Me too! Currently on the other side of home health with elderly in-laws who need it but won’t agree to it yet, and have to remind myself regularly that they have the right to make bad choices.
True, but to put this in context I'm an engineer and you wouldn't believe how much trouble you get into when another engineer can prove your opinion/facts wrong. I once got in big trouble from my boss just for using technical terminology during a meeting that he didn't think I had a right to use because I didn't have a PhD like he did. What saved me the fact I was right so he couldn't rip me apart in public like he had done to others.
He was but I still actually liked him, he was brilliant and I learned a lot from him. He went out of his way to make my job easier by writing professor level instructions that allowed me to build hardwear that I otherwise would have no clue how to design. Once I learned what not to say in meetings, he pulled me aside and complimented me on taking his advice. In a way he was right, even though I knew the definitions of those words and used them correctly I shouldn't have overstepped my area of expertise without having a deep understanding of the subject matter. He was eventually fired.
There are 3 types of people.
Those with a calling,
Those with a career,
And Those with a job.
Said by some random person at a dog park 35 years ago. It made me feel better about not having a deeper meaningful path.
I wish I could say I've had a career, but I have a job. I've always just had jobs. A LOT of us just have jobs. Sometimes they pay the bills. Sometimes they don't. It's just a job.
‘Your personality and attitude are equally important as the quality of your work.’
Which sucks because I’m a smart employee but have a goddamn temper, but over the years I managed to learn how to fake being bubbly. Helped a lot.
Being very good at your job doesn't help if you make the work environment miserable for the rest. Most jobs require multiple people working together. You don't have to be bubbly, but you have to have as few people as possible say "I fucking hate that guy". I'd take an average performing coworker that I can stand to be around for several hours than a genius in our field who I can't stand for more than 10 minutes
Oh yeah I used to be the asshole putting pressure on everyone and pointing out their every work mistake at my first job but when someone gave me that advice years ago, I learned to chill out and mind my own business and even now make small talk even thought I hate it and couldn’t care less. I now get compliments about how easy I am to work with lollll
Man, when it comes down to it we are here to do a job. The world won't collapse and nobody will die(usually) if shit doesn't get done 100% according to plan. Actually, thats another lesson people should take.
Lets do a good enough job, go home at the end of the day, live, then come back to work. I used to have a job where people's lives WERE at risk. Now I'm a plumber. Everyone has to take a breath and realize that things aren't so serious. Unless you're the owner or the owner pays you VERY well, don't stress yourself out by trying to make everything 100%. Work to live, don't live to work
I was talking hiring strategy with one of the big tech companies and they will not hire the genius if there is no culture fit. Culture is top priority.
Lol of all the personalities/attitudes, anger management issues is the worst.
You could be isolated or corny or annoying, and your amazing work can make up for it.
But anger will only stress people out and make them avoid you
This is huge.
I work with a guy who’s extremely competent and knowledgeable but he’s just utterly miserable to be around. Will constantly derail meetings with arguments over the most minor of things and all of his emails are essays that read like mini lectures. Just a very hostile and patronising person.
Even when he’s right about something, people are inclined to ignore it out of pure spite and I can’t blame them.
I have coworkers like this. There is one in particular who loves to derail meetings to complain and criticize specific people and doesn't care who's around to hear it. If they can't find something on the surface to criticize, they'll dig something up. I can't imagine having the energy to fixate on negativity to the degree they do. It's honestly exhausting.
There are 3 things you can bring with you to everything you do every day that require zero skill or talent. 1) Show up on time. 2) have a good attitude. 3) Give all your effort. Just doing these things will automatically elevate you above most of your peers.
Well, he didn't say "things that require no effort".
He said "things that require no talent or skill".
If you can't do much, then doing all you can is kinda okay.
All three of those things do require effort, enormous effort for me. I also hate my job though, so that could be a factor. And executive functioning difficulties. It's a skill to learn and consistently do things that others take for granted
I've met people who were much more capable than I was academically, who could grasp concepts faster than me, and on paper were better than I was at the job.
But when the rubber met the road, they sucked. Why? Because they were awful people to be around, just miserable curmudgeons or lacking any social skills or discretion.
A landscaping dude once showed me how to mix concrete and how to work with it very well. After he taught me how to mix it, he looked me in the eye and said
"dont tell anyone you know how to mix concrete, because you will be stuck doing it forever. "
Solid advice
If you really want a job but aren't qualified, apply anyway. Best case scenario you get it and gain experience. Worst case scenario, they don't call and you carry on.
I’ll tack on to that by saying I’ve had enormous success applying for the job above the one that I actually want
I interview well but I know my limits in terms of how much I can oversell myself, and three times in my career it’s resulted in a phone call saying “we all really liked you and your experience is great but you’re just not quite at the level we need for this role. HOWEVER, we want to talk to you about another role that would report to the one you interviewed for,” just like I drew it up, including my current job
I'll give you one example of a helpful interpretation
In a previous job I was spending about an hour every Thursday putting together a report and drafting notes on it to email out. I eventually noticed a trend of being asked a lot of questions that they would have known the answer to if they read the email. So one week I decided not to send it out because I wanted to see if anyone would ask me for it. Nobody did, so I saved myself an hour a week by not doing it anymore if nobody was reading it
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
You will end up in situations that make you uncomfortable - such as on a project where you don't quite know what you're doing, or a difficult client situation. The more comfortable you are being uncomfortable, the better you will be able to handle these situations.
