A common trap that employees fall into is sometimes staying with a company for too long. Especially if you are doing a specialised job that may be quite particular to that company.

As time goes on you become more and more valuable to your employer and they will likely pay you accordingly, however and here is the trap, from this you are becoming less valuable to other employers as your skill set becomes more and more centered towards the company you are working for.

If you recognize this as being a problem for you, you really need to get out now, quickly before it is to late. What is going to happen if you wait for another 5 years? Well you will be paid a lot more money, however it is possible that if you were to apply for another job at a different company the value to them would be conceivably less. Meaning that you would need to do the dreaded backwards step.

One way to avoid this problem and continue to work for your present employer is by making sure that you keep your industry skill set up to date and relevant. From an IT perspective this means improving your skills as much as you can in technologies that are widely used.

These are the signs that it is time to get a move on as things are becoming a little stale..

The new things you are learning are only applicable to the company you are working for.

You look at jobs advertised and realise the only ones you could apply for would pay you less than you earn now, as your skills are not easily transferrable.

Boredom has set in with your job, and you see no way forward or position you would like to aim for.

You are the one that has been there for 10 years and everyone else leaves after 2.

Lets face it, more than likely this type of scenario will be facing us all at some stages in our working careers, so don't waste any more time. Get up and get going! For most of us making the move ends up being the best thing we have ever done.

Rob StGeorge
http://www.jobhunters.co.nz