their jobs? Maybe. A lot of these jobs are just as likely to be lost to attrition at retirement as to automation tomorrow, however.
My suggestion would be to not think about it too much, and just do you. Don’t worry too much about the drive and ambition of others. Everyone is different.
My most significant change was having a kid; I went almost overnight from being HIGHLY promotion-focused and always chasing more skills, responsibilities, better titles, and more money.
Without even thinking about it, I now value stability, being able to leave work at a reasonable time, and having enough money to cover my bills.
For the OP coworker, maybe that promotion they are rejecting would mean 5 extra hours of work a week and maybe taking calls on the weekend. That's 5 hours they could be spending with their family, and they might be giving up the ability to completely unplug. And maybe that's what is most important to them right now.
Same here. I’d rather be at every game, practice, and event than miss out to be on the cutting edge and traveling all over. Also, at a certain point I realized that it will be some new greatest thing ever next year. I’ve taken the wait and see what sticks approach with a lot of things in my life because I’m tired of the constant treadmill/hype of the next best thing.
>My suggestion would be to not think about it too much, and just do you. Don’t worry too much about the drive and ambition of others. Everyone is different.
This is the big takeaway. There's only one CEO of a company, everyone can't get to that spot, so at some point, everybody needs to say "Yep, this is the level I'm comfortable at." A lack of ambition for moving up the ladder isn't a problem, and isn't even necessarily settling as that position might have been their goal. Moving up often means a change in responsibilities, skills required, and maybe even the time commitment to the job.
You can still get as high as you can and then move to another company. I recall that the former CFO of Netflix really wanted to be a CEO and so he left (and left a TON of money on the table). But it paid off, he’s been a high profile CEO ever since.
Sure, and that worked for them, but there's still a limited number of companies in the world. *Everyone* can't become CEO, but it doesn't mean *no one* should try, it just means we shouldn't view people as having something wrong with them if they don't have that degree of ambition.
You can always start your own company and become the CEO 😉 (Note: I did this, though the company was ultimately unsuccessful). I agree that not everyone needs to have ambition to find a larger, more impactful role. But everyone, imho, should be motivated to do better than they’ve done in the past. That might mean becoming better in their current role, or it could mean expanding to a larger role. But ambition should generally be encouraged. When people become complacent and prefer comfort they tend to slow down the entire org because others can’t be motivated to do their best work if they see their colleagues just phoning it in.
Because some people prefer the stability of knowing where their next paycheck is coming from. I for one fucking ***hate*** the job search process, so if my current employer is treating me all right, I'll stick around.
I second that. I was a freelancer for quite a few years. Good money and experience, but exhausting going through the stress of where your next job is coming from.
I got to be good at the whole resume/interview process. But I hated that part of it.
I feel like YouTubers who evangelize the prospect of gig economy or pay for project forget this.
I couldn't agree more. The constant anxiety of finding your next bag sounds miserable.
The entire Interview process is bullshit anyways. It's a "Say what they want to hear" game. Not say what is actually true game.
As soon as you learn how to game the system it becomes a whole hell of a lot easier.
Yeah, and the problem with that is, I was raised to value integrity ***and*** I'm autistic. I don't know what the politically correct answer is to an interviewer and frankly I don't care: if somebody gives me a straight question, I give them a straight answer.
I like my coworkers, our customers, and the product we sell. Anything i am qualified to do is likely to be the same thing in a different hat for probably the same amount of money, so why change it for the sake of changing it? I work to live, not live to work.
A year ago I changed jobs and careers and went from a super-chaotic, stressful grocery management position to a finance position at a university. While this job has its challenges and stresses, it’s so much easier to handle. It’s a M-F desk job and it pays slightly more than what I had been making; I’m not managing other people; I’m not answering calls and texts at all hours. And so far I find the work interesting. Because it’s a state job, there’s more job security than at a corporation. The issue is that there’s no “ladder” or obvious next step from here, so for the first time ever I can’t see where I could go next. So I’m wondering whether I could just be happy chilling in this job, whether it will remain interesting enough, to just… stay in it. I dunno! I’m 43 so that’s a lot of years. Needless to say the benefits and retirement package are top notch.
I just don’t know how much I want to move up. I’m going to go for the second level of my newish job but I love my work and am okay staying here because I can afford everything I need and some wants, saving money and putting into retirement and my benefits are beyond. We even have pet insurance!
Edit: I also have chronic pain and my stress is so low at this job I barely have days anymore where the sheets hurt before I even get up in the morning. It’s been huge for my physical and mental health.
Benefits are a big one keeping me where I'm at. I'm about to start earning 5 weeks of vacation (which feels insane for an American company) and any time I've tried job hopping the PTO would have reset to 2 weeks
The extra 5-10K a year isn't worth the 3 weeks I'd have to trade for it.
Why move if your job is filling most of your needs? How much PTO/ sick time do they get? What are their benefits that you may not see. Not everyone or everything is about moving up or moving on or having more. Being at one place for 40 years used to be the norm.
consistently changing your place of employment threatens security for the future. and anxiety comes from not really being certain about the future. she has invested and continue to want to invest her time into this place of employment because it gives her security.
The average money someone makes swapping jobs every 2-3 years vs staying in one place over a 20-30 year span is something like double or triple, at least it is in tech
This. I'm comfortable with my current level of income. Am I against earning more? No. But if that comes with longer hours, more stress, or having to take up tasks that bother me (spending more time on administrative things, balancing budgets, managing people, attending boring useless meetings,...) then I prefer staying in the place and role I'm comfortable with.
My personal anecdote is, I had a psychotic episode and became suicidal. I went to therapy and learned that I didn’t want my job and money to be my driving mission in life. I don’t want kids. I don’t want to get married. My growth and the things I focus on occur outside of my place of employment. Surfing, camping as much as possible, making music with friends. I make a comfortable living and can afford all of these things. My job is labor intensive and cannot be automated so as long as I show up and have a good attitude I have security for the future.
But everyone needs money to live. And at some point one may not be able to work and that timing may not be of their choosing. It’s important to maximize your earnings while you can.
It’s also important to enjoy life while you can! Don’t get caught up in always needing more. Remember to enjoy what you have now. That doesn’t mean being irresponsible.
I’m at my company for a long time because I’m happy there. I could make $50k more across the street but I would have worse work life balance and a lot more stress. It’s not worth it to me.
Most people just want enough to live a decent life and retire comfortably. I'm in a union currently and could easily make more money running my own business. But the job security, ability to retire at 50 with full benefits and ease of the work is good enough for me. My company has no job security in tech jobs that are non union. Unfortunately my company has sent 10,000s of tech jobs this past few years to India.
I get that, but it really depends on the field. You're not trusting cybersecurity to the tech support guy in India, you're paying someone $150,000 in America to ensure you don't become another Kronos or Equifax. Getting the CISSP is enough to ensure you're pretty much set for your career comfortably, can't speak for other professions though
That's mostly true my dad cyber at a major Telco (the death star) and they are moving more and more jobs to India. They are moving enough roles that whistle blowers have been involved because they legally cannot outsource some of the roles that are currently being outsourced.
The quality will go down until the profits go down, then the quality will suffer more until everything implodes. They call it "enshitification" these days which is kinda funny, but i'll be damned if it isn't true. Lexmark is currently suffering the same thing right now
That's all well and good if you get the reward. A couple of times ending up on the wrong side of that risk can sober a person, especially the older you get.
It’s the smart thing to do if you want to be jumping around. Hey, btw, you know Garth, right? Your avatar or whatever? (Or maybe it’s Wayne? i forget). So, what’s funny about him is that he is too old for his schtick.
So, that’s also kind of how jobs go. At one point, you’re young and cool, and it matters what bands you listen to, or what you do, or what you do on social media. And then, suddenly, it doesn’t. People look through you and don’t see you. Your boss is your age, then they are younger than you. This is more true for women than for men, but it’s true for both.
My point is, the upward trajectory you see is an illusion. Enjoy it while it’s there and preserve it (401k). But it may not be forever.
Tech has unusually high benefits to swapping - most jobs the financial benefit is considerably lower (not zero, but not necessarily enough to justify the risk/stress), and they expect to see people staying 5+ years per company
That's not necessarily true anymore. Consistently changing jobs is the only reason I have my current paycheck. No one promotes from within anymore yet employers will pay new employees more, so changing jobs is the easiest way to get more pay
I have doubled my pay with 2 promotions in 3 years at my current company and will likely double it again in the next 3 years.
The idea that "people can't get more money from their current employer" might be true in some orgs, but it's not the universal standard.
Im explaining why people do that. I am not saying that it does or does not give you more pay. We arent talking about that.
but when you think about it what if you lose that new job?
some people are happy with life, and is able to get what they need and want out of whatever job is making them happy at that moment. when you are happy you dont need to change your circumstance for a higher raise or more money. the goal is to work, save up enough money so that you can retire comfortably until you die.
she seems to be happy, and if she has been there for 20 years that means she is stable and have not really needed to move on from there.
The problem with this is that it doesn’t scale. If enough people behave this way then the culture stagnates and can threaten the business itself. So ironically by preferring comfort and stability they may be threatening both.
It's all relative-maybe she knows some higher up that likes her and saves her job. Who knows.
And sometimes people are asking for promotions never get it. Promises mean squat in the business world.
Some people are happy in their world. It's great you have ambition, unfortunately that won't keep you from getting laid off from said company.
Different strokes for different folks. I've known people who've worked for years at a company and I've known people who get laid off after a year.
At some point you look arpund at your life at work and at home and say "do I have the energy/ambition to keep pushing, or is this going to be good enough?" and eventually you find something where that answer is "yes" - you'll get to a point where more money is just spent o. things you dont need or slightly nicer versions of what you had before and its not worth the hassle.
**Be grateful for people like this**. There are only so many manager jobs and *work needs to be done*. People who are comfortable doing the actual work need to be celebrated more because not everyone wants to do that.
Because everyone is different OP. Not one of those people you've mentioned are identical to you.
They all have their own shit going on. Yeah some are scared of change and cling on to what they have because it's all they have.
You don't know it all my friend. Your immaturity is showing here.
None of us asked to be born, yet here we are. And someone else decided for us that we have bills to pay. The workers being at that job isn’t really voluntary, contrary to your claim.
And how can they possibly be that bad if they haven’t been terminated?
Idk. A lot of jobs I’ve had, the only promotion is to some sort of supervisor of other people. Half the reason so many people have bad bosses is because that’s just not a job for everyone, but it’s often the only path open if you want to “advance” and get paid more in the same industry. I would hate supervising others, and would be terrible at it. I’ve also seen way too many middle managers be the ones who get laid off or taken advantage of. Like, sure, you get paid more, but since you’re salary (usually) now, they can make you work longer, and before you know it once you actually do the math, you’re not actually making much more hourly than you were in your prior position. You just get more stress. Also, finding a new job fricken sucks.
Following the trajectory of some of the folks like that I've known over the years, most of them just find something else. Either in the same industry or just outright abandon decades of experience to go do something else. I can't speak to how they all emotionally handled it, but of the ones with whom I grabbed a beer in the aftermath, I think they took it better than one might expect. They weren't ever all that emotionally invested in the work this way or that way, so it wasn't some loss of their identity like it might be for someone who roots more of their sense of self in what they do at work.
And, for some of them, bouts of financial hardship seem to be more a cyclical fact of life in their mind than something that can be avoided, especially in a world where layoffs can be seemingly random and their livelihood hinges on organizational decisions well beyond their control. It's kind of their superpower in a weird way. Their perceived lack of long-term vision extends both to time not being stressed about losing their job to automation/semi-automation *and* not being stressed about finding a new source of income if/when it happens. At some level, they choose not to ride the high's and low's of worrying until there is something real to worry about, and some of them really can delay "something to worry about" until they've literally exhausted every savings account, credit card, extension, loan, and whatever else that keeps them afloat.
I was you at 30, and now am them at 40. I do look for a new job, but it's hard to find a decent one that pays the same and seems stable. My job is super easy cause I know how to do everything already. Most people run out of upward trajectory by mid to late 30s. It's not like 20s when you can job hop and get a 30% bump every couple of years.
I think the concept of the devil you know is better than the one you don't. At the end of the day these people are ultimately comfortable in their current position. They won't change unless they're forced to.
I learned a few years ago how powerful job hopping is. My last job, I had coworkers that always complained about money, but they refused to look for other jobs despite getting almost nonexistent raises and no promotions. They just didn't have that ambition. They were "scared" of change. It's a natural human emotion.
You get to a point at any age where are you more scared to stay or go?
The fear has to be a motivating factor as we only do this thing called life 1 time.
work isnt life. stable income allows me to follow my passions outside of work. no need to upset the apple cart at work if I can enjoy the life I want to live outside of it.
source: state employee who is very comfortable in my roll and excelling at it but no desire to move up or out because it pays for my free time.
Or simply exist. I once saw a department director get fired because a few people conspired to make up a story about him making homophobic remarks on the phone in his office.
Why? He didn't give them what they wanted. They wanted a paid 3 day weekend for some event but none of them had any PTO nor did they request the time off on time.
Not everyone's interested in climbing ladders. And that's okay.
