Do you find the climb up the corporate ladder invigorating? When you enter the management track or are welcomed into the inner circle of executive status, it may seem like all your career dreams are coming true. Of course, once the dust settles you realize that it’s not all sunshine and roses. That big bump in your salary is looking smaller and smaller as your spending habits change to absorb it. Plus, the excitement you felt over becoming a real decision maker and force for change in your organization is probably starting to fade. You get caught up in managing minutiae and start to bog down.

Your drive and ambition have brought you this far. Don’t let your career stagnate just because you appear to be at a plateau. There are a couple of areas where you can continue to grow and create a richer career for yourself – one that is both financially lucrative and personally fulfilling. Let’s look at 2 strategies for achieving this:

Getting Rich

In this economy, you may be very hesitant to ask for a raise. However, there are ways to increase the real value of your total compensation without requesting a direct increase to your take home pay. Just remember, it’s all about the fringe benefits.

The best time to negotiate for one of these perks is after you’ve made a smart decision or put in a lot of hard work to save your company money/increase profits. This generally opens up one of those “By the way, I’ve been meaning to discuss the details of my company stock options package with you” moments. As a matter of fact, asking for a payout that occurs at a future date is a great way to get rich slowly but steadily. Negotiate for a better retirement package (such as inclusion in an SERP) whenever you have the chance. Employers are often happy to make monetary commitments that don’t noticeably affect their bottom line until later.

What about feeling richer right now?

You spend 40-50+ hours per week at the office – so make it as comfortable as possible.

Convince your employer to buy an item for you rather than making a purchase and trying to get it reimbursed. This takes some schmoozing, but that’s good practice anyway. Bear in mind that requesting flashy status symbol perks such as mahogany paneling for your office may be a little much during a period of cut backs. So, ask for stuff that isn’t too conspicuous but that makes your life more pleasant. If the item can be shared with others (like a cappuccino machine), that’s even better.

Being Enriched

There’s no law saying you can’t mix career and personal interests (embezzlement issues aside, of course). Consider lobbying your company to become a corporate sponsor for a cause you are passionate about. Many businesses are on the lookout for ways to build good will in the community and generate positive press. Remember that you’ve got a better chance of convincing your employer to support a cause that is not controversial and that is not affiliated with a religious organization. A cause that is aligned with your company’s mission statement is a good choice.

Finally, another way to increase your job satisfaction is by becoming a mentor to a junior coworker. For the most enlightening experience and a chance at real personal development, choose a mentee who is as different from you as possible. Welcome the challenge of learning to communicate with your protege as you help her/him achieve career success. It will be a rich experience – I promise!

Contributed by Teena Rose with Resume to Referral. To download a free copy of her latest book, Professional Cover Letter Examples for Executives and Managers, visit resumetoreferral.com