If you're happy with your current salary, it would be easy to just sit back and enjoy it. But if you want to make sure your earnings keep rising over the long term, you need a strategy to protect against salary plateaus and unemployment.

如果你對目前薪水滿意的話，那么放松享受是件容易的事。但是，如果你想確保收入長期上升，你就需要一個策略，保護自己免遭“薪水天花板”和失業。

Experts offer the following tips for maximizing your earnings over the course of your career.

以下就是專家們提供的建議，幫你達到職業生涯內收入最大化。

 Watch industry trends carefully.

仔細關注行業潮流

"If your professional area is vulnerable to economic shifts, don't cling to it just because it is familiar and comfortable," said Libby Pannwitt, principal of the Work Life Design Group, in San Carlos, California. Take a class or even get an advanced degree to arm yourself with skills that are more enduring.

加州San Carlos的Work Life Design 集團主席Libby Pannwitt說：“如果你從事的行業容易受到經濟轉型的影響，就不要因為你熟悉這個行業、感到舒適而死守著不放。”參加培訓或取得更高的學歷，用那些更經得起時間考驗的技能來武裝自己吧。

For example, Marianne Adoradio, a recruiter and career counselor in Silicon Valley, said she sees otherwise excellent candidates for human resources positions who don't have global experience -- something that is a requirement for more and more positions. She advises people in the field -- even if they aren't currently job-hunting -- to make sure they're working on projects with a global component. If they aren't, they need to ask their boss how they can gain this experience.

例如，硅谷的招聘人員、職業顧問Marianne Adoradio說她遇到過一些非常優秀的人來應聘人力資源職位，但他們沒有國際經驗——這一越來越多職位要求的必備條件。她建議這一行業的人們（即使他們現在沒在找工作）一定要讓自己的工作項目中含有“國際成份”。如果沒有，他們就得問問老板如何才能獲得這方面的經驗。

If you reach a salary plateau, understand the reason.

遇到薪水瓶頸，要尋找原因

In many fields, people start out their careers with a succession of rapid salary increases. These increases taper off after a time, though, unless they enter management. Some companies have career paths for non-managers with highly specialized skills, so if you're not interested in management, you may want to pursue one of those.

在許多行業，薪水開始會有一系列的迅速增長。過了一段時間后加薪會逐漸減少，除非進入管理層。有些企業為那些非管理人員、但有高級專業技能者也提供了不斷發展的職業道路，所以如果你對管理不感興趣，也許會希望追求一份這樣的工作。

If the problem is that your field of expertise is no longer in as much demand as it used to be, then you may need to look at a move to a related field.

如果在你從事的行業中，對專業技術的需求已不如以往，那你也許需要考慮換到相關行業。

 Make yourself marketable outside your company as well as inside.

讓自己在公司內外都“吃香”

"The most successful people develop themselves to add a lot of value to any company in the industry, not just their company alone," said Steve Levin, principal of Leading Change Consulting & Coaching, in Portola Valley, California. This will give you more leverage in internal negotiations -- and more options if you decide to leave your current company.

Leading Change Consulting & Coaching（位于加州Portola山谷）的主席Steve Levin說：“最成功的人是那些將自己打造為對該行業的任何一家公司都有很大價值的人，而不僅僅是他們所在的公司。”這會讓你在同公司談判待遇時擁有更多砝碼，也會讓你在決定辭職時有更多選擇。

One tip for being marketable across an industry: Try to work for "name-brand companies," Adoradio said. Recruiters often prefer candidates who have worked for industry-leading companies. Having one on your resume will help your long-term career prospects. Adoradio提供的一個在行業內“吃香”的技巧是：為“名企”工作。招聘人員往往偏愛那些曾在行業內領先企業工作過的員工。在簡歷上有這么一家公司會對你長期職業發展有幫助。

 Consider multiple income streams.

擁有多份收入

Some people branch out from their main job to take on consulting work or teach a course in their field. This may help advance your primary career if the work helps you stay current or showcases your expertise. If your second job is in a different field, the second income will increase your earnings and help shield you from the downturns in your main industry.

有些人擴展了工作范圍，也從事行業內的咨詢或培訓工作。如果這份工作能讓你走在行業潮流前端或是展現你的專長，那就能促進你的本職工作。如果你的副業屬于一個不同的行業，第二份收入會增加你的個人收入，并可在你的第一行業低迷時，保護你不受影響。

Don't focus too narrowly on money.

不要眼界狹窄，太關注于錢

"Raises and promotions are given to people who generate trust and demonstrate competence to handle more complexity," Levin said. Focus on this, and the money will likely follow.

Levin說：“加薪和晉升是給那些值得信任并表現出有能力處理更復雜問題的人員的。”關注這一點，收入也就可能自然而然的增加。

And remember that learning new skills in a job can be just as important as the money.

還要記住在工作中學習新技能和獲得加薪一樣重要。

"When that learning stops, when that development stops, it's time to move," said Leslie G. Griffen, managing partner of Career Management Associates, in Overland Park, Kansas.

來自堪薩斯Overland Park職業管理聯盟的管理人員Leslie G. Griffen說：“當學習停止、發展停止，就是跳槽的時間了。”