skeleton567 (7/11/2014)

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Well, don't be surprised too much. What you younger folks are facing is the fact that a company can discover a need for a skill, and instead of training you for a specific project they can get a contract employee for a short period of time. And it is most likely far easier for a manager to get approval for a contractor for a defined period of time than to get a budget for training you for that same project. And of course, they run the risk that if they train you and make you more valuable to someone else you may decide to go to work for them. That's 'management' these days. Short term commitment instead of long term thinking.

So you develop your own skills, get them 'discovered' when the need arises and you show what you can do, and as I have narrated here before, write up your skills and contributions and ask for a meeting with your manager to discuss a raise. You don't have to wait until annual review time. Do it when they remember what you accomplished and you have a list to review.

You may not get the raise immediately like I did, but when review time comes around, you are fresh in their mind and they know you are expecting results.