5 Work Rules You Should Break

Climb the Career Ladder

There’s pressure in our culture to earn more money and to have important titles. But not everyone wants more responsibility and power. And what we don’t hear often enough is that it’s OK not to want a promotion. So move laterally, or choose self-employment if you think that will make you happy. It won’t hold you back; on the contrary, having a nonlinear career path can make you more intriguing to bosses in the future, not less. They’ll view you as having broader experience.

Michelle Goodman is the author of The Anti 9-to-5 Guide ($15, amazon.com) and a career columnist for ABCnews.com.