yourself to that company for three to five years. Don’t burn mental
energy on your external options unless your current situation is awful.
Btw, make sure your definition of awful is shared by trusted mentors
after describing the “injustices” you are enduring. You should avoid
the appearance of actively looking, but be always open to a
conversation.
At a sensible juncture (don’t start looking when you’ve just started
a demanding new position at your current employer, for example)
return headhunter calls, go on some interviews, ask others for help or
introductions. Consider if you would benefit from additional training.
If a conversation turns to an attractive offer, be transparent with
your current boss—you’ve been a loyal employee, you like where you
are, but you have an offer that is better on xyz dimensions. You are
attractive to strangers, as evidenced by the feedback received from the
marketplace. Don’t bluff. The truth has a nice ring to it. Often your
external offer will make you much more attractive to your current firm
without having to leave. If your firm does not counter, that means
there was limited upside, and it’s time to leave. If, on the other hand,
this walk on the wild side turns out, settle on the best thing for your
next three to five years, then repeat the process.
Stay Loyal to People, Not Organizations
Mitt Romney was wrong—corporations aren’t people. As British Lord
Chancellor Edward Thurow observed more than two centuries ago,
business enterprises “have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to
be condemned.” As such, they do not deserve your affection or your
loyalty, nor can they repay it in kind. Churches, countries, and even
the occasional private firm have been touting loyalty to abstract
organizations for centuries, usually as a ploy to convince young people
to do brave and foolish things like go to war so old people can keep
their land and treasure. It. Is. Bullshit. The most impressive students
in my class are the young men and women who have served their
country. We benefit (hugely) from their loyalty to our country, but I
don’t think we (the United States) pay them their due. I believe it’s a
bad trade for them.