If you’re feeling stagnant in your career, you may feel the impulse to do something about it.

While getting a promotion or landing a better job would be ideal, making a lateral move is often the only option.

Taking another job for essentially the same pay and status can feel like you didn’t progress at all by making that change. However, there are perks to the lateral move. You just have to get the timing right.

Here are a few situations when a lateral move makes a lot of sense.

1) You aren’t gaining new skills

If you are considering a lateral move to a different role within the same company, it could be a chance to grow your skills set. By expanding your range of skills, you are making yourself more marketable to future employers. Also, by gaining more knowledge on your current company, you are better positioned to take up a management role down the road, should you want it.

2) You haven’t been growing your professional network

In the past, moving to a new job meant saying goodbye to all the friends, colleagues, co-workers, supervisors, contacts and clients at your old job. However, with the emergence of social media, and LinkedIn in particular, you can still maintain those connections.

Furthermore, a lateral move to a new job allows you to expand your network even further. Having an expansive professional network can pay off in untold ways, including leads on more prestigious and better-paying jobs.

3) You aren’t getting a raise anytime soon

By its definition, a lateral move means you are taking another job for the same pay. However, that doesn’t mean the potential for more pay down the road isn’t there.

Some jobs are being projected to have a greater labor demand in the future, and that means potential for a bigger paycheck. There also might be more opportunities for overtime or even freelance work through the new position.

If the outlook for a raise at your current job doesn’t look so great, it might be time to roll the dice on a different job.

4) You’re not being challenged

People often downplay the idea they’re not being challenged enough in their job, saying they’re just doing it right now for the paycheck and experience. However, not feeling challenged can quickly give way to feeling bored and even apathetic. Before you know it, your performance had slipped drastically and you’re being called out for underperforming and making too many mistakes.

Instead of going down this slippery slope, you should take a proactive approach to your feelings and give yourself a new challenge. A shake-up can reinvigorate your outlook and push you toward making a bigger, bolder career move.

At Action Group, we have many opportunities for people looking to take a proactive approach to their career. If you are currently considering a career move, please contact our team today to set up a consultation.