I can see how that would very easily happen, but my experience is that it's easier to find a new job than get a raise. Eventually you'll get that senior position too.

• Stick around for at least five years and you're the guru who knows everything, so you've got job security

• Change jobs every five years, because managers love to offer "experienced hires" more than the current actually experienced staff

The Two Genders

Important Note: Being "the person who knows how everything works around here" means nothing to them when it's time for layoffs.

Also, your yearly performance reviews are less than meaningless

Funny idea that you’re going to get promotion and pay rise by staying where you are and hoping the management will magically appreciate your efforts and reward you.

Yes, if you stay at a dysfunctional company for five years, and everyone more competent left: Steve in sales will address you as the senior engineer at the start of the call.

It won't feel good, that guy is an idiot.

Hahaha yep after five years you do become the person who knows how to do shit. But you still get paid the same wage just for more effort. If you are working for 5 years and you are being mistreated please leave without a two week notice. I never thought I would the one to do it but its good for your mental health

It also means not absolutely hating your job. If you're the only hater and everyone else likes working in the company you'll have a bad time waiting for everyone to leave.

"The best career advice is to just not get fired or laid off, idiot, duh."

Wow, why didn't I think of that.

Worst advice ever. Your blood pressure will rise and you will wish you were a farmer.

And when you're the knowledgeable senior you will also have the knowledge that they're hiring people for more than they pay you.

the people in my team started in the company: 1992, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2020 and me: 2025, it's gonna be a long wait 😞

Literally me right now in my job after two years. Projet Owner left, Tech Lead left, two Devops engineers left... I was supposed to be just a Dev and instead I end up doing a bit of everything. Fucking crazy. Coincidentally, I've never been in a job for more than two years...

Can confirm, it happened twice to me.

I speed ran this. First job right out of uni, the team lead went on holiday 2 weeks later and never came back. Everyone else was gone within 3 months.

Advancement by attrition

I've done that. It sucks.

You won't get laid more, that's for sure!

But at what cost.. At what cost..

Or even though you are around for years the unqualified boss's nephew gets the raise and senior position.

Nearly everyone else in a team I work on decided to leave along with their boss, so guess who's left with the knowledge

and your salary doesn't go up lmao

Only pay raises happen when you get poached. Your boss isnt suddenly gonna pay you more.

In reality, not everyone quits and your pay didn't move. Only way to improve your pay is often move and negotiate.

If you stay, you can do 200% of the work and hope there is a role and they appreciate your work. Or just sell your experience to a company that definitely has that role available.

Last year, money was running out in our project and the guy who had trained me decided he'd take the L and move to another project, so we could continue in the project. And yeah, suddenly I was in the role of the lead developer.

Like, don't get me wrong, I would've been the one to be moved to another project, if I wasn't up for the task. It's not like I was a complete dumbass.
But it did still feel more like "I guess, we doin' lead development now" rather than something I had intentionally worked towards.