The pros and cons of staying where you are

We are generally conditioned to keep looking towards the next step and striving for the next promotion, the next bump in pay. We are encouraged and expected to always want more and to be focused on chasing the next big opportunity to get ahead in our careers. But what if you don’t want to move up the corporate ladder? What if you’re happy with where you are and what you have?

If you’re content being a team member and have no desire to take on the extra responsibilities of being the team leader, or if you’ve reached the sweet spot you always hoped to reach in your working life, you might be tired of the endless competition and the pressure to keep building your career. But perhaps you’re also uncertain about whether those who think you should always be moving onwards and upwards might have a point.  We’ve outlined some of the pros and cons of staying where you are and not chasing the next role to help you decide whether, for you, staying where you are means you’re truly happy or just complacent.

Here are some of the pros of staying put.            

Expertise

You’ve become an expert at what you do in your current role. You know your stuff; you’re the person your colleagues come to. Staying where you are allows you to continue growing that expertise and become a valuable specialist in your area.

Stability

Deciding to exempt yourself from the pressures of moving up the ladder allows you to find stability where you are. This stability can bring the kind of comfort and confidence that will help you perform at a higher level in your role and become a truly dependable member of your team.

Happiness

This is by far the biggest benefit. If you’re considering staying where you are, it probably means you’re satisfied and content with what you’re doing and what you’re being paid. This is, ultimately, what we’re all searching for so if you’re truly happy where you are then there’s no point in moving – you’ve already achieved what the rest of us are trying to.

But staying in the same role for too long can negatively impact your working life as well as your personal growth. Here are some of the cons of staying where you are that you should consider.     

Being overlooked

Turning down a promotion or not putting yourself forward for a leadership position can make people think you’re not looking for challenges. This can lead to you being overlooked as an important contributor to your company’s success, and becoming just another piece of the office furniture.

Missed opportunities

Turning down opportunities to advance can mean you’ll also miss out on the opportunities you do want, like being part of an interesting project team or taking on more work in your current role.

Stagnation

When you’re doing the same job involving the same sorts of tasks every day, there is always a chance that you will start to stagnate and that boredom will affect your output and your job satisfaction.

In the end it doesn’t matter what is expected or what the usual career progression for people in your industry or role might be. What matters is that you are happy, fulfilled and find value in what you do. If so, then the positives to staying where you are likely outweigh the negatives. You should feel lucky that you’ve already found what you’re looking for in terms of your working life and let go of the pressure to always be seeking more.