Will cutting salary and changing jobs be very detrimental to future salary negotiations when changing jobs?

Why do you need to change jobs even if your salary is reduced? Opportunities are more important than salary increases? Salary increase is the standard for most people in the workplace to change jobs. But in fact, the so-called good career decision-making is not just a single choice for promotion and salary increase, but looking at the personal reminders and workplace gains brought about by your decisions throughout the entire career cycle.

There has always been a popular saying on the Internet: changing jobs without a salary increase of more than 30% is equivalent to a salary cut. In short, if you want to change jobs on the same level platform, a salary increase of 30% is the basic value, and a salary increase of more than 50% is the best way to open a new job. Despite this, according to the latest data from the "2022 Spring White-Collar Job Changing Index Survey Report" released by Zhaopin:

Salary and benefits are still the primary factor affecting job-hopping. In addition, the proportion of white-collar workers who expect to enter companies with promising prospects in an uncertain environment is 49.9. Followed by work-life balance, job promotion, training and learning accounted for 47.2, 46.8 and 38.1 respectively. It can be seen that there are still people in the workplace who do not regard salary increase as the only criterion for applying for a job or changing jobs.

1. Which is more important, opportunity or salary increase?

I don’t know since when salary increase has become the standard for most people in the workplace to change jobs. But in fact, the so-called good career decision is not just a single choice for promotion and salary increase, but looking at the personal reminders and workplace gains brought about by your decision throughout the entire career cycle. My friend David is an example: After graduating from college, she worked in marketing for a national chain home improvement company. Although she worked a lot of overtime, the organizational structure was mature, there were rigorous processes for promotions and salary increases, and team development was on the rise locally. .

But after working for four years, she received an offer from another small business and resolutely chose to resign. Because the salary conditions issued by the other company are more than double the current ones. Unfortunately, due to the small scale of the company and unstable performance, her salary standard was "cut in half" a few months after joining the company, and was replaced with a low basic salary tiered commission calculation method. She tried her best to barely reach the original salary. Salary level. I want to change jobs, but I find it difficult to find a job that is as satisfying as my original company.

Dawei’s problem is also a pain point for many people in the workplace today: they regard salary level as the only criterion for job-hopping, but ignore that it includes not only salary and benefits, but also emotional experience, personal development, industry prospects, etc. Consider. After all, although current income is important, the workplace is a long-term development process. Just looking at current earnings will only blind you. Only by knowing how to seize opportunities and planning with a long-term vision can we achieve greater development.

2. The essence of a good job lies in whether you can continue to add value

Recently, a hot word has emerged on the Internet, called: investment-style salary reduction, which refers to some people in the workplace. When changing jobs or entering a certain field, you use a roundabout tactic of taking the initiative to cut your salary to seek opportunities. In order to seek better development and greater opportunities for ourselves. Of course, any choice of opportunity is often accompanied by risks. But it can be seen that outstanding talents can always see important things besides money: career development. Although it is good that the salary has increased significantly compared with the current situation, in the face of good opportunities, there is room for the salary standard to take a step back. This step back is not a resigned concession, but a "strategic retreat" in order to seek a subsequent increase in wages.

Mr. Liu Run, a well-known business consultant in my country, mentioned in his book that in his career, he had the experience of "cutting salary and changing jobs" three times: In 1999, he He accepted a salary level that was a setback of three years for him and joined Microsoft; in 2006, he voluntarily took a 20% salary cut and jumped from the Microsoft Technology Department to the Microsoft Marketing Department. The third time, in 2013, he still left Microsoft to start his own business. This time the decision was not to cut the salary by 20% or 50%, but to cut the salary by 100%. From now on, there will be no stable income at all. But judging from the current results, he is on the right path.

It is enough to see that the judgment of the quality of a job goes far beyond the standard of salary level and includes at least the following two contents: First, whether the position or industry conforms to the laws of market development.

Second, whether the decision meets personal career goals. The essence of a good job lies in whether the job can achieve mutual success with oneself and whether it can continue to add value to oneself.

3. Cutting salary and changing jobs does not mean investing in a car

Of course, "investment-style salary reduction" does not mean that actively reducing salary will definitely lead to good development prospects. After all, the more you jump, the more confused you become, and even the more you jump, the treatment is not as good as before. A large part of the reason is that I did not systematically sort out my work before changing jobs. Therefore, if you want to achieve the effect of "investing in the car", you need to think systematically from the following four perspectives.

1. Judgment of intention

At present, there are two obvious tendencies for people in the workplace to change jobs: "Change when you feel uncomfortable" and "Change because you like it". All in all, job-hopping behavior is judged subjectively. But in fact, making decisions is easy, but in the long run it means making adjustments to the quality of life and not blindly. For professionals, the best reason to change jobs must be because the next job is worthwhile, not to escape from the present. The reason for reducing salary is not to make ends meet, but to gain more in the future, whether it is economic or spiritual.

2. Job prospects

Before changing jobs, you need to make a value judgment on your job prospects. Necessary background checks are indispensable, such as: the future development prospects of the industry, whether the ceiling of the job is high enough, whether the internal structure of the organization is mature, what kind of team you will work with, etc. After all, the saying "choice is greater than effort" may seem like chicken soup, but it actually makes sense. As a working person, you have to lower your head to pull the car, but also raise your head to look at the road. As long as we put in equal efforts, every choice we make at a fork in the road in the workplace will determine our future development.

3. Ability reserve

It is essential to make a preliminary judgment on your own abilities before changing jobs, especially if you change industries. For example: Do you have the skills and certificates required for the target job? Can your current abilities and qualifications meet the requirements of the job? I once had a friend who, after a period of self-study, rashly transferred from a design position to an auditing position. Although there is only one word difference between the two positions, the content is completely different.

Later, because his work ability was not up to standard and there were several data errors in the delivered materials, this friend was finally persuaded to quit. Therefore, it is important to understand your own strengths before changing jobs. For lack of abilities or skills, make up for them through rapid learning or practice accumulation. If necessary, spending a little time and money to invest in yourself will far exceed the effect of blindly changing jobs.

4. Personal value-added

Judge the job content to see whether it can meet personal advanced goals in the workplace and whether it can gradually bring into play personal advantages and strengths. It is also the most important one. As mentioned before, the essence of a good job lies in whether it can achieve mutual success with the work and whether it can continue to add value to oneself. After all, the strength of the platform belongs to others, but what you learn and gain from the platform truly belongs to you.

Salary is only the anchor point of your entire career, and the choices you make at each critical time point are truly related to your start and development. No matter where this anchor falls in the end, we should adopt a long-term strategy for job-hopping. Give up looking for those so-called "real selves" and strive to create and discover "possible selves." Bravely take the first step in personal growth to welcome the next stage of breakthroughs and development.