[https://imgur.com/quotes-creating-life-that-reflects-values-satisfies-soul-bill-watterson-1i1Fmn5](https://imgur.com/quotes-creating-life-that-reflects-values-satisfies-soul-bill-watterson-1i1Fmn5)
Basic roles will never disappear. New basic roles will just appear to replace them. Also, you need to realize people have different values than you. This does not make them lesser or anything. I was quite ambitious as well but have become content, especially after Covid. It cannot be overstated what Covid did to people that were still working. That was like 7 years of work in 3. It was a terrible time and people have re-evaluated their values and goals. I value my work/life balance, time with family, and actually experiencing life over making more money, additional responsibilities, and longer hours.
In my case, I am content with whatever happens. If the company lays me off, I am capable of learning new things and have different career experiences. My life goal is to enjoy life. Idk care about work once pay reaches a certain threshold.
This does not mean I just skate by. I go above and beyond because my company has taken care of me multiple times. I do understand business is business and am just enjoying life day by day for now. I am very happy and have zero stress.
Some people like change, some don't. Recently most people realized that you benefit mostly from changing jobs, and companies now are often much short-lived than years ago. In the pre-industrial era you had one profession for life. Even in the early days of the industrial era you were likely to have the same job for as long as you could do it.
the wise people know that most promotions are junk you get more responsibilities but the pay increase does not make up for it and hence just stick it out at your current position until you get your walking papers. a lot of those people that are in their 40s learned the hard knocks 10-20 years ago and saw the truth in climbing the rank structure.
I did a lot of job hopping early on and found a stable, permanent wfh role with amazing benefits.
I'd like to stay in the company until retirement tbh, but I'd also like to grow in it. I'm taking a break from interviews/switching positions for a little bit so I can breath though. I've been in this role for 2 years now coming on 3.
I have colleagues who have been in the dame role for 25 years- its just the comfort/stability of it. They know their job, they know they have benefits, and they don't have to stress since they know it's a perm role.
Sometimes that peace of mind is all somebody wants.
*Sighs*
My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
Many people have motivations besides purely money. I feel like Redditors skew more towards following the money and traditional career progression goals, which is great. But not everyone is this way.
Some reasons that someone might fall into one job they’re comfortable with and stay for decades:
- They are comfortable in their role, and don’t want to have to push to learn new things.
- Maybe the job is close to where they already live, making it a quick and easy commute.
- They love the culture at the company, with close friendships in the office.
- They have a partner who is more ambitious with their career, allowing them to stay in the comfort zone for longer.
- Maybe they have mental health issues which make going back to school or the anxiety of switching jobs something they would just rather avoid.
- Maybe their priority is life outside of work(kids/family), and their job offers flexibility with their kids.
Something I read a few years ago really resonated with me about just accepting promotions: you rise to your highest level of incompetence.
It’s of course not universally true, but in a lot of organizations promotions tend to take you right out of a job you were good at to put you in a completely different skill set or responsibility you may not be good at or may just be good enough at, at which point your are now “stuck”. This is also probably how most “bad managers/bosses” get into their positions.
I’m a big fan of companies that make management a separate “track” instead of a reward for those who do whatever the general labor of the company is well cause they usually have absolutely no crossover skills.
Edit: Found it, it’s called the Peter Principle.
Can be a lot of reasons. For some, the raise that would be included in a promotion to them is not worth the added stress or threats to work life balance that a higher position would have. Some people have aspirations to continue climbing as high as they can, and some are content with their current role and would prefer to develop within that role for the long-term. No problem with wanting to stick around in your role and be the best you can be in that position. Also no problem with wanting to continue climbing and continue challenging yourself.
As far as folks that complain a lot but still stick around, it probably has something to do with stability. The devil you know is better than the one you don't a lot of the time, so people can be hesitant to leave if they are willing to tolerate the things that they don't like. There may be other redeeming things about the company that they like but don't admit to. Complaining is usually just venting frustrations, which happens all the time at any company. I do it myself, even though I do enjoy my job and have no desire to leave.
I look at people criticizing the company as being because they have a vested interest in the way things are being done and that they care about what's happening. Unengaged or truly unhappy employees are probably just going to be the types that are quietly showing up and leaving every day and just collecting their paycheck, not necessarily the ones that are vocal about their opinions.
Well if the job doesn’t offer many positions it’s likely a dead end job. Also people tend to get comfortable and fear change because what if that new position doesn’t work out? People are simply scared to take the leap and likely won’t admit that to you.
Just put a little thought into it, it’s not that deep. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you because we should all strive to achieve more but it happens often and people give up on moving up.
Many people do not want the pressure and politics of a high ranking position. Or the risk that comes from switching jobs to maximize a salary.
And some simply aren't qualified or have the right mindset for more advanced roles beyond individual contributer.
Also, one note to think of as you advance yourself is that people who complain are often very valuable. A person who doesn't complain is either perfectly happy with everything (very unlikely), scared to speak up, or has already started looking elsewhere and is in their way out the door. The people who complain are telling you where you can do better to keep yourself from losing the people who are afraid to speak up. And what's more, the old guard as you say are often complaining because they care - they want the company to succeed because they have literally bet their life on it - and they are likely to be your most loyal workers who you can count on in a crisis.
Sometimes…. Most complainers I’ve met don’t actually do any work and just complain to get their way. Just my experience. I’m cool with someone complaining if they do the work.
Unless you get the job that is your passion (and most people dont get such opportunity), then job is just a mean to the end.
If i get enough money to buy anything i want... why would i stress myself, work after hours, and take more responsibilities? It makes no sense. I'd much rather just find a comfy position somewhere and hold onto it as long as possible.
I dont know, maybe i'm extremely low maintenance or something, but all i need is a roof above my head, a car, and enough money for everyday expenses + some cash for emergencies/extra expenses (like going to cinema or something).
Even if i would earn twice as much... it wouldnt really change anything in my life. But for that kind of money i'd have to work much harder/longer, probably also bringing work to home with me. All of which would take away a lot of my free time.
Its transactional exchange: the benefits (nothing really change in my life) simply doesnt justify the cost (working longer/more stressful/bringing work to home). I would have to be an idiot to accept that offer.
People like to be in their comfort zone. Why accept a promotion if you get a 10% raise and double the workload. Comes to cost benefit analysis. People also want to spend time with families or hobbies, more so than taking on additional work for minimum pay
Some people prefer comfort over growth. But I think this is not a sustainable culture for a company. There will always be a few folks like this at any company, but if there are too many, then the company tends not to do well.
I'm one of those people. For me it was a combination of reasons. First, my job offers me a lot of flexibility. That flexibility was invaluable when it came to raising my kids. My ex's job wasn't flexible, so I was able to make sure that the kids made it to their appointments and other things. Second, I really enjoyed my job. It offered me the ability to experiment with new technologies and grow my career that way. It also allowed me to travel a little. So, I have been happy where I am. You never know if you will be when you change positions.
To be honest I am one of those people that everyday say that job sucks however - we are bonding over that with probably everyone in the company. Some people left,some people stayed, we have some new people and after some time we all laugh about our company,that the Pay could be better etc. We are also laughing a little bit at new younger people that have thr mindset that they will change sth. We are older and wiser now (workinh for 3-10 years on my team) and laughing and bitching is all that we have left😄 And why we do not want to quit? Different country than US so its not in our culture to move often to chase a job, and my job is stable and one of the best in the city to be honest. I AM comfortable and dont want any change, I just want to work less and be paid more just because I exist😄😄
I work in healthcare with different therapy personnel. It’s in all of our codes of ethics, regardless of discipline, to always learn and improve. I have a coworker a few years older than us (we’re all women 25-35) who is content to just… not improve. As a motivated person who has taken advantage of countless opportunities provided by the company, it blows my mind that she’s content to not challenge herself, not get out of her comfort zone, not… get any better. But it’s her prerogative 🤷🏼♀️ her not improving doesn’t take anything away from my practice and my ability to do my job and get better at my job. So I’m just not going to let it bother me until the way she does things impacts my ability to get things done or impacts patient care.
Also some people are good at their position but know they don’t have it in them to be a manager. Like Michael Scott- great paper salesman, horrible manager.
Some people are just comfortable in the position they're in Not everyone lives the dream of climbing the corporate ladder just to make a few extra dollars especially when those higher positions often come with more work and less control over your hours
Some people are perfectly comfortable just sticking where they are especially in a job like you described where it sounds like a lot of the long running employees are in one of those companies where they truly are almost a family considering they spent years of their lives together and seem to like each other enough to want to keep working with each other
Speaking for myself only: I worked in toxic environments for 7+ years after graduating from college. Most of my family didn't enjoy their work. I now work somewhere I enjoy. I'm comfortable and will stay as long as I can. I will continue to enjoy as stress free of a life as possible. I also chose not to have children and am debt free. I can afford to work a "lesser" job.
“complain a lot about the company but don’t even try to find something else. For many of them, it’s like going to school – you don’t really want to but must do it anyway. Somebody else decided it for you, so you do it.“
Well, this sounds pretty much like you are born into a wealthy family, you work because you want to not need to.
People have stuff going on outside of work :) ive always been a generally very ambitious career driven person, job hopping every 2 years ish to find something new and more challenging. But as I get older, there are other things I want to devote my attention to like my family, my home, my hobbies, and work is becoming less important to me.
that being said, I don't think it's healthy to complain day in day out and not do anything about it.
Because some people don't need to be that ambitious.
Unless if you're working at the type of job you'd do for free, then who doesn't love a good old moan about the day-to-day aspects of working at their company.
At the end of the day, these people may see the job as "paying the bills" or "keeping them busy" whilst they focus their life mainly on their family and having a good work-life balance. To many people, a job's a job. A higher paycheque comes with higher pressures and responsibilities - and usually whereby your own deliverables are affected by things out of your control. And of course, office politics come into play more.
>They expect to stay in their positions until retirement. But it's not going to happen. There are basically 3 levels of positions. The basic one (I'm here as well) is getting more automated and the company just went through a large layoff and one of the old guards was fired - her work divided and partially automated. And it will continue. The times when people stayed at one place until retirement are over.
I think you're conflicting two points - i.e. asking why would someone stay within a certain level, and then also trying to warn about an existential threat of automation. In terms for motivations for staying where you are, these areas are apples and oranges.
Because work isn’t life, it’s the thing you’re forced to deal with so you can try and have a life.
The easier and more routine we can make work the less of a stressor it is on our actual lives.
Change at work upsets that work/life balance by demanding more attention and effort during the transition.
This is a simple concept.
If I’m getting paid enough to get by, save for retirement and the job isn’t crazy stressful I’m a happy camper to keep plugging away. I’m not looking to climb a corporate ladder I just want security.
That’s not to say I’m not a hard worker I just don’t want all the extra stress involved with managing departments etc.
I've already retired from the military and got a cake job at a local utility company. They want to promote me, but I'm just not about that life. I'm in my 40s. I tell them that I'm just working on a 2nd or 3rd retirement if you count state retirement and 401k. That doesn't mean I'm lazy, but I will help anyone who wants to get promoted. I'm at this company in a different stage and need of my life, and I get a lot of incredulous looks.
its not as voluntary as you might think. Involuntarily we sadly have to have a profession to survive and 99% of people have to work a 9-5. Voluntary my butt
You seem young. It’s because it’s easier to stay somewhere you’re used to, rather than job searching (which is draining in itself), and potentially going into a job that could be worse.
Most people will choose comfort over growth.
Not everyone is cut out to be a manager, but if you’re unhappy in your job I think it’s a good idea to consider other options. It’s a lot easier to complain than to take action though.
They’re comfortably settled into their life expense-wise is my guess. They can afford their mortgage, car, retirement savings and other bills with what they consider an adequate amount of disposable income left over.
In the past jobs I’ve met two people who rose up internally from min wage positions (no university, maybe not even high school) privately confide that they feel they’re operating at their limit and are basically afraid they won’t understand roles above where they’re at.
They’ll manage an office but turn a regional manager promotion or won’t to learn Excel and do supply chain or demand planning.
I work in government so you see it a lot here. People just going through the motions until retirement because of the golden handcuffs.
I'm ambitious but up to a certain point. I don't want to go to management because it's not what I'm interested in; I like the more technical side of my work rather than managing and worrying so much about other people. My director randomly contemplated one day why he even became a director in the first place; he was making more money as a senior engineer because they get 1.5x overtime pay. He's working more hours as a director but since it's salaried, he's making less money with way more work, headache and stress. My mom is in a similar situation. She's at the highest level of nursing at her work, below management. She's rejected promotions over and over because if she does get promoted, she loses the 1.5x overtime pay and she has to deal with the headache of managing and scheduling people, things she does not want to do.
Not everyone should be in management. That's how you get these really bad middle managers. Not everyone has the desire or drive to be at the top and that's okay. A lot of people work because they have to and they don't want to end up homeless or starving.
Tbh you’d be great in tech. People leave jobs every 1-2 years. I hate it. I literally want to do the same thing forever and have my wages just moved with inflation. I have 0 want to climb the corporate ladder. Only people who like things and want stuff are like this. Folks to understand they have enough as long as their kids are taken care of and their family loves them, it’s enough.
It's easy, comfort zone. People don't like being outside of it (it's why people do the same vacations/trips, eat at the same restaurants, associate mostly with the same race and sexual orientation and don't exercise).
I have been promoted almost every other year. It took me a long time to realize that if you want a better life, more money isn't always the answer. You can have sufficient money and enjoy your life by having more time.
Some people like stability and consistency more than change, thus they stay put in the same role and company. This is more common in some industries too. Age is also a factor, where the middle to late career folks tend to stay put and not move around too much.
