Warning signs that it is time you move on from your Junior title!

Is it the right time to leave your first ecommerce role and change company?

When you are considering moving on from your first ecommerce role, it is hard to decide whether it is too soon or perfect timing. We often hear from recruiters and advice sites that a jumpy CV can make you look unreliable, indecisive and unprofessional. So how can you get it just right?

Sometimes it means taking a closer look at what your current role involves and whether you can use your skills better elsewhere. Being in a position of a junior role can sometimes mean that you expect a low salary, lots of responsibility and a long time in the same company. Is this correct?

What if we were to tell you that you may be the odd one out?

During our Ecommerce salary survey report we had the chance to speak to a range of Junior ecommerce professionals across the whole sector, and gain an insight into their salary and time spent in their role. We can see that there may be professionals out there who are well overdue in moving onto another role.

Are you taking on too much with no reward or progression?

Do not be mistaken, it is great to be in a junior position that offers a wide range of experience and skills, but there does come a time when your title may be taken for granted. Out of the Junior Ecommerce professionals we spoke to whether they may be in data analysis, social media, performance marketing or digital design, 48% had been in their current junior role for less than a year and 26% for a year. All of those were earning a salary of £24,000 and above!

Have you just taken on or been in a junior title job for a year or under and earning less then £24,000? Remember to not sell yourself short, just because you are new to the industry or in an assistant / executive position does not mean you deserve to be paid pennies compared to what you offer. It is all about knowing the difference between a lower paid salary that offers knowledge, skills, education and promotion potential – to a position that doesn’t.

Too soon to move?

Staying in your first role in your career for the right amount of time is crucial! Stay there for too long and your CV can show a lack of experience in different companies and brands. Stay there for too small amount of time and it can appear like you do not know what you are doing! (Half the time I do not think anyone knows what they are doing when it comes to getting the career ladder right!)

But, to put at ease those junior candidates that have been in the same position for over 2 years, 23% of our junior contacts are in the same boat as you. Whether it be 2 years through to 5 years, sometimes staying in the same position can be worth it … if the benefits match.

Time to move on up the career ladder?

Keep your career progression personal but also assess the market:

• Want to be promoted in the future? – Are you working for a brand that can offer you that?
• Looking for a higher salary soon? – Does your current company have the budget to do so?
• Eager to learn more? – Are there multiple departments you can shadow within or an education scheme?
• Want to take on more responsibility? – Is your team too big for work to be shared?
• Keen to move into a decision-making role? – Is the Senior above you the end of the line?

TIP TIME: A massive tip cranberry panda could recommend to a junior candidate interested in moving on in their career is to make a list! (Got to love a good list.) If you come across a role you want to apply for or, are starting up your search – even if you have found that position and got an offer, make a list of the benefits.

First things first, write down what you want from your career, salary and job description and then see if the positions you have come across match. It is very hard to stay away from the distraction of bright lights and the promise of a new career. But, it is even worse to rush into a new role and realise it was a mistake.

To get a better look at what you need to consider, take a look at our #AskDesiree blog - Moving from your first ecommerce job, what to think about "It does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop..."