u/South-Arc505

After a year of employment, I wanted significant change in my career and decided to shift. I realized I was too comfortable at work. It was very easy and I did not feel the challenge I was so craving for. I wanted to go for a different role or a different company.

I found countless of job openings that I am very interested in and where I seem to be a fair candidate (in terms of educational background, skills, and knowledge)

I told the company that I had intentions of leaving, unless they are able to offer me a promotion or a role that was more challenging.

Don't get me wrong, my current role is already critical, to the extent that I became irreplaceable because of what I know that no one else in the company doesn't.

They needed me to stay in the same role. Instead, they gave me a 30+% raise, which was flattering, despite all their attempts to discourage me from leaving by saying that I had not enough credentials to demand what I wanted. They asked me to stay for at least 1 more year and told me that a raise will come again if I complete another 6 months.

Now, there are no changes in what I do, I just get paid significantly more. I am bored and don't see any career growth in the role. Although, this is rather financially rewarding.

Should I still look for a new job anyway?

I started with 45k as a fresh graduate. After some time, I expressed to management that i was considering (the word is considering) moving to other companies due to better offers, because I was convinced that I deserve better because of my critical role at the company and my potential. After a month long discussion, they gave me a 30% raise and said that they'd hate to lose me. Now I am at 58k exactly after 1 year of employment. 

We called it a market alignment, though, I just hate to think that they should have given me this earlier (my position is already relatively high, so maybe they lowballed me since I was just a freshgrad) but instead they had to wait for me to ask for it. 

I always thought that I was too demanding - asking for a significant raise after a year at the company. But then I thought, it doesn't hurt to try. 

Maybe someone out there just has to ask for it too. Know your value and stand your ground. Pretty typical to hear from a gen z, right? well, it works. Or maybe I was just lucky again?

What is the minimum hold out deposit for this card? I need a credit limit of 90k, so I am not sure if this is within gold and if they can do scc of 100k holdout.

Has anyone else tried?

Thank you in advance.

I want a travel guitar or something smaller than usual, mahogany (for that warmth). I don't want to spend too much because this guitar will just be for the "on the go", so i expected some scratches and bumps along the way. But still, I am aiming for that great sound around the 10k price range. I just can't choose between the two.

Going in store to check both is not feasible for me because I live very far from the stores that sell these guitars (D&D branches and Guitar Pusher).

What do you think?

Is it possible to pass the Level 1 exam this August 2026, when I only started reviewing now? Has anyone pulled it off with a full time job?

Are there any tips and what I should focus on? I am starting to get anxious, but I wouldn't want to defer (as discouraged by the CFA)

Thank you in advance.