Dear Readers: You may be wondering if it’s a step back to move internally in your company rather than move up and/or out. Do lateral moves mean you’re taking a step back?

Coming from someone who has made a lateral move early in my career, switching to a new role within the same company without altering your title, authority level or salary, it can be very strategic and savvy. It can often be about the long game: you’re playing chess, not checkers.

According to a study conducted by Cornerstone OnDemand, 89% of respondents said they would consider making a lateral career move for several different reasons that didn’t have any financial incentives.

There are several reasons why you may want to seriously consider moving internally. Keep in mind your salary may remain flat for the time being, but the notion behind a lateral move is a stepping stone to reposition you into a more viable path.

Whether this means your current department is a dead end, you’ve learned everything there is to learn, and there’s nowhere to grow and go, so you simply need a change, or you have your eye on the prize of a new dream role that you don’t have the skills for yet, this position may be the perfect interim solution. It can boost your skills and experiences, even if you do it for a year or two, so you can likely command a higher salary in a new external job. Or it can position you for an internal promotion, say, if the department you’re moving into is growing.

In another scenario, if the lateral move puts you in charge of managing people and/or a budget, even without a potential promotion in the next couple of years, these new valuable management skills can position you as a strong candidate externally or even internally for another department, this time a leap in authority rather than another lateral move.

Pursuing a lateral move doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get it, but don’t necessarily decide not to pursue it just because you think it will look bad on your resume instead of a promotion. The new skills and experiences you get will hopefully be worth the move that you wouldn’t have gained otherwise if you stayed where you currently are.

When asking yourself if you should pursue a lateral move, David Radin, creator of “Time Management in the Age of A.I.” (workshop) and CEO of Confirmed, a productivity SaaS company, advised understanding your specific situation.

“Is your current role, as defined by your direct supervisor, giving you the types of work that make you happy? Are you getting chances to display your expertise beyond your supervisor? Are you learning continuously and getting opportunities to enhance the skills that will position you for your next upward move?” said Radin.

If you answered no to these questions, then assess the reasons why. “A supervisor who is not willing or able to work with you to change it is a sure sign that you’re in the wrong place, and that a lateral move could be helpful. A good supervisor should always be working with you to help you grow out of your current role,” said Radin.

Tribune News Service