What does loyalty earn you as a designer? 🌱

First, I'd like to say a massive thank you! We’ve just reached over 100 subscribers on the newsletter 🎉

This is so amazing to think. My goal has always been to be able to help at least one person out. To think there are 100+ people reading the newsletter is crazy ✨

Loyalty as a designer

As you grow in your career and you stay longer at one company, you expect to get promotions, be able to challenge yourself and be rewarded. However, I feel like this has changed a lot over the years.

More traditional companies 20 years ago had some gigantic perks for sticking at one company for lengthy periods. Insanely generous pension packages, more vacation time, higher salaries and stock options that carry on growing.

If you join as a new employee today, a lot of these benefits have evaporated away. This means that once you’ve been at a company for a few years, your work may stop challenging you, what is the real incentive for sticking around?

Stick or Twist

You don’t have a gold mine of a pension waiting for you anymore today. It’s expensive to recruit new employees, companies will want you to stay. However, it’s always important to remember everyone is replaceable in the workforce, so put yourself first.

You may have a really good work-life balance, or you may be learning a ton from your teammates around you. Larger companies mean that you could be working on a completely different project learning totally different skill sets.

Not Happy?

But at the end of the day, if you're not happy, you're not learning much, or you want a higher salary and you're not getting that, your best bet is to move on. Loyalty today isn’t rewarded like it used to be. I personally feel like it’s sad, but it’s something we can’t control.

How long should I stay?

Finally, I'd also like to say that there isn’t a “set” amount of years you have to stay at a company before moving on, or after X amount of years you should leave. Do what’s best for yourself; everyone’s situation is totally different. Take it with a pinch of salt when reading those articles. Remember, the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side”.