Sometimes people want to advance in their career or their job for the money, which is completely understandable and a rational reason to want to work more.
Other times, people want to advance because advancing just seems like what you ought to do. No one wants to stand still, do they?
This is especially tricky in the arts or in any field where expertise and technical skill is important. The higher up the org-chart you go, the less likely it is that you’ll be doing what you’re good at — what got you into your original role in the first place.
I have a good friend who is the executive chef at a semi-famous restaurant. It’s a super impressive accomplishment. But I think I’m happier for him than he is for himself, sometimes. If you ask him what his days are like, he’s not in the kitchen inventing new recipes and techniques. His days, he says, are mostly spent looking at spreadsheets.
I sometimes think that’s where everything leads. We all think we’re working at different jobs, but in the end everyone ends up staring at budgets and worrying about payroll.
If you like what you’re doing right now but are thinking about moving up the chain of command, think carefully.
(This is in no way a gripe about my current gig. I’m actually quite happy, but watching others strive and wondering if they’d be happy if they got what they think they want. That’s not for me to say, of course, but worth thinking on.)