Homies - it's so important for you to have clarity on what is most important to you in your next job. 

Get clear and optimize for those things as you interview.

And newsflash: it doesn't always have to be about the money. 

Most often I recommend increasing your income every time you switch jobs, but sometimes it's ok if it doesn't happen.

Sometimes, other things are more important to you in this season of your career.

Btw, I'm not saying don't negotiate. I'm saying know exactly what you want to negotiate for in an offer.

Quick backstory:
Once I took a pay cut for a new job because I was pivoting and it gave me other intangible benefits I wanted at the time.

These intangibles included:
✅  Higher title
✅  Work that was more aligned
✅  Better work/life balance
✅  Better manager

These things outweighed the pay cut for me in that season of my career.

I took the job and later it catapulted me into an even higher earning job a year later, so it was worth it.

It's helpful to know the top 2-3 things that are most important to you so you can recognize them as you interview with companies. 

Perhaps you want to optimize for some of these things:
➡️  Remote work
➡️  Smaller or larger company
➡️  Bigger or smaller team
➡️  More money
➡️  Leadership role
➡️  New industry or vertical
➡️  Recognizable brand
➡️  Benefits and Perks

The list could be endless.

The point is to know what's most important to you right now.

Figure out the top few priorities and chase them ruthlessly.

You can't have everything you want in a job...but you can have anything you want.

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SIDE NOTE: If you want help landing your next role in tech, I'm taking coaching clients again. Apply here. 
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The folks who know what they want will be more compelling to an employer. 

Get clear and ask better questions to determine if a certain opportunity is a match.

You got this!