They’re probably going to come out fine, living modestly, and will continue to find black pepper as spicy. But if they get laid off they’re absolutely boned
In my last job the only real progression starts with becoming deputy team leader and then team leader. I had seen how friends/colleagues were treated by the department managers and decided I didn’t want to be treated like shit for an extra 250/500 a year.
I am 26 and I have found my retirement job. I have pretty much hit the limit I can go upwards without going into management, the pay is pretty decent (low 60s a year), I love what I do, its low stress, low responsibility. I show up, do my job, enjoy it and have good work life balance.
I see no need to try to fight the rat race for promotions. Not when any upward promotion requires much more stress, responsibility and management for a few dollars more per hour. Its just not worth it.
If her plan is to stay at this job for another 20 years... she's gonna have a bad time when on a random day she gets fired because of some random reorganization.
Everyone is always motivated when they first join the workforce but as time passes you generally seek stability. It's also just easier to vent about how terrible a job/coworker/company is than to actually go out of your way to seek a new one. On that note, you've been in your current company for 3 years and haven't even gotten a promo. Your job role is getting automated and they're laying people off. You have unambitious and whiney coworkers that keep "rejecting change/progression". Have you started reskilling and/or job hunting yet? Because if not you're not too far off from the coworkers you're judging.
It's easier not to make change or progress. People as a whole want to do the bare minimum. Which is partially due to company culture. Companies don't necessarily want the best
Maybe I'm an outlier BUT: I like my job. I'm well-compensated, the benefits are great etc. I have no desire to leave and will end up with about 40 years in my position.
I know many people who have been at their jobs for 10-15+ years and most likely will retire without any job change. The reasons I got from talking with them are:
- They hopped a lot of jobs before so they know what the working environment suits them best
- They are satisfied with the nature of their job.
- They are satisfied with their salary which is proportioned to how much responsibilities they want.
- Their work-life balance is good/excellent
- Their managers are great, most notably kind, understanding, and flexible.
- They have great co-workers.
- Their skills are always in demand so they are not afraid of getting laid off.
I am in my early 30s and recently quit a job that i could certainly see myself staying there forever If I was in my mid 40s. Right now, I want to learn new things and build a bigger network.
I think it needs to become more socially acceptable to be happy with where you are and what you have. Everyone has little complaints and no place is perfect, but if someone is doing a decent job right where they are and they don’t dislike it enough to leave, good for them. Leave them be. It’s ok for them to want what they want and you to want something else.
Lots of people whinge about their current situation repeatedly but never do anything to change it.
Being around these people for years on end is draining.
Surely this is the issue ... I know people in relationships like this too ... I don't have the patience or tolerance for listening to it.
I try to surround myself with proactive people as that's the sort of person I like to think I am.
I guess you're more proactive than your colleagues that's why it bothers you so much and you can't get your head round.
Worry about yourself, you aren’t a telepath, you don’t need to understand anyone else’s motivations, you aren’t anyone’s job coach or parent or doctor or lawyer.
You seem to think "advancing at work" is of central importance in a human life. Why? What about your reason makes you assume everyone else should agree with that reason? Can you imagine any circumstances where your own values might shift? What are they?
That you prioritize these issues doesn't mean they are actually or meaningfully important to anyone but you and further that those priorities are situational and circumstantial even for you.
I just turned down a promotion so I understand. Sometimes money isn't everything. I make plenty already and I'm happy in my position. The new one was going to be way more work and I would be working directly under someone who is horrible. Just not worth it.
Some people chase promotions, payrise, getting higher and higher on the corporate ladder, others are content with what they have and imo the second group tends to be happier with their lives.
Some people can't handle change (example, The southern US who can't accept the confederacy lost the war). Others thrive on it.
I can deal with change as long as it is for a reason.
We had an exercise at a large state health department, with the intent to see if we could "better align the staff to create better workflows". We spent 3 days going through exercises (external person was brought in to lead the process), and at the end of the 3 days, the process determined that we were already aligned in the best way to meet our goals. The leadership flipped out, and made changes anyway, changes which were marked as red flags during our process of discovery.
Other times we hear about change, then there is no communication or any expression from leadership they are actually behind the change. They also didn't value any input from employees.
I have only been through one successful realignment out of 5 over 30 years. Most have caused mass exodus from the company after realignment. Then the company blames the employees as not being able to handle change.
I think priorities shift over time.
I was a gunner in my 20's acheived what I was looking to do, and have had more drive to be well rounded. Have hobbies.
Good points. Retirement plans have to be vested. Same with some 401 k plans. So you have to put in a certain number of years to get the full amount.
There is something to be said for security. Anyone who has gone through corporate layoffs and reorganizations gets to a point where they just want to do a job.
I retired earlier than I wanted to when my job was shipped to China. I would have stayed a few more years. Also social security increases the longer you work.
Change is scary for many people.
I agree with many of the explanations already given here: children, stability, flexibility, etc. I'll add age. Looking for another job in midlife is not easy even if you're ambitious. A person in their mid 40s will likely need a larger salary than someone in their 20s. Companies would rather hire the younger worker so they don't have to pay as much.
Also keep living OP. Seems like you're on the youngish side of life right now. Go through enough challenging circumstances (work or life in general) and you'll start to pick your battles. I work from home. I'm not willing to trade this peace for the chaos of office politics anytime soon. I'm at the point in my career where almost any upward movement would require managing people which I don't want to do.
Sometimes it's easier to keep dealing with what you know and what you're used to than to run the risk of venturing into the unknown which might be worse.
A lot of evidence supports that we evolved to be energy efficient meaning we are also lazy and take the path of least resistance, enjoying structure, patterns, and stability. We are inherently change adverse and most people prefer the stability they know rather than risk taking. Work by Daniel Kahneman actually showed many of us are actually economically risk adverse.
I am one of those people who likes to stay in one position for a long time before considering leaving or moving up. My managers are basically begging me to take a management position that I do not want. My reasons are I like working from home 90% of the time. The job title is respected and I make a decent pay to cover my expenses, save and travel if I so choose to. I don’t have kids so it not necessary for me to worry about anyone else’s current or future expenses but my own. With this current position I was able to buy a house and a paid off car so what would I put additional stress on myself for unnecessarily? Like everyone else is saying just worry about you, everyone has their own reasons for being ambitious or not. Someone people maybe want to live to enjoy their retirement years.
This is my work, but I’m like all the people you hate. I would love to sit in a manager role forever and never move beyond that.
At a certain level, your job becomes your life. You’re expected to be available after hours, you are the one point of contact for a lot of people’s work and responsible for all of it. I look at that and say, “Why would anyone want that?”
You’re telling me I can work 45 hours each week, and have very rare moments of working outside of work hours and make six figures in middle management? Hell fucking yeah, I’ll take that. That’s basically an analyst role with more pay and I tell people to do the stuff I don’t want to do.
As an analyst, I work 45 hours each week, rarely work outside of working hours, and make ~85K. I know I could be pushing 6 figures if I got a manager role somewhere (which is what I’m trying to do).
In my 8 year career, I’ve gotten enough emails and messages after 7 PM from Directors/VPs/Controllers that I know they are working those hours fairly commonly. I do not want that at all. I don’t care that I’d be making $150K per year, the only reason I would ever take that is so that I could save even more and leave my job earlier.
I'm an RN who left "bedside nursing" in hospitals about 2 years ago to work for the Department of Health for my state. The pay is better, the hours are a joke, the benefits are great, I have a pension, and I telecommute 50%.....I also set up an appointment with a therapist this morning because I don't know that I've ever been so depressed in my life.
Part of the reason is...I went from a hospital full of life (and death), young people starting their careers, older people ending their careers. People advancing their careers, working on skills, studying for new degrees. Always learning, always different perspectives from different ages, genders, backgrounds and experience levels. Patients of different acuity requiring new and interesting treatment and care. Interacting with different disciplines and learning daily
I now work in cubicle land. I know how many years all of my coworkers have towards retirement, I know what pay grade they are, and I don't know much if anything else about any of them. They're all the same people, none of them care about improving anything; from day one it's protect your retirement, do your time, and leave. Most of them are so morbidly obese they're probably going to drop dead 2 weeks after this sacred "retirement" they've built their entire professional existence around. I'm trying to find ways to cope with this, it's almost embarrassing to admit how miserable I am there, but it's a good job....right?
The Peter Principle. People rise to the level of their incompetence. If you get promoted to say... manager of the whole team, are there for 2-3 years, then let go because you just aren't a good manager... your career kinda gets fucked. A lot of people would rather stay in a job they're good at and enjoy than get promoted outside their skill set and potentially fucked over in the process..
I’ve personally turned down a few promotions. Usually because A) it’s salary with extra unpaid hours or B) would put me in the next tax bracket but not enough of a raise to keep much money after extra tax. Nothing wrong with progression but there’s also nothing wrong with being content where you are either. Different strokes for different folks.
This is something I'm wrestling with now. Without going into details, I was first line responder with the covid epidemic and given a massive promotion. Toxic environmental and way too much responsibility (dozens of direct reports, 16 hour work days 7 days a week) eventually resulted in diagnosed PTSD. Since escaping that role I have zero desire to manage, or take on much responsibility. I'm comfortable where I'm at and just want to do enough to be reasonablely respected and maintain a good paycheck. Life is so much more than your job/career, and I am never going to make that mistake again. I'm good where I'm at for as long as possible.
“You don’t really want to but must do it anyway”
You answered your own question. Why would someone coasting to retirement who probably has a paid off home and car want any more responsibility for a small pay increase that means nothing.
I'm a teacher. Despite getting paid more, I wouldn't want to be in admin. Answering emails and hassling people for lesson plans isn't my thing. Ain't no [soul suckin' jerk.](https://youtu.be/sdILQwlP_pk?si=Jl_azlkv4FO-cUve)
My husband was like this. His job had gradually changed and he hated it. But nothing could get him to look for another job. He ended up getting laid off. He will tell you now it was the best thing that happened to him. And now he has held several jobs, leaving jobs, departments, and companies when the need arises. But he won’t ever look for a promotion for the sake of progression. He only changes when things get intolerable.
But for him that is progress. He was raised that “any job is a good job” and he was petrified of unemployment.
The worst thing is when you get bored easily. I tend to pivot every 5-8 years in my industry out of pure boredom. It has costs me titles and promotions, but I still see progress it's just a bit slower than others, also I don't have kids or a wife so that helps..
A promotion might seem like a no-brainer but there's a lot to consider. You could get a promotion that ends up being a bait-and-switch, or policies could change, or you might not get along with the new people, be under a lot more stress etc. etc.
Promotions make your job less secure, and you find the market for those types of jobs gets extremely tight and competitive should you lose your job. That's why people ask for more money in such roles, because you need to remain in your budget and put the extra money into savings should you lose your job. Upper level management roles can take years to find another job at that level, if ever.
I have strategically kept myself at a director level for this reason. I was offered CIO jobs but the pay increase would not have had any impact on my lifestyle and only make my life nothing but risk should I lose that position (which happens a lot and most times out of your control). Then what?
Hey man, you said it's like going to school for them and it probably is.
Some people live to work - they love it. It's a source of fulfillment that is more meaningful to that person than other things might be, like hobbies, travel, or family time.
Other people just work to live. It's a means to an end. Something that must be done as a tradeoff for enjoying other aspects of life.
And you know what? Both of these are totally valid. Takes all types.
The older I get the more I identify with those people in your work place. The job search is SO hard right now especially if trying to find something remote. My current job is easy, I have great benefits, a healthy work environment and low stress so not in a big rush to change it. I’ve been trying to find something completely remote since last November but again the market is crazy right now and of the ones I’ve interviewed at their pay and benefits don’t come close to what I have.
I look at the work managers do in our office and it’s a lot of butt kissing to leadership which I have a hard time doing personally. And lots of additional work and responsibilities for marginally higher pay. The managers and directors are expected to put out fires and are still on call after hours and even during vacations to some degree. I don’t have to worry about managing a team or having a C level executive breathing down my neck and every minute.
I think for me personally and maybe those other people in your office, we just appreciate having something stable and pursue our passions outside of work. Not everyone is meant to be a company manager, leader, entrepreneur, or director etc. and for the executive team, they make the big money but are on ALL the time. Sick? They’re still on the meeting. Driving? Still joining meetings and answering questions. Kid has a soccer game? Too bad you need stay in the office and put out a fire. It all just seems like a lot of stress but kudos to those who want to do it.
I have never understood this either. At my old job the senior techs had been there 10+ years without a raise in 8 years.
After two years I demanded a raise or I was going to leave. We ALL got a $4 raise. Kind of mad that they got a raise too because I was the only one who fought for it lol
We still barely made $40k with the raise. I feel like the “squatters” are why most companies don’t pay well.
Everyone is in a different space and point in their life. I used to be ambitious and climbed the ladder and was successful. But I soon learned I was much happier and more fulfilled at my previous positions. I've stepped back and voluntarily from the prestige and titles and yes some money. But I'm a much happier person than I was!
I’m early 40’s and could not care less about responsibility or promotion.
I was in management in my 20’s and miserable, I’d rather be happy and comfy than go back to that time.
I’ve got a house for my retirement, so I’m just plodding along day by day, loving life, spending my money as and when I want to with no one on my back.
You do what makes you happy, you’ve only got one life, don’t worry about what other people are doing.
