Is that actually how that works? I'd be interested in wage raises within a company versus jumping companies, that seems to be where getting paid your worth really occurs. Which, of course, typically involves relocation and a reintegration into a corporate structure you may or may not agree with.
"I want more" is a clear business proposition. So is "I don't want this." "I want more encourages further engagement with the existing structure, often with modification of the relationship. "I don't want this" discourages further engagement with the existing structure and risks being disenfranchised when someone shows up wanting more. Try it. Approach work from an "I want more of this" attitude. You will end up with more. Or, you know, approach it from an "I want nothing of this" attitude. See how long you last.
Got to say, since getting dragged kicking and screaming into the land of suits and Human Resources departments and shareholders, the more clear I am that I want nothing of this the more they pay me to stick around anyway, despite my also being clear that I'm only sticking around because I don't have any options that don't have suits and Human Resources departments and shareholders. Embracing it might make you happier, but for the last year and a half open contempt has paid off pretty well for me.
Nah. I love programming, I love everyone who got dragged kicking and screaming from the nonprofit to the corporate world along with me, and I love my users. I just hate the people signing the checks and the humiliating corporate bullshit that comes with them. If they'd just slurp up whatever was left after we'd covered our expenses and paid ourself and otherwise left us the fuck alone I'd be perfectly content.
Do you have an option to work for yourself ? I know a programmer who does that. He charges something like $250 an hour, works from home mostly and gets government contracts because the government can't get anything done on time on account of not just letting people get to work.
You're illustrating my point: you want fucking nothing to do with it, you're telling them you want fucking nothing to do with it, and you're willfully encouraging those around you not to advance you. Embracing it would bring you deeper into the fold, which is quite clearly the last thing you want.
I've definitely seen this attitude working out for me. Two examples: Firstly, in my current job, I was initially on a temporary contract. At the end of that contract they asked to go permanent as well as take on some more hours. I said yes but I want £2,000 p.a. more than I'm getting now. I got it, plus another raise a few months later at the end of the business year. In my freelancing, basically all of my work has been with one company. However, I have been raising my prices gradually with each new bit of work. For the last piece I completed I got the same amount for one normal day's worth of work as I did for an entire 2/3 day's worth when I started out. And those 2/3 days were on a weekend too.