In the corporate world, employees often strive to climb the corporate ladder and receive promotions, raises, and other recognition for their contributions.
But careers expert Aaron Knightley argues that workers should aim for something more lucrative and worthwhile than just promotion.
He warned employees to never accept a promotion in their nine-to-five jobs.
In her TikTok video, Knightley urged people to never accept or aim for a promotion at work, especially in a standard nine-to-five job, explaining that promotions aren’t as glamorous as people think, but rather “shorten your puppet strings.”
“Someone is sabotaging your job because you took a job where there were very few people like that, and now you’re on the chopping block, and you’re just further down the system,” Knightley argued. “You’re not getting paid accordingly.”
Knightley went on to say that if he was in a position where he was being offered a promotion and the next promotion would bring a salary increase of $5,000 to $10,000, it just wouldn’t be worth it to him.
Rather than accept the promotion, he argued that if he started his own business, he could pay himself $5,000 to $10,000 a month if the company was successful.
“If you want more responsibility, start your own business,” Knightley said, referring to the excuse people often use to justify why they want a promotion. “That’s real responsibility. Adding two, three, four, five roles to your job list in the hopes of getting promoted is not a promotion. That’s not responsibility.”
Knightley added that climbing the corporate ladder is unfulfilling because you’re simply building someone else’s dream and company, yet most CEOs and executives don’t value or appreciate the hard work of the people who work for them.
Corporate America is unforgiving, and it’s natural to feel insecure about promotions and rote work patterns, but it’s also a bit arrogant to think that everyone should just start their own company.
Nearly half of homeowners and renters said they will regularly struggle to make mortgage or rent payments in 2024, according to a recent survey by online real estate brokerage Redfin.
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Some homeowners and renters admitted to selling possessions, working overtime, canceling vacations, taking on second jobs and skipping meals to keep up with paying their housing bills.
Starting a company is not a quick project that anyone can do. It requires perseverance, dedication, and above all else, money. Considering that most working-class Americans struggle to afford basic necessities like rent and groceries, it seems a bit far-fetched to expect that the average person with a 9-to-5 job can quit their job and start their own company or business on a whim.
Furthermore, even if an individual sets up a company, it will likely take some time before it becomes profitable.
Many American workers have been vocal about their desire for promotions and raises at work.
According to Workhuman, which surveyed 1,000 full-time U.S. employees in December 2022 about their hopes and expectations for 2023, employees acknowledged that they are prioritizing factors they can control, such as becoming more organized, setting healthier boundaries at work, and supplementing income with a side hustle, over a chaotic economic situation.
48% of workers claim they would like to be promoted or receive a pay raise, around 4% of workers are optimistic that work-life balance will improve in 2023, and 29% of workers expect employees to be more vocal about their needs at work.
The average American worker in a nine-to-five job desperately wants a promotion, but probably doesn’t have the capital to start their own company.
So for the time being, stable and consistent work is more important than anything else, especially given the current economic situation and cost of living.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news and lifestyle writer whose articles explore contemporary issues and experiences.