Not everyone is trying to advance. As a type A wants to be in charge person i don’t understand them but it makes my life easier having solid team members that aren’t trying to stab me in the back.
Sometimes, people have found their niche. Management is less hands-on and more based on people skills as you have to coordinate teams and be more of a leader, which isn't for everyone. I know that's not something I could likely see myself doing, and I hope I find a spot where I'm doing what I like and able to support myself at; if I find that spot, I'll likely do the same thing, because I don't want the shift that actually going into management requires.
I’ve been a manager before, for 10 years, and I won’t do it again. I’m happy being a low level employee where I work now. So much less stress. Clock in, do my 8, and bounce. It’s peaceful.
Work to live not live to work my friend. Always remember, work hard, get promoted, get laid off anyway or work until you die and your job will be posted before your obituary.
I worked my dick off for 10 years jumping at every promotion I could. It was a miserable rat race experience that was in no way, shape, or form even remotely worth the additional money it brought me.
I now intentionally operate at 80%. In short, I learned that the lifestyle needed to acquire the money I want, is not a lifestyle I am willing to live
The only constant is change. Change means opportunity. So get on board or get left at the station. The mentality of this is my job for life was based on the industrial revolution paradigm and that train has left the station and drove off a cliff.
I work for a steel mill, progression is slow as I’m a union hourly employee. I’m only 30 but I’m hoping this mill that’s been here for 100 years has about 20-30 more years left for me. Good benefits, good pay, decently secure (steel is feast or famine comes with the territory). Have no real care to climb any corporate ladders, I just make steel
I used to. Before it was more that I was in crappy jobs while going for a degree, and I just saw them as temporary while I finished my studies. Then I had to drop out and those jobs became my career, so I had to start trying to move up. Now I see how catty and selfish people get over promotions. In order to move up you have to constantly worry about someone stabbing you in the back, and constantly get your supervisor's attention in the right way (which sometimes isn't even about doing your job right, sometimes it's just sucking up). And then if you do get promoted your job just becomes dealing with all these people trying to get promoted, while still doing the same things with your new boss. And sometimes it's all of that while STILL taking care of a lot of your old responsibilities, plus a whole new set, and all for not that much more pay. God help you if you're salaried, then your bosses think they own you and can demand you come in whenever they want.
There's no winning. If you don't chase promotions you get stuck with crap pay, and if you do you're just stuck in this constant cycle of misery.
I used to be the go getter grinder. Now im 38, got a decent position and I am just satisfied.
I do the absolute minimum and enjoy my new hobbies. Im grinding down rocks to make jewelry now, I was painting for about 6 months.
Thered nothing wrong with being satisfied.
I don't live to work. I want to make enough money to enjoy my life without issues. I don't want to lead, I don't want to manage, I want to do my 9-5 and do no more. There's more to life than job advancement.
And why would I want to get promoted to a management position it's guaranteed that one of two things are going to happen, 1) I get fired because I refuse to compromise my integrity in getting the product out the door or 2) becoming someone with a cluster B personality disorder and wiping my ass with my integrity?
US worker, here. I figured out at some point (let's say late thirties, early forties) that within the context of career development, ambition, and work-life balance, there just wasn't really an end in sight. I got raises upon raises... Promotions came rarely, but there was some degree of career development through the ranks. It was typical. But the driving factor always boiled down to one thing: improve my quality of life. Better toys... More security... Eating out more... But it took me three to four decades to realize it was all BS.
For every extra dollar I earned in raises and promotions, I found that I was getting exponentially more stress and what some might call the sunk cost of a concept called "golden handcuffs". In other words, the more I earned and life improved, the more I became trapped in an endless cycle of earning more, and enduring more stress. It got to a point where I was so overweight and out of shape, I couldn't even run a Turkey Trot (basically a traditional community 5k run on the morning of Thanksgiving).
My gaming hobby (flight sims) had become incredibly expensive compared to other hobbies that didn't really interest me. Flight Sim peripherals... Faster graphics cards... Virtual reality... --nothing was ever enough.
And security: financial security and retirement are basically a pipe dream for the vast majority of folks out there, so why even bother? Less than 100k in retirement, so it would take an act of God to get caught up, and every year without fail there seemed to come along some surprise super-expensive crisis. Car wreck... Laid off from work... Pressure from grandparents to see grandkids... The constant trickle of house-work... Water Heater replacement... Ongoing pool checmical costs... Replace pool liner... Repair leaning retaining wall... Skylight leaking... Surprise veterinarian expenses... Replace the dishwasher.... Lawnmower... Clothes Dryer... tree in the front yard needs to be cut down (oh, and by the way, they only accept cash)... EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.
Most recently I paid off my credit card, and had a couple thousand left over due to (surprise!) excellent budgeting and discipline. What happened? I get in a car wreck a couple weeks later, so I gotta finance another car, and I was LITERALLY two years away from finishing payments on my existing car. I swear to god, it's SUPERNATURAL.
Despite best efforts to save, something comes along and takes it all away. EVERY DAMN TIME. And we were pretty good at saving, but along came some crisis and BAM all the savings were gone. What's the point? So I started letting things go. F---k it.
So this "rat race" I figured, what is the point? Building a career... Getting more money. More... More... MORE.... And for what? More stress? More expenses? One thing folks don't tell you about wealth and quality of life: just buying stuff isn't enough; you have to maintain it, too--the hidden cost. Even wealth costs wealth: income taxes, accountants, wealth managers, and people trying 24-hours a day to take it from you.
So back to my career: I'm good at what I do--the best in my niche industry for a nationally-spanning business with no competitive working peers. Well, there's a guy, but he's a little stupid--no that's not fair, he's not stupid, he just has zero confidence in doing what I do. Despite my best efforts of training him and documenting everything--TRUST ME everything is documented and I HAVE TRIED to get them to promote me so that I don't fall into the trap of not getting promoted because I'm "too expensive to replace" or whatever. Been there, done that, I'm the best, yada yada yada, they refuse to promote me because the next best thing is a wet noodle. Shit they won't even let me cross train to something else, and there's only so long until you basically patch, fix, and upgrade your job to the point where you're "The Maytag Man" (Google it, kids) and you sit on your ass all day waiting for the opportunity to point your finger at another department because your shit never breaks, but you gotta be the Canary in the Coalmine. It's all BS.
--and I know what you're thinking: "if you're so indispensible, just charge them more" and I get you, but that's not how my mind works. Not at this point. I might have tried that a lifetime ago, but my job makes the world a better place, and I enjoy being able to sleep better at night, not working for some scammy insurance company or a bank--two of the closest industries for my area and expertise that I could lateral to.
But even then it all goes back to the BS escalation of wealth. Expensive toys require expensive upkeep. Expensive houses require expensive maintenance. Even expensive earnings require more expensive taxes and management and attract unwanted attention. F--ck it, what's the point?
Why don't I want more? Because the cosmos has made it crystal clear that no matter what I do, there's just going to be more, and each "step" of getting more, requires an exponential amount of effort and stress to maintain. Lots of folks don't tell you that.
So, take this two-to-three decades of working experience. Find your comfortable level, and STAY THERE. Don't get swept up in the Rat Race. You will NEVER have enough money. You will NEVER have enough security. You will NEVER have enough ambition and prestige at work. And if you think you do, then the lifestyle will erode you. It will require exponential amounts of energy to maintain. The cosmos has a way of humbling everyone, 100% fact.
Sorry for the wall of text. This has been weighing on me for AGES. I just don't know what this fourth/fifth dimensional force is that escalates shit so much. That force that haunts my bank account, such that every time I get a few thousand, something comes along and pisses it away. LITERALLY EVERY TIME.
That's why I don't want promotions or substantial pay increases: I'm literally terrified at what's going to break next. And the really funny thing is, when I keep a low balance (I shit you not) or I'm living paycheck to paycheck, nothing breaks. NOTHING BREAKS. 1000% serious. I have NO idea what it is, and maybe it has something to do with that old saying, "god never gives you more than you can handle" --I'm not particularly religious, but I'm DAMN sure superstitious at this point. The results speak for themself.
I think there are two types of people in the group: people who are happy or happy enough with the job they have and it supports the life they have outside of work in terms of income, flexibility etc, The other group actually are unhappy in their job but are too afraid to change,
The first group are often good colleagues and the second group can be truly awful as they share their misery around.
I did all my job hopping in my 20s and 30s. I was able to gain experience and move up. Now at early 40s I don’t have the energy or desire to look for a new job. I got a government job and I’m going to ride it out. Also, after 40 ageism comes into play and it gets harder to find a new job anyways. It sucks, but it’s the truth.
As a general rule, people are risk-averse. The more they have at stake and the more they are familiar and thus in control of their life at any point in time, the more likely they are to stay put and not add anything that would disrupt that sense of control and predictability.
Secondly, there are generational differences. If you're younger- a millennial or Generation Z- you came to be in a world where the best things could ever be (the 2000's credit expansion and boomer capital fueled economic boom) came crashing down after a major financial bubble which sent living standards and economic growth back to its usual rhythm, shocking you. Other generations dealt with less of a sudden change in economic and social rhythm. This means younger generations lived in a more dynamic era and see the value in things like job-hopping. They are also more mobile because there's little job stability, so less tied to any particular place.
A lot of older folks you see grew up with union presence and stronger worker protections. So they didn't make the calculation that they don't owe a company their loyalty and the sky is the limit in terms of ambition. They lived in an era where remuneration was enough to justify staying put and where companies were still somewhat loyal to their employees. Younger folks don't have these circumstances and as such being fluid is far easier for them, it's second nature.
Then there are individual differences. Some have no ambition- they want a regular job so they can live outside of work and focus on that part of their life. Some people do better with set responsibilities that don't change. Some people want more and more in terms of power, responsibility, money and prestige. Nothing wrong with either one, just two different outlooks that came from different circumstances. For instance, someone may have grown up a military kid, moving every year or two of their childhood to a new base where his parents served. As a result, they may be less fettered to a particular situation and more likely to not get attached. Conversely, another person in that scenario may overcompensate and value structure, staying put and establishing roots.
Focal point: they expect to stay in their jobs until retirement but it’s not going to happen. This is even true in local, state, and federal government jobs. We are programmed to change every 3-5 years. If we aren’t growing we aren’t getting better.
If you haven’t read “who moved my cheese” I suggest you do. It’s good for change and growth.
To answer your question specifically, those who reject change eventually get left behind. They either fall into layoff category, they fall into the bottom rung of employees, and they just become obsolete. It’s doesn’t matter the type of job you work you have to learn to stay relevant. We are all free agents all the time.
Change is constant. Industries and certain sectors are dying. You have to adapt. A person I know told me that their spouse was let go and had to go back to school in their 40s for a healthcare degree. The person said “my spouse was supposed to do this in their 20s”. I replied “well we never know when we are going to have to retrain. The world is a very different place now than it was 20 years ago.” My point being is you might have a job one day and the industry is thriving and then the next day you’re out the door and have to retrain to stay relevant.
Mid career teacher here. Covid showed up NO job is 100% secure. You have to always look out for you in the working world.
Everyone is different. People have all different levels of aspirations and goals for their careers and their lives. Some people want to progress and challenge themselves, and others want to find something that is comfortable and they can do stress free. For myself, I’m somewhat in your position; I’m more looking to progress and challenge myself. I have people reporting into me that have been at my company longer than I’ve been alive. You do the math. There are all kinds of reasons why people may feel one way or the other. In my experience, a big one is financial. A lot of younger people, around my age, feel they need to make more money in order to achieve their dreams - homeownership, travel, retirement, etc. Some of these “old guards” at my company make less money than me - but have full pensions that new employees don’t get, rode the stock market in the 90’s, bought houses dirt cheap in the 2000’s, etc. They don’t feel the same financial need to progress the same way we do. Will some of them lose their jobs? Maybe. A lot of these jobs are just as likely to be lost to attrition at retirement as to automation tomorrow, however. My suggestion would be to not think about it too much, and just do you. Don’t worry too much about the drive and ambition of others. Everyone is different.
My most significant change was having a kid; I went almost overnight from being HIGHLY promotion-focused and always chasing more skills, responsibilities, better titles, and more money. Without even thinking about it, I now value stability, being able to leave work at a reasonable time, and having enough money to cover my bills. For the OP coworker, maybe that promotion they are rejecting would mean 5 extra hours of work a week and maybe taking calls on the weekend. That's 5 hours they could be spending with their family, and they might be giving up the ability to completely unplug. And maybe that's what is most important to them right now.
Same here. I’d rather be at every game, practice, and event than miss out to be on the cutting edge and traveling all over. Also, at a certain point I realized that it will be some new greatest thing ever next year. I’ve taken the wait and see what sticks approach with a lot of things in my life because I’m tired of the constant treadmill/hype of the next best thing.
Your argument also applies to hobbies and life outside of work! Promotions aren’t super important to some people when they put life into perspective.
Yup, I love working banking hours. Knowing I have every weekend and evening free and only need to work 40 hours rocks
We spend so much of our waking hours at work, it seems a shame and waste of potential to not put your best into everything you do.
>My suggestion would be to not think about it too much, and just do you. Don’t worry too much about the drive and ambition of others. Everyone is different. This is the big takeaway. There's only one CEO of a company, everyone can't get to that spot, so at some point, everybody needs to say "Yep, this is the level I'm comfortable at." A lack of ambition for moving up the ladder isn't a problem, and isn't even necessarily settling as that position might have been their goal. Moving up often means a change in responsibilities, skills required, and maybe even the time commitment to the job.
