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They Don't Ignore Job Offers for Lateral Moves
While many top earners keep an eye out for their next career move, they're not always looking to move up. They're often looking to make lateral moves, says Amanda Augustine, job-search expert at TheLadders.com, which originally began as a job-search site for people earning $100,000 and more (they've since expanded to all salaries). This group is willing to move horizontally, or even to take a step down, Augustine says, if there is a future opportunity to move up and take on an even better role. Employees at every level can learn from this behavior, she says. Making a sideways career change (either within your company or to a new one with a similar title, pay and responsibility) can also be worth it if your industry is contracting and the new job is in a field that's growing, or if you'll be saving money with a shorter commute or cheaper parking, or getting better benefits, whether insurance- or retirement-related.