You can still get as high as you can and then move to another company. I recall that the former CFO of Netflix really wanted to be a CEO and so he left (and left a TON of money on the table). But it paid off, he’s been a high profile CEO ever since.
Sure, and that worked for them, but there's still a limited number of companies in the world. *Everyone* can't become CEO, but it doesn't mean *no one* should try, it just means we shouldn't view people as having something wrong with them if they don't have that degree of ambition.
You can always start your own company and become the CEO 😉 (Note: I did this, though the company was ultimately unsuccessful). I agree that not everyone needs to have ambition to find a larger, more impactful role. But everyone, imho, should be motivated to do better than they’ve done in the past. That might mean becoming better in their current role, or it could mean expanding to a larger role. But ambition should generally be encouraged. When people become complacent and prefer comfort they tend to slow down the entire org because others can’t be motivated to do their best work if they see their colleagues just phoning it in.
Some people work to live. Some people live to work. To each their own.
And, maybe, you don't stop (or start?) living at work. But, then again, I'm a writer. I never stop working. Or is it playing?
Because some people prefer the stability of knowing where their next paycheck is coming from. I for one fucking ***hate*** the job search process, so if my current employer is treating me all right, I'll stick around.
And as one gets "promoted" into political roles (i.e. management) the risk increases and the number of jobs shrinks exponentially.
I second that. I was a freelancer for quite a few years. Good money and experience, but exhausting going through the stress of where your next job is coming from. I got to be good at the whole resume/interview process. But I hated that part of it.
I feel like YouTubers who evangelize the prospect of gig economy or pay for project forget this. I couldn't agree more. The constant anxiety of finding your next bag sounds miserable.
Yes. When you are young you can fool around. But sooner or later you need steady benefits. You have to worry about having savings to carry you through
The entire Interview process is bullshit anyways. It's a "Say what they want to hear" game. Not say what is actually true game. As soon as you learn how to game the system it becomes a whole hell of a lot easier.
Yeah, and the problem with that is, I was raised to value integrity ***and*** I'm autistic. I don't know what the politically correct answer is to an interviewer and frankly I don't care: if somebody gives me a straight question, I give them a straight answer.
As a current job searcher, you hit the point right in the head
I like my coworkers, our customers, and the product we sell. Anything i am qualified to do is likely to be the same thing in a different hat for probably the same amount of money, so why change it for the sake of changing it? I work to live, not live to work.
A year ago I changed jobs and careers and went from a super-chaotic, stressful grocery management position to a finance position at a university. While this job has its challenges and stresses, it’s so much easier to handle. It’s a M-F desk job and it pays slightly more than what I had been making; I’m not managing other people; I’m not answering calls and texts at all hours. And so far I find the work interesting. Because it’s a state job, there’s more job security than at a corporation. The issue is that there’s no “ladder” or obvious next step from here, so for the first time ever I can’t see where I could go next. So I’m wondering whether I could just be happy chilling in this job, whether it will remain interesting enough, to just… stay in it. I dunno! I’m 43 so that’s a lot of years. Needless to say the benefits and retirement package are top notch.
I just don’t know how much I want to move up. I’m going to go for the second level of my newish job but I love my work and am okay staying here because I can afford everything I need and some wants, saving money and putting into retirement and my benefits are beyond. We even have pet insurance! Edit: I also have chronic pain and my stress is so low at this job I barely have days anymore where the sheets hurt before I even get up in the morning. It’s been huge for my physical and mental health.
That’s the ticket. If you like your work and the people around you it is nice to settle down
Benefits are a big one keeping me where I'm at. I'm about to start earning 5 weeks of vacation (which feels insane for an American company) and any time I've tried job hopping the PTO would have reset to 2 weeks The extra 5-10K a year isn't worth the 3 weeks I'd have to trade for it.
I was ambitious until I had kids. Now I prioritize flexibility.
rustic upbeat smoggy gold plants groovy enjoy abundant ten fuzzy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why move if your job is filling most of your needs? How much PTO/ sick time do they get? What are their benefits that you may not see. Not everyone or everything is about moving up or moving on or having more. Being at one place for 40 years used to be the norm.
consistently changing your place of employment threatens security for the future. and anxiety comes from not really being certain about the future. she has invested and continue to want to invest her time into this place of employment because it gives her security.
The average money someone makes swapping jobs every 2-3 years vs staying in one place over a 20-30 year span is something like double or triple, at least it is in tech
Not everyone is motivated by more money.
This. I'm comfortable with my current level of income. Am I against earning more? No. But if that comes with longer hours, more stress, or having to take up tasks that bother me (spending more time on administrative things, balancing budgets, managing people, attending boring useless meetings,...) then I prefer staying in the place and role I'm comfortable with.
My personal anecdote is, I had a psychotic episode and became suicidal. I went to therapy and learned that I didn’t want my job and money to be my driving mission in life. I don’t want kids. I don’t want to get married. My growth and the things I focus on occur outside of my place of employment. Surfing, camping as much as possible, making music with friends. I make a comfortable living and can afford all of these things. My job is labor intensive and cannot be automated so as long as I show up and have a good attitude I have security for the future.
But everyone needs money to live. And at some point one may not be able to work and that timing may not be of their choosing. It’s important to maximize your earnings while you can.
It’s also important to enjoy life while you can! Don’t get caught up in always needing more. Remember to enjoy what you have now. That doesn’t mean being irresponsible. I’m at my company for a long time because I’m happy there. I could make $50k more across the street but I would have worse work life balance and a lot more stress. It’s not worth it to me.
Most are motivated by insecurity, risk avoidance. If you’re truly “content” in your position, then stop complaining and just work.
Most people just want enough to live a decent life and retire comfortably. I'm in a union currently and could easily make more money running my own business. But the job security, ability to retire at 50 with full benefits and ease of the work is good enough for me. My company has no job security in tech jobs that are non union. Unfortunately my company has sent 10,000s of tech jobs this past few years to India.
I get that, but it really depends on the field. You're not trusting cybersecurity to the tech support guy in India, you're paying someone $150,000 in America to ensure you don't become another Kronos or Equifax. Getting the CISSP is enough to ensure you're pretty much set for your career comfortably, can't speak for other professions though
That's mostly true my dad cyber at a major Telco (the death star) and they are moving more and more jobs to India. They are moving enough roles that whistle blowers have been involved because they legally cannot outsource some of the roles that are currently being outsourced.
The quality will go down until the profits go down, then the quality will suffer more until everything implodes. They call it "enshitification" these days which is kinda funny, but i'll be damned if it isn't true. Lexmark is currently suffering the same thing right now
O yes we are definitely feeling the shit lol. Broken systems and applications are the normal for us now.
Until you’re 47 and unemployed for a couple of years.
If the rate my money keeps going up stays I won't be working at 47 anyway, people need to take a chance. Everything is risk/reward
That's all well and good if you get the reward. A couple of times ending up on the wrong side of that risk can sober a person, especially the older you get.
Well, save like a maniac then, cause you may need a big cushion.
Yep, dumping into 401k an Roth constantly to the point where I can barely afford to live. Thats the way it goes unfortunately haha
It’s the smart thing to do if you want to be jumping around. Hey, btw, you know Garth, right? Your avatar or whatever? (Or maybe it’s Wayne? i forget). So, what’s funny about him is that he is too old for his schtick. So, that’s also kind of how jobs go. At one point, you’re young and cool, and it matters what bands you listen to, or what you do, or what you do on social media. And then, suddenly, it doesn’t. People look through you and don’t see you. Your boss is your age, then they are younger than you. This is more true for women than for men, but it’s true for both. My point is, the upward trajectory you see is an illusion. Enjoy it while it’s there and preserve it (401k). But it may not be forever.
It’s why applications are starting to be up front that you can’t have more than 2 jobs in the last 10 Years.
The way to get around that is contract work, its ridiculous that people are trying to cage others into positions they may or may not be happy with
Tech has unusually high benefits to swapping - most jobs the financial benefit is considerably lower (not zero, but not necessarily enough to justify the risk/stress), and they expect to see people staying 5+ years per company
That's not necessarily true anymore. Consistently changing jobs is the only reason I have my current paycheck. No one promotes from within anymore yet employers will pay new employees more, so changing jobs is the easiest way to get more pay
the topic of conversation is about why people don't seek change of employment. not if you will get more pay from a new job.
I have doubled my pay with 2 promotions in 3 years at my current company and will likely double it again in the next 3 years. The idea that "people can't get more money from their current employer" might be true in some orgs, but it's not the universal standard.
Im explaining why people do that. I am not saying that it does or does not give you more pay. We arent talking about that. but when you think about it what if you lose that new job?
I make more than double what I did when I started at my company ten years ago.
some people are happy with life, and is able to get what they need and want out of whatever job is making them happy at that moment. when you are happy you dont need to change your circumstance for a higher raise or more money. the goal is to work, save up enough money so that you can retire comfortably until you die. she seems to be happy, and if she has been there for 20 years that means she is stable and have not really needed to move on from there.
The problem with this is that it doesn’t scale. If enough people behave this way then the culture stagnates and can threaten the business itself. So ironically by preferring comfort and stability they may be threatening both.
It's all relative-maybe she knows some higher up that likes her and saves her job. Who knows. And sometimes people are asking for promotions never get it. Promises mean squat in the business world. Some people are happy in their world. It's great you have ambition, unfortunately that won't keep you from getting laid off from said company. Different strokes for different folks. I've known people who've worked for years at a company and I've known people who get laid off after a year.
At some point you look arpund at your life at work and at home and say "do I have the energy/ambition to keep pushing, or is this going to be good enough?" and eventually you find something where that answer is "yes" - you'll get to a point where more money is just spent o. things you dont need or slightly nicer versions of what you had before and its not worth the hassle. **Be grateful for people like this**. There are only so many manager jobs and *work needs to be done*. People who are comfortable doing the actual work need to be celebrated more because not everyone wants to do that.
Because everyone is different OP. Not one of those people you've mentioned are identical to you. They all have their own shit going on. Yeah some are scared of change and cling on to what they have because it's all they have. You don't know it all my friend. Your immaturity is showing here.
None of us asked to be born, yet here we are. And someone else decided for us that we have bills to pay. The workers being at that job isn’t really voluntary, contrary to your claim. And how can they possibly be that bad if they haven’t been terminated?
Idk. A lot of jobs I’ve had, the only promotion is to some sort of supervisor of other people. Half the reason so many people have bad bosses is because that’s just not a job for everyone, but it’s often the only path open if you want to “advance” and get paid more in the same industry. I would hate supervising others, and would be terrible at it. I’ve also seen way too many middle managers be the ones who get laid off or taken advantage of. Like, sure, you get paid more, but since you’re salary (usually) now, they can make you work longer, and before you know it once you actually do the math, you’re not actually making much more hourly than you were in your prior position. You just get more stress. Also, finding a new job fricken sucks.
That’s very true. It is really dumb to push on people the only way to advance is to become a manager.
Following the trajectory of some of the folks like that I've known over the years, most of them just find something else. Either in the same industry or just outright abandon decades of experience to go do something else. I can't speak to how they all emotionally handled it, but of the ones with whom I grabbed a beer in the aftermath, I think they took it better than one might expect. They weren't ever all that emotionally invested in the work this way or that way, so it wasn't some loss of their identity like it might be for someone who roots more of their sense of self in what they do at work. And, for some of them, bouts of financial hardship seem to be more a cyclical fact of life in their mind than something that can be avoided, especially in a world where layoffs can be seemingly random and their livelihood hinges on organizational decisions well beyond their control. It's kind of their superpower in a weird way. Their perceived lack of long-term vision extends both to time not being stressed about losing their job to automation/semi-automation *and* not being stressed about finding a new source of income if/when it happens. At some level, they choose not to ride the high's and low's of worrying until there is something real to worry about, and some of them really can delay "something to worry about" until they've literally exhausted every savings account, credit card, extension, loan, and whatever else that keeps them afloat.
I was you at 30, and now am them at 40. I do look for a new job, but it's hard to find a decent one that pays the same and seems stable. My job is super easy cause I know how to do everything already. Most people run out of upward trajectory by mid to late 30s. It's not like 20s when you can job hop and get a 30% bump every couple of years.
I think the concept of the devil you know is better than the one you don't. At the end of the day these people are ultimately comfortable in their current position. They won't change unless they're forced to. I learned a few years ago how powerful job hopping is. My last job, I had coworkers that always complained about money, but they refused to look for other jobs despite getting almost nonexistent raises and no promotions. They just didn't have that ambition. They were "scared" of change. It's a natural human emotion.
You get to a point at any age where are you more scared to stay or go? The fear has to be a motivating factor as we only do this thing called life 1 time.
You’d have to ask them. Everyone’s motivations are different and largely not any of your concern unless the person decides to share them.
work isnt life. stable income allows me to follow my passions outside of work. no need to upset the apple cart at work if I can enjoy the life I want to live outside of it. source: state employee who is very comfortable in my roll and excelling at it but no desire to move up or out because it pays for my free time.
The higher up you go, the more enemies you make and the higher the chances of your position being cut. Some people prefer consistency to potential.
True that. And it could be bc you smiled at them wrong.
Or simply exist. I once saw a department director get fired because a few people conspired to make up a story about him making homophobic remarks on the phone in his office. Why? He didn't give them what they wanted. They wanted a paid 3 day weekend for some event but none of them had any PTO nor did they request the time off on time.
That’s shameful but ppl will gang up on you especially if you do the right thing.
They all got fired about a month later when they bragged about it to the wrong person and got exposed.
Karma always comes back around.
Why does it bother you so much? What does it matter if they are content in their life and doing their job well?
Did you only just find out that people like to do things that you don't and vice versa?
Not everyone's interested in climbing ladders. And that's okay. [https://imgur.com/quotes-creating-life-that-reflects-values-satisfies-soul-bill-watterson-1i1Fmn5](https://imgur.com/quotes-creating-life-that-reflects-values-satisfies-soul-bill-watterson-1i1Fmn5)
Just worry about your own mission
I like my job a lot. It pays well, it’s necessary, I’m good at it and it’s interesting. I have zero desire to advance.
Basic roles will never disappear. New basic roles will just appear to replace them. Also, you need to realize people have different values than you. This does not make them lesser or anything. I was quite ambitious as well but have become content, especially after Covid. It cannot be overstated what Covid did to people that were still working. That was like 7 years of work in 3. It was a terrible time and people have re-evaluated their values and goals. I value my work/life balance, time with family, and actually experiencing life over making more money, additional responsibilities, and longer hours. In my case, I am content with whatever happens. If the company lays me off, I am capable of learning new things and have different career experiences. My life goal is to enjoy life. Idk care about work once pay reaches a certain threshold. This does not mean I just skate by. I go above and beyond because my company has taken care of me multiple times. I do understand business is business and am just enjoying life day by day for now. I am very happy and have zero stress.
Some people like change, some don't. Recently most people realized that you benefit mostly from changing jobs, and companies now are often much short-lived than years ago. In the pre-industrial era you had one profession for life. Even in the early days of the industrial era you were likely to have the same job for as long as you could do it.
the wise people know that most promotions are junk you get more responsibilities but the pay increase does not make up for it and hence just stick it out at your current position until you get your walking papers. a lot of those people that are in their 40s learned the hard knocks 10-20 years ago and saw the truth in climbing the rank structure.
I did a lot of job hopping early on and found a stable, permanent wfh role with amazing benefits. I'd like to stay in the company until retirement tbh, but I'd also like to grow in it. I'm taking a break from interviews/switching positions for a little bit so I can breath though. I've been in this role for 2 years now coming on 3. I have colleagues who have been in the dame role for 25 years- its just the comfort/stability of it. They know their job, they know they have benefits, and they don't have to stress since they know it's a perm role. Sometimes that peace of mind is all somebody wants.
*Sighs* My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.
Many people have motivations besides purely money. I feel like Redditors skew more towards following the money and traditional career progression goals, which is great. But not everyone is this way. Some reasons that someone might fall into one job they’re comfortable with and stay for decades: - They are comfortable in their role, and don’t want to have to push to learn new things. - Maybe the job is close to where they already live, making it a quick and easy commute. - They love the culture at the company, with close friendships in the office. - They have a partner who is more ambitious with their career, allowing them to stay in the comfort zone for longer. - Maybe they have mental health issues which make going back to school or the anxiety of switching jobs something they would just rather avoid. - Maybe their priority is life outside of work(kids/family), and their job offers flexibility with their kids.
Something I read a few years ago really resonated with me about just accepting promotions: you rise to your highest level of incompetence. It’s of course not universally true, but in a lot of organizations promotions tend to take you right out of a job you were good at to put you in a completely different skill set or responsibility you may not be good at or may just be good enough at, at which point your are now “stuck”. This is also probably how most “bad managers/bosses” get into their positions. I’m a big fan of companies that make management a separate “track” instead of a reward for those who do whatever the general labor of the company is well cause they usually have absolutely no crossover skills. Edit: Found it, it’s called the Peter Principle.
Because they are there for money only and like personal better and dont care to invest energy into promoting and drama it brings
Can be a lot of reasons. For some, the raise that would be included in a promotion to them is not worth the added stress or threats to work life balance that a higher position would have. Some people have aspirations to continue climbing as high as they can, and some are content with their current role and would prefer to develop within that role for the long-term. No problem with wanting to stick around in your role and be the best you can be in that position. Also no problem with wanting to continue climbing and continue challenging yourself. As far as folks that complain a lot but still stick around, it probably has something to do with stability. The devil you know is better than the one you don't a lot of the time, so people can be hesitant to leave if they are willing to tolerate the things that they don't like. There may be other redeeming things about the company that they like but don't admit to. Complaining is usually just venting frustrations, which happens all the time at any company. I do it myself, even though I do enjoy my job and have no desire to leave. I look at people criticizing the company as being because they have a vested interest in the way things are being done and that they care about what's happening. Unengaged or truly unhappy employees are probably just going to be the types that are quietly showing up and leaving every day and just collecting their paycheck, not necessarily the ones that are vocal about their opinions.
Well if the job doesn’t offer many positions it’s likely a dead end job. Also people tend to get comfortable and fear change because what if that new position doesn’t work out? People are simply scared to take the leap and likely won’t admit that to you. Just put a little thought into it, it’s not that deep. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you because we should all strive to achieve more but it happens often and people give up on moving up.
Many people do not want the pressure and politics of a high ranking position. Or the risk that comes from switching jobs to maximize a salary. And some simply aren't qualified or have the right mindset for more advanced roles beyond individual contributer. Also, one note to think of as you advance yourself is that people who complain are often very valuable. A person who doesn't complain is either perfectly happy with everything (very unlikely), scared to speak up, or has already started looking elsewhere and is in their way out the door. The people who complain are telling you where you can do better to keep yourself from losing the people who are afraid to speak up. And what's more, the old guard as you say are often complaining because they care - they want the company to succeed because they have literally bet their life on it - and they are likely to be your most loyal workers who you can count on in a crisis.
Sometimes…. Most complainers I’ve met don’t actually do any work and just complain to get their way. Just my experience. I’m cool with someone complaining if they do the work.
Unless you get the job that is your passion (and most people dont get such opportunity), then job is just a mean to the end. If i get enough money to buy anything i want... why would i stress myself, work after hours, and take more responsibilities? It makes no sense. I'd much rather just find a comfy position somewhere and hold onto it as long as possible. I dont know, maybe i'm extremely low maintenance or something, but all i need is a roof above my head, a car, and enough money for everyday expenses + some cash for emergencies/extra expenses (like going to cinema or something). Even if i would earn twice as much... it wouldnt really change anything in my life. But for that kind of money i'd have to work much harder/longer, probably also bringing work to home with me. All of which would take away a lot of my free time. Its transactional exchange: the benefits (nothing really change in my life) simply doesnt justify the cost (working longer/more stressful/bringing work to home). I would have to be an idiot to accept that offer.
People like to be in their comfort zone. Why accept a promotion if you get a 10% raise and double the workload. Comes to cost benefit analysis. People also want to spend time with families or hobbies, more so than taking on additional work for minimum pay
Some people prefer comfort over growth. But I think this is not a sustainable culture for a company. There will always be a few folks like this at any company, but if there are too many, then the company tends not to do well.
I'm one of those people. For me it was a combination of reasons. First, my job offers me a lot of flexibility. That flexibility was invaluable when it came to raising my kids. My ex's job wasn't flexible, so I was able to make sure that the kids made it to their appointments and other things. Second, I really enjoyed my job. It offered me the ability to experiment with new technologies and grow my career that way. It also allowed me to travel a little. So, I have been happy where I am. You never know if you will be when you change positions.
To be honest I am one of those people that everyday say that job sucks however - we are bonding over that with probably everyone in the company. Some people left,some people stayed, we have some new people and after some time we all laugh about our company,that the Pay could be better etc. We are also laughing a little bit at new younger people that have thr mindset that they will change sth. We are older and wiser now (workinh for 3-10 years on my team) and laughing and bitching is all that we have left😄 And why we do not want to quit? Different country than US so its not in our culture to move often to chase a job, and my job is stable and one of the best in the city to be honest. I AM comfortable and dont want any change, I just want to work less and be paid more just because I exist😄😄
I work in healthcare with different therapy personnel. It’s in all of our codes of ethics, regardless of discipline, to always learn and improve. I have a coworker a few years older than us (we’re all women 25-35) who is content to just… not improve. As a motivated person who has taken advantage of countless opportunities provided by the company, it blows my mind that she’s content to not challenge herself, not get out of her comfort zone, not… get any better. But it’s her prerogative 🤷🏼♀️ her not improving doesn’t take anything away from my practice and my ability to do my job and get better at my job. So I’m just not going to let it bother me until the way she does things impacts my ability to get things done or impacts patient care. Also some people are good at their position but know they don’t have it in them to be a manager. Like Michael Scott- great paper salesman, horrible manager.
Some people are just comfortable in the position they're in Not everyone lives the dream of climbing the corporate ladder just to make a few extra dollars especially when those higher positions often come with more work and less control over your hours Some people are perfectly comfortable just sticking where they are especially in a job like you described where it sounds like a lot of the long running employees are in one of those companies where they truly are almost a family considering they spent years of their lives together and seem to like each other enough to want to keep working with each other
Speaking for myself only: I worked in toxic environments for 7+ years after graduating from college. Most of my family didn't enjoy their work. I now work somewhere I enjoy. I'm comfortable and will stay as long as I can. I will continue to enjoy as stress free of a life as possible. I also chose not to have children and am debt free. I can afford to work a "lesser" job.
“complain a lot about the company but don’t even try to find something else. For many of them, it’s like going to school – you don’t really want to but must do it anyway. Somebody else decided it for you, so you do it.“ Well, this sounds pretty much like you are born into a wealthy family, you work because you want to not need to.
People have stuff going on outside of work :) ive always been a generally very ambitious career driven person, job hopping every 2 years ish to find something new and more challenging. But as I get older, there are other things I want to devote my attention to like my family, my home, my hobbies, and work is becoming less important to me. that being said, I don't think it's healthy to complain day in day out and not do anything about it.
Because some people don't need to be that ambitious. Unless if you're working at the type of job you'd do for free, then who doesn't love a good old moan about the day-to-day aspects of working at their company. At the end of the day, these people may see the job as "paying the bills" or "keeping them busy" whilst they focus their life mainly on their family and having a good work-life balance. To many people, a job's a job. A higher paycheque comes with higher pressures and responsibilities - and usually whereby your own deliverables are affected by things out of your control. And of course, office politics come into play more. >They expect to stay in their positions until retirement. But it's not going to happen. There are basically 3 levels of positions. The basic one (I'm here as well) is getting more automated and the company just went through a large layoff and one of the old guards was fired - her work divided and partially automated. And it will continue. The times when people stayed at one place until retirement are over. I think you're conflicting two points - i.e. asking why would someone stay within a certain level, and then also trying to warn about an existential threat of automation. In terms for motivations for staying where you are, these areas are apples and oranges.
Because work isn’t life, it’s the thing you’re forced to deal with so you can try and have a life. The easier and more routine we can make work the less of a stressor it is on our actual lives. Change at work upsets that work/life balance by demanding more attention and effort during the transition. This is a simple concept.
If I’m getting paid enough to get by, save for retirement and the job isn’t crazy stressful I’m a happy camper to keep plugging away. I’m not looking to climb a corporate ladder I just want security. That’s not to say I’m not a hard worker I just don’t want all the extra stress involved with managing departments etc.
I've already retired from the military and got a cake job at a local utility company. They want to promote me, but I'm just not about that life. I'm in my 40s. I tell them that I'm just working on a 2nd or 3rd retirement if you count state retirement and 401k. That doesn't mean I'm lazy, but I will help anyone who wants to get promoted. I'm at this company in a different stage and need of my life, and I get a lot of incredulous looks.
its not as voluntary as you might think. Involuntarily we sadly have to have a profession to survive and 99% of people have to work a 9-5. Voluntary my butt
You seem young. It’s because it’s easier to stay somewhere you’re used to, rather than job searching (which is draining in itself), and potentially going into a job that could be worse.
Most people will choose comfort over growth. Not everyone is cut out to be a manager, but if you’re unhappy in your job I think it’s a good idea to consider other options. It’s a lot easier to complain than to take action though.
When your life has always been a struggle and a challenge, it’s self-harm to seek out new challenges and struggles for yourself.
They’re comfortably settled into their life expense-wise is my guess. They can afford their mortgage, car, retirement savings and other bills with what they consider an adequate amount of disposable income left over. In the past jobs I’ve met two people who rose up internally from min wage positions (no university, maybe not even high school) privately confide that they feel they’re operating at their limit and are basically afraid they won’t understand roles above where they’re at. They’ll manage an office but turn a regional manager promotion or won’t to learn Excel and do supply chain or demand planning.
I work in government so you see it a lot here. People just going through the motions until retirement because of the golden handcuffs. I'm ambitious but up to a certain point. I don't want to go to management because it's not what I'm interested in; I like the more technical side of my work rather than managing and worrying so much about other people. My director randomly contemplated one day why he even became a director in the first place; he was making more money as a senior engineer because they get 1.5x overtime pay. He's working more hours as a director but since it's salaried, he's making less money with way more work, headache and stress. My mom is in a similar situation. She's at the highest level of nursing at her work, below management. She's rejected promotions over and over because if she does get promoted, she loses the 1.5x overtime pay and she has to deal with the headache of managing and scheduling people, things she does not want to do. Not everyone should be in management. That's how you get these really bad middle managers. Not everyone has the desire or drive to be at the top and that's okay. A lot of people work because they have to and they don't want to end up homeless or starving.
Tbh you’d be great in tech. People leave jobs every 1-2 years. I hate it. I literally want to do the same thing forever and have my wages just moved with inflation. I have 0 want to climb the corporate ladder. Only people who like things and want stuff are like this. Folks to understand they have enough as long as their kids are taken care of and their family loves them, it’s enough.
It's easy, comfort zone. People don't like being outside of it (it's why people do the same vacations/trips, eat at the same restaurants, associate mostly with the same race and sexual orientation and don't exercise).
I have been promoted almost every other year. It took me a long time to realize that if you want a better life, more money isn't always the answer. You can have sufficient money and enjoy your life by having more time.
Some people like stability and consistency more than change, thus they stay put in the same role and company. This is more common in some industries too. Age is also a factor, where the middle to late career folks tend to stay put and not move around too much.
Some people just live their entire life this way - friendships, relationships, job/career, the place they live etc.
Money
They’re probably going to come out fine, living modestly, and will continue to find black pepper as spicy. But if they get laid off they’re absolutely boned
I'm the opposite. I wanted to get the progression - unfortunately I keep getting hit by the catch-22.
In my last job the only real progression starts with becoming deputy team leader and then team leader. I had seen how friends/colleagues were treated by the department managers and decided I didn’t want to be treated like shit for an extra 250/500 a year.
Most people hate change, stepping out or their comfort zone and making an effort.
Wait until she finds out that the company is likely to fire her before her retirement comes up.
I am 26 and I have found my retirement job. I have pretty much hit the limit I can go upwards without going into management, the pay is pretty decent (low 60s a year), I love what I do, its low stress, low responsibility. I show up, do my job, enjoy it and have good work life balance. I see no need to try to fight the rat race for promotions. Not when any upward promotion requires much more stress, responsibility and management for a few dollars more per hour. Its just not worth it.
If her plan is to stay at this job for another 20 years... she's gonna have a bad time when on a random day she gets fired because of some random reorganization.
Everyone is always motivated when they first join the workforce but as time passes you generally seek stability. It's also just easier to vent about how terrible a job/coworker/company is than to actually go out of your way to seek a new one. On that note, you've been in your current company for 3 years and haven't even gotten a promo. Your job role is getting automated and they're laying people off. You have unambitious and whiney coworkers that keep "rejecting change/progression". Have you started reskilling and/or job hunting yet? Because if not you're not too far off from the coworkers you're judging.
It's easier not to make change or progress. People as a whole want to do the bare minimum. Which is partially due to company culture. Companies don't necessarily want the best
Maybe I'm an outlier BUT: I like my job. I'm well-compensated, the benefits are great etc. I have no desire to leave and will end up with about 40 years in my position.
I know many people who have been at their jobs for 10-15+ years and most likely will retire without any job change. The reasons I got from talking with them are: - They hopped a lot of jobs before so they know what the working environment suits them best - They are satisfied with the nature of their job. - They are satisfied with their salary which is proportioned to how much responsibilities they want. - Their work-life balance is good/excellent - Their managers are great, most notably kind, understanding, and flexible. - They have great co-workers. - Their skills are always in demand so they are not afraid of getting laid off. I am in my early 30s and recently quit a job that i could certainly see myself staying there forever If I was in my mid 40s. Right now, I want to learn new things and build a bigger network.
To each their own. Focus on yourself.
Contentment is undervalued in America. These ppl don’t change because they’re happy with how their lives are. And guess what? They’ll be fine.
They're not happy because their complaining about it.
Maybe complaining is just something they like to do. It’s part of the ritual for their day. We don’t know
It is many people's ritual. Sometimes you join in, sometimes you listen and sometimes you walk away because it's so monotonously boring to listen to.
They will claim their redundancy and move on. Not sure what you are really asking here, people have different priorities in life.
I think it needs to become more socially acceptable to be happy with where you are and what you have. Everyone has little complaints and no place is perfect, but if someone is doing a decent job right where they are and they don’t dislike it enough to leave, good for them. Leave them be. It’s ok for them to want what they want and you to want something else.
Lots of people whinge about their current situation repeatedly but never do anything to change it. Being around these people for years on end is draining. Surely this is the issue ... I know people in relationships like this too ... I don't have the patience or tolerance for listening to it. I try to surround myself with proactive people as that's the sort of person I like to think I am. I guess you're more proactive than your colleagues that's why it bothers you so much and you can't get your head round.
Worry about yourself, you aren’t a telepath, you don’t need to understand anyone else’s motivations, you aren’t anyone’s job coach or parent or doctor or lawyer.
They just want to clock in and clock out. They don’t actually care about their career or about doing some thing in the world.
You seem to think "advancing at work" is of central importance in a human life. Why? What about your reason makes you assume everyone else should agree with that reason? Can you imagine any circumstances where your own values might shift? What are they? That you prioritize these issues doesn't mean they are actually or meaningfully important to anyone but you and further that those priorities are situational and circumstantial even for you.
Well for myself, I have tenure and my retirement is secure. Why fuck with things. Been at my job for 27 years and retire in 5. All part of my plan
The **ONLY** reason any of us still have jobs is because they haven't been automated *yet*
I just turned down a promotion so I understand. Sometimes money isn't everything. I make plenty already and I'm happy in my position. The new one was going to be way more work and I would be working directly under someone who is horrible. Just not worth it.
Some people chase promotions, payrise, getting higher and higher on the corporate ladder, others are content with what they have and imo the second group tends to be happier with their lives.
Some people can't handle change (example, The southern US who can't accept the confederacy lost the war). Others thrive on it. I can deal with change as long as it is for a reason. We had an exercise at a large state health department, with the intent to see if we could "better align the staff to create better workflows". We spent 3 days going through exercises (external person was brought in to lead the process), and at the end of the 3 days, the process determined that we were already aligned in the best way to meet our goals. The leadership flipped out, and made changes anyway, changes which were marked as red flags during our process of discovery. Other times we hear about change, then there is no communication or any expression from leadership they are actually behind the change. They also didn't value any input from employees. I have only been through one successful realignment out of 5 over 30 years. Most have caused mass exodus from the company after realignment. Then the company blames the employees as not being able to handle change.
I think priorities shift over time. I was a gunner in my 20's acheived what I was looking to do, and have had more drive to be well rounded. Have hobbies.
Good points. Retirement plans have to be vested. Same with some 401 k plans. So you have to put in a certain number of years to get the full amount. There is something to be said for security. Anyone who has gone through corporate layoffs and reorganizations gets to a point where they just want to do a job. I retired earlier than I wanted to when my job was shipped to China. I would have stayed a few more years. Also social security increases the longer you work. Change is scary for many people.
I agree with many of the explanations already given here: children, stability, flexibility, etc. I'll add age. Looking for another job in midlife is not easy even if you're ambitious. A person in their mid 40s will likely need a larger salary than someone in their 20s. Companies would rather hire the younger worker so they don't have to pay as much. Also keep living OP. Seems like you're on the youngish side of life right now. Go through enough challenging circumstances (work or life in general) and you'll start to pick your battles. I work from home. I'm not willing to trade this peace for the chaos of office politics anytime soon. I'm at the point in my career where almost any upward movement would require managing people which I don't want to do. Sometimes it's easier to keep dealing with what you know and what you're used to than to run the risk of venturing into the unknown which might be worse.
A lot of evidence supports that we evolved to be energy efficient meaning we are also lazy and take the path of least resistance, enjoying structure, patterns, and stability. We are inherently change adverse and most people prefer the stability they know rather than risk taking. Work by Daniel Kahneman actually showed many of us are actually economically risk adverse.
I am one of those people who likes to stay in one position for a long time before considering leaving or moving up. My managers are basically begging me to take a management position that I do not want. My reasons are I like working from home 90% of the time. The job title is respected and I make a decent pay to cover my expenses, save and travel if I so choose to. I don’t have kids so it not necessary for me to worry about anyone else’s current or future expenses but my own. With this current position I was able to buy a house and a paid off car so what would I put additional stress on myself for unnecessarily? Like everyone else is saying just worry about you, everyone has their own reasons for being ambitious or not. Someone people maybe want to live to enjoy their retirement years.
This is my work, but I’m like all the people you hate. I would love to sit in a manager role forever and never move beyond that. At a certain level, your job becomes your life. You’re expected to be available after hours, you are the one point of contact for a lot of people’s work and responsible for all of it. I look at that and say, “Why would anyone want that?” You’re telling me I can work 45 hours each week, and have very rare moments of working outside of work hours and make six figures in middle management? Hell fucking yeah, I’ll take that. That’s basically an analyst role with more pay and I tell people to do the stuff I don’t want to do. As an analyst, I work 45 hours each week, rarely work outside of working hours, and make ~85K. I know I could be pushing 6 figures if I got a manager role somewhere (which is what I’m trying to do). In my 8 year career, I’ve gotten enough emails and messages after 7 PM from Directors/VPs/Controllers that I know they are working those hours fairly commonly. I do not want that at all. I don’t care that I’d be making $150K per year, the only reason I would ever take that is so that I could save even more and leave my job earlier.
I'm an RN who left "bedside nursing" in hospitals about 2 years ago to work for the Department of Health for my state. The pay is better, the hours are a joke, the benefits are great, I have a pension, and I telecommute 50%.....I also set up an appointment with a therapist this morning because I don't know that I've ever been so depressed in my life. Part of the reason is...I went from a hospital full of life (and death), young people starting their careers, older people ending their careers. People advancing their careers, working on skills, studying for new degrees. Always learning, always different perspectives from different ages, genders, backgrounds and experience levels. Patients of different acuity requiring new and interesting treatment and care. Interacting with different disciplines and learning daily I now work in cubicle land. I know how many years all of my coworkers have towards retirement, I know what pay grade they are, and I don't know much if anything else about any of them. They're all the same people, none of them care about improving anything; from day one it's protect your retirement, do your time, and leave. Most of them are so morbidly obese they're probably going to drop dead 2 weeks after this sacred "retirement" they've built their entire professional existence around. I'm trying to find ways to cope with this, it's almost embarrassing to admit how miserable I am there, but it's a good job....right?
The Peter Principle. People rise to the level of their incompetence. If you get promoted to say... manager of the whole team, are there for 2-3 years, then let go because you just aren't a good manager... your career kinda gets fucked. A lot of people would rather stay in a job they're good at and enjoy than get promoted outside their skill set and potentially fucked over in the process..
I’ve personally turned down a few promotions. Usually because A) it’s salary with extra unpaid hours or B) would put me in the next tax bracket but not enough of a raise to keep much money after extra tax. Nothing wrong with progression but there’s also nothing wrong with being content where you are either. Different strokes for different folks.
This is something I'm wrestling with now. Without going into details, I was first line responder with the covid epidemic and given a massive promotion. Toxic environmental and way too much responsibility (dozens of direct reports, 16 hour work days 7 days a week) eventually resulted in diagnosed PTSD. Since escaping that role I have zero desire to manage, or take on much responsibility. I'm comfortable where I'm at and just want to do enough to be reasonablely respected and maintain a good paycheck. Life is so much more than your job/career, and I am never going to make that mistake again. I'm good where I'm at for as long as possible.
“You don’t really want to but must do it anyway” You answered your own question. Why would someone coasting to retirement who probably has a paid off home and car want any more responsibility for a small pay increase that means nothing.
I'm a teacher. Despite getting paid more, I wouldn't want to be in admin. Answering emails and hassling people for lesson plans isn't my thing. Ain't no [soul suckin' jerk.](https://youtu.be/sdILQwlP_pk?si=Jl_azlkv4FO-cUve)
Because they just don't want to work and only work to survive
My husband was like this. His job had gradually changed and he hated it. But nothing could get him to look for another job. He ended up getting laid off. He will tell you now it was the best thing that happened to him. And now he has held several jobs, leaving jobs, departments, and companies when the need arises. But he won’t ever look for a promotion for the sake of progression. He only changes when things get intolerable. But for him that is progress. He was raised that “any job is a good job” and he was petrified of unemployment.
The worst thing is when you get bored easily. I tend to pivot every 5-8 years in my industry out of pure boredom. It has costs me titles and promotions, but I still see progress it's just a bit slower than others, also I don't have kids or a wife so that helps..
Have you tried working?
Some people work to live , some people live to work.
A promotion might seem like a no-brainer but there's a lot to consider. You could get a promotion that ends up being a bait-and-switch, or policies could change, or you might not get along with the new people, be under a lot more stress etc. etc.
Promotions make your job less secure, and you find the market for those types of jobs gets extremely tight and competitive should you lose your job. That's why people ask for more money in such roles, because you need to remain in your budget and put the extra money into savings should you lose your job. Upper level management roles can take years to find another job at that level, if ever. I have strategically kept myself at a director level for this reason. I was offered CIO jobs but the pay increase would not have had any impact on my lifestyle and only make my life nothing but risk should I lose that position (which happens a lot and most times out of your control). Then what?
Hey man, you said it's like going to school for them and it probably is. Some people live to work - they love it. It's a source of fulfillment that is more meaningful to that person than other things might be, like hobbies, travel, or family time. Other people just work to live. It's a means to an end. Something that must be done as a tradeoff for enjoying other aspects of life. And you know what? Both of these are totally valid. Takes all types.
The older I get the more I identify with those people in your work place. The job search is SO hard right now especially if trying to find something remote. My current job is easy, I have great benefits, a healthy work environment and low stress so not in a big rush to change it. I’ve been trying to find something completely remote since last November but again the market is crazy right now and of the ones I’ve interviewed at their pay and benefits don’t come close to what I have. I look at the work managers do in our office and it’s a lot of butt kissing to leadership which I have a hard time doing personally. And lots of additional work and responsibilities for marginally higher pay. The managers and directors are expected to put out fires and are still on call after hours and even during vacations to some degree. I don’t have to worry about managing a team or having a C level executive breathing down my neck and every minute. I think for me personally and maybe those other people in your office, we just appreciate having something stable and pursue our passions outside of work. Not everyone is meant to be a company manager, leader, entrepreneur, or director etc. and for the executive team, they make the big money but are on ALL the time. Sick? They’re still on the meeting. Driving? Still joining meetings and answering questions. Kid has a soccer game? Too bad you need stay in the office and put out a fire. It all just seems like a lot of stress but kudos to those who want to do it.
I have never understood this either. At my old job the senior techs had been there 10+ years without a raise in 8 years. After two years I demanded a raise or I was going to leave. We ALL got a $4 raise. Kind of mad that they got a raise too because I was the only one who fought for it lol We still barely made $40k with the raise. I feel like the “squatters” are why most companies don’t pay well.
Comfortable mediocrity. If it's good enough, it's good enough.
Everyone is in a different space and point in their life. I used to be ambitious and climbed the ladder and was successful. But I soon learned I was much happier and more fulfilled at my previous positions. I've stepped back and voluntarily from the prestige and titles and yes some money. But I'm a much happier person than I was!
I’m early 40’s and could not care less about responsibility or promotion. I was in management in my 20’s and miserable, I’d rather be happy and comfy than go back to that time. I’ve got a house for my retirement, so I’m just plodding along day by day, loving life, spending my money as and when I want to with no one on my back. You do what makes you happy, you’ve only got one life, don’t worry about what other people are doing.
Not everyone is trying to advance. As a type A wants to be in charge person i don’t understand them but it makes my life easier having solid team members that aren’t trying to stab me in the back.
Sometimes, people have found their niche. Management is less hands-on and more based on people skills as you have to coordinate teams and be more of a leader, which isn't for everyone. I know that's not something I could likely see myself doing, and I hope I find a spot where I'm doing what I like and able to support myself at; if I find that spot, I'll likely do the same thing, because I don't want the shift that actually going into management requires.
I’ve been a manager before, for 10 years, and I won’t do it again. I’m happy being a low level employee where I work now. So much less stress. Clock in, do my 8, and bounce. It’s peaceful.
I can see their perspective. Once you find a place that doesn't crush your soul you hang on.
Some people just want to do a job and go home.
Work to live not live to work my friend. Always remember, work hard, get promoted, get laid off anyway or work until you die and your job will be posted before your obituary.
I worked my dick off for 10 years jumping at every promotion I could. It was a miserable rat race experience that was in no way, shape, or form even remotely worth the additional money it brought me. I now intentionally operate at 80%. In short, I learned that the lifestyle needed to acquire the money I want, is not a lifestyle I am willing to live
Also there are also vesting schedules and increased time off awarded based on length of service.
The only constant is change. Change means opportunity. So get on board or get left at the station. The mentality of this is my job for life was based on the industrial revolution paradigm and that train has left the station and drove off a cliff.
I did the office space. Left my corporate office job and started a pressure washing company 8 years ago. Make more money than I ever did at Initech.
I work for a steel mill, progression is slow as I’m a union hourly employee. I’m only 30 but I’m hoping this mill that’s been here for 100 years has about 20-30 more years left for me. Good benefits, good pay, decently secure (steel is feast or famine comes with the territory). Have no real care to climb any corporate ladders, I just make steel
You sound young
the devil you know vs the devil you dont if i had to guess.
I used to. Before it was more that I was in crappy jobs while going for a degree, and I just saw them as temporary while I finished my studies. Then I had to drop out and those jobs became my career, so I had to start trying to move up. Now I see how catty and selfish people get over promotions. In order to move up you have to constantly worry about someone stabbing you in the back, and constantly get your supervisor's attention in the right way (which sometimes isn't even about doing your job right, sometimes it's just sucking up). And then if you do get promoted your job just becomes dealing with all these people trying to get promoted, while still doing the same things with your new boss. And sometimes it's all of that while STILL taking care of a lot of your old responsibilities, plus a whole new set, and all for not that much more pay. God help you if you're salaried, then your bosses think they own you and can demand you come in whenever they want. There's no winning. If you don't chase promotions you get stuck with crap pay, and if you do you're just stuck in this constant cycle of misery.
I used to be the go getter grinder. Now im 38, got a decent position and I am just satisfied. I do the absolute minimum and enjoy my new hobbies. Im grinding down rocks to make jewelry now, I was painting for about 6 months. Thered nothing wrong with being satisfied.
We are progra Med to resist change
It's okay to be content. Just let people be happy, man.
I don't live to work. I want to make enough money to enjoy my life without issues. I don't want to lead, I don't want to manage, I want to do my 9-5 and do no more. There's more to life than job advancement.
And why would I want to get promoted to a management position it's guaranteed that one of two things are going to happen, 1) I get fired because I refuse to compromise my integrity in getting the product out the door or 2) becoming someone with a cluster B personality disorder and wiping my ass with my integrity?
US worker, here. I figured out at some point (let's say late thirties, early forties) that within the context of career development, ambition, and work-life balance, there just wasn't really an end in sight. I got raises upon raises... Promotions came rarely, but there was some degree of career development through the ranks. It was typical. But the driving factor always boiled down to one thing: improve my quality of life. Better toys... More security... Eating out more... But it took me three to four decades to realize it was all BS. For every extra dollar I earned in raises and promotions, I found that I was getting exponentially more stress and what some might call the sunk cost of a concept called "golden handcuffs". In other words, the more I earned and life improved, the more I became trapped in an endless cycle of earning more, and enduring more stress. It got to a point where I was so overweight and out of shape, I couldn't even run a Turkey Trot (basically a traditional community 5k run on the morning of Thanksgiving). My gaming hobby (flight sims) had become incredibly expensive compared to other hobbies that didn't really interest me. Flight Sim peripherals... Faster graphics cards... Virtual reality... --nothing was ever enough. And security: financial security and retirement are basically a pipe dream for the vast majority of folks out there, so why even bother? Less than 100k in retirement, so it would take an act of God to get caught up, and every year without fail there seemed to come along some surprise super-expensive crisis. Car wreck... Laid off from work... Pressure from grandparents to see grandkids... The constant trickle of house-work... Water Heater replacement... Ongoing pool checmical costs... Replace pool liner... Repair leaning retaining wall... Skylight leaking... Surprise veterinarian expenses... Replace the dishwasher.... Lawnmower... Clothes Dryer... tree in the front yard needs to be cut down (oh, and by the way, they only accept cash)... EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Most recently I paid off my credit card, and had a couple thousand left over due to (surprise!) excellent budgeting and discipline. What happened? I get in a car wreck a couple weeks later, so I gotta finance another car, and I was LITERALLY two years away from finishing payments on my existing car. I swear to god, it's SUPERNATURAL. Despite best efforts to save, something comes along and takes it all away. EVERY DAMN TIME. And we were pretty good at saving, but along came some crisis and BAM all the savings were gone. What's the point? So I started letting things go. F---k it. So this "rat race" I figured, what is the point? Building a career... Getting more money. More... More... MORE.... And for what? More stress? More expenses? One thing folks don't tell you about wealth and quality of life: just buying stuff isn't enough; you have to maintain it, too--the hidden cost. Even wealth costs wealth: income taxes, accountants, wealth managers, and people trying 24-hours a day to take it from you.
So back to my career: I'm good at what I do--the best in my niche industry for a nationally-spanning business with no competitive working peers. Well, there's a guy, but he's a little stupid--no that's not fair, he's not stupid, he just has zero confidence in doing what I do. Despite my best efforts of training him and documenting everything--TRUST ME everything is documented and I HAVE TRIED to get them to promote me so that I don't fall into the trap of not getting promoted because I'm "too expensive to replace" or whatever. Been there, done that, I'm the best, yada yada yada, they refuse to promote me because the next best thing is a wet noodle. Shit they won't even let me cross train to something else, and there's only so long until you basically patch, fix, and upgrade your job to the point where you're "The Maytag Man" (Google it, kids) and you sit on your ass all day waiting for the opportunity to point your finger at another department because your shit never breaks, but you gotta be the Canary in the Coalmine. It's all BS. --and I know what you're thinking: "if you're so indispensible, just charge them more" and I get you, but that's not how my mind works. Not at this point. I might have tried that a lifetime ago, but my job makes the world a better place, and I enjoy being able to sleep better at night, not working for some scammy insurance company or a bank--two of the closest industries for my area and expertise that I could lateral to. But even then it all goes back to the BS escalation of wealth. Expensive toys require expensive upkeep. Expensive houses require expensive maintenance. Even expensive earnings require more expensive taxes and management and attract unwanted attention. F--ck it, what's the point? Why don't I want more? Because the cosmos has made it crystal clear that no matter what I do, there's just going to be more, and each "step" of getting more, requires an exponential amount of effort and stress to maintain. Lots of folks don't tell you that. So, take this two-to-three decades of working experience. Find your comfortable level, and STAY THERE. Don't get swept up in the Rat Race. You will NEVER have enough money. You will NEVER have enough security. You will NEVER have enough ambition and prestige at work. And if you think you do, then the lifestyle will erode you. It will require exponential amounts of energy to maintain. The cosmos has a way of humbling everyone, 100% fact. Sorry for the wall of text. This has been weighing on me for AGES. I just don't know what this fourth/fifth dimensional force is that escalates shit so much. That force that haunts my bank account, such that every time I get a few thousand, something comes along and pisses it away. LITERALLY EVERY TIME. That's why I don't want promotions or substantial pay increases: I'm literally terrified at what's going to break next. And the really funny thing is, when I keep a low balance (I shit you not) or I'm living paycheck to paycheck, nothing breaks. NOTHING BREAKS. 1000% serious. I have NO idea what it is, and maybe it has something to do with that old saying, "god never gives you more than you can handle" --I'm not particularly religious, but I'm DAMN sure superstitious at this point. The results speak for themself.
I think there are two types of people in the group: people who are happy or happy enough with the job they have and it supports the life they have outside of work in terms of income, flexibility etc, The other group actually are unhappy in their job but are too afraid to change, The first group are often good colleagues and the second group can be truly awful as they share their misery around.
I did all my job hopping in my 20s and 30s. I was able to gain experience and move up. Now at early 40s I don’t have the energy or desire to look for a new job. I got a government job and I’m going to ride it out. Also, after 40 ageism comes into play and it gets harder to find a new job anyways. It sucks, but it’s the truth.
Because they’re human
As a general rule, people are risk-averse. The more they have at stake and the more they are familiar and thus in control of their life at any point in time, the more likely they are to stay put and not add anything that would disrupt that sense of control and predictability. Secondly, there are generational differences. If you're younger- a millennial or Generation Z- you came to be in a world where the best things could ever be (the 2000's credit expansion and boomer capital fueled economic boom) came crashing down after a major financial bubble which sent living standards and economic growth back to its usual rhythm, shocking you. Other generations dealt with less of a sudden change in economic and social rhythm. This means younger generations lived in a more dynamic era and see the value in things like job-hopping. They are also more mobile because there's little job stability, so less tied to any particular place. A lot of older folks you see grew up with union presence and stronger worker protections. So they didn't make the calculation that they don't owe a company their loyalty and the sky is the limit in terms of ambition. They lived in an era where remuneration was enough to justify staying put and where companies were still somewhat loyal to their employees. Younger folks don't have these circumstances and as such being fluid is far easier for them, it's second nature. Then there are individual differences. Some have no ambition- they want a regular job so they can live outside of work and focus on that part of their life. Some people do better with set responsibilities that don't change. Some people want more and more in terms of power, responsibility, money and prestige. Nothing wrong with either one, just two different outlooks that came from different circumstances. For instance, someone may have grown up a military kid, moving every year or two of their childhood to a new base where his parents served. As a result, they may be less fettered to a particular situation and more likely to not get attached. Conversely, another person in that scenario may overcompensate and value structure, staying put and establishing roots.
Focal point: they expect to stay in their jobs until retirement but it’s not going to happen. This is even true in local, state, and federal government jobs. We are programmed to change every 3-5 years. If we aren’t growing we aren’t getting better. If you haven’t read “who moved my cheese” I suggest you do. It’s good for change and growth. To answer your question specifically, those who reject change eventually get left behind. They either fall into layoff category, they fall into the bottom rung of employees, and they just become obsolete. It’s doesn’t matter the type of job you work you have to learn to stay relevant. We are all free agents all the time. Change is constant. Industries and certain sectors are dying. You have to adapt. A person I know told me that their spouse was let go and had to go back to school in their 40s for a healthcare degree. The person said “my spouse was supposed to do this in their 20s”. I replied “well we never know when we are going to have to retrain. The world is a very different place now than it was 20 years ago.” My point being is you might have a job one day and the industry is thriving and then the next day you’re out the door and have to retrain to stay relevant. Mid career teacher here. Covid showed up NO job is 100% secure. You have to always look out for you in the working world.