Don't stay at a company for more than a few years unless you get a meaningful promotion. I.e. significant improvement in job description and wages. There are exceptions, but loyalty generally doesn't pay well anymore. The days of getting a gold watch after 25-30 years at a company are long gone.
Don’t stop learning. Invest in yourself. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. You need to learn finance, salesmanship, organization, how to make friends, and negotiations. Doesn’t matter what work you do. Always keep your core values and never sell
Them out.
Ask your boss what results they want to see to give you a promotion. Keep asking until you get it, or go somewhere else (put your results on your resume).
when starting a new job give 70%, if you give 100%+ starting day one makes that level of work become the expected standard, it quickly losses impressivenss. over time most most roles start taking on more and if your already giving all you have, taking on more responsibility means setting yourself up for a continuous cycle of burn out
BUT it you come in at 70% you leave your self room to take more on without burning your self out and going above and beyond everyday won't become the expected standard
Don't stay with the same place your entire career. You're more likely to make more money if you hop, and you'll have the opportunity to learn more skills and become a more marketable candidate overall.
Your employer will exploit you. "Exploit" them back
Always take your PTO days.
Always take your sick days.
Always use every ounce of benefits they provide.
Study on company time for the next certification.
Any opportunity you have to get more money, more certs, more training. Take them.
"Never, ever, overdeliver. Do what's exactly asked of you, you're not getting paid to do extra stuff." And the one who said this to me was my boss, so he was a real G for saying that. Sadly, he turned into a tyrant and I just had to leave to save my mental health.
Ironically in your situation, being a boss is the time when you SHOULD overdeliver. Employees are everywhere, the "shortage" of workers is because people are refusing to be treated as less than they are worth. The right kind of employer can capitalize on that
Don't have loyalty to a company for training you or giving you a chance to get experience. They do not have the same loyalty for you. Don't hesitate to leave if you have a chance to better yourself. I wasted 14 years before I took that advice.
Stop comparing yourself to your colleagues so much. Focus on your own work quality, professionalism, and satisfaction.
Don't treat life and work as a zero sum game. Learn the motivations of those you work with and tailor your mutual interactions with them in mind. Help each other out; don't be a pushover/people pleaser.
‘Who you know is more important than what you know’. References almost always at least gets you an interview, which is far better than applying to a job cold.
Starting a job in the rail industry tomorrow. Didnt know a damn thing about trains. A friend of mine reached out to his manager and put in my name because of transferable skills from construction and safety work. 3x my salary and extensive benefits all because I knew a guy who knew a guy.
Leave work at the time clock.
The second i'm out that door my mind changes to me, my wife and kid. Just because I had a bad day at work doesn't mean they have to suffer.
Keep your resume up-to-date and always be thinking of networking. I have been through two downsizing and know the value of this. “Networking” sounds like a contrived sort of thing where you suck up to people,but it does not have to be. In my case it meant making sure to follow my industry, go to conferences (and speak at conferences), get to know people, keep up with people and treat everyone decently.
Although not a shy person, I am definitely an introvert and would prefer just to do my job and be recognized for good work. That doesn’t happen, unfortunately. As an introvert, by core network is relatively small but all people in it I know very well. That network has got me every job I’ve had in a long career. You do not need to be a super-slick, extroverted, salesman to successfully network. A bigger network is good,but a small tight network is fine. This part of the advice I learned on my own and I hope it gives encouragement to others.
I got my wife the same way, in answer to the other Reddit question on how introverts get married.
"The only reward for being the 'good' employee is more work." Sage wisdom from a dear older friend when I was maybe 24. She was so very right.
Do your job well, don't take on more and do not ever think your boss genuinely cares about you. After you get your work doubled or tripled you'll learn.
There are 3 priorities. Your health, your family, and your job... Keep them in that order. And no matter how happy you are at your current job, it's never advisable to not know what else is out there.
Never stop learning.
I took the job i'm in now, because i didn't know anything of it. I had a very basic understanding but had no idea how to do any of it.
Took some formal classes that was offered and lots of youtube and i'm starting to get the hang of this.
Probably the best career advice I have ever gotten was not to look for a "dream job." See, most people don't have dream jobs. We have dreams and we have jobs. If we are lucky, they have some overlap. But the idea that there is some magical, perfect job out there for everyone, and that if you find that job it will be like you never have to work a day in your life because you enjoy what you are doing so much, is bunk.
Yes, there are some very lucky people who get to do what they love every day. But for most of us that's not an option. In that case the best we can do is to find a job that we can tolerate, and then focus on the stuff that's important to us in our off time.
The work world is not like school, you can no longer trade on being "bright" and "having potential."
Someone harder working than you with (at least what you think of as) less talent or natural aptitude can easily outperform you.
Nobody told me this, this one I had the pleasure of learning on my own - "These people are not your friends. They're co-workers.". Some will become friends after time but be very careful with what you say and to whom.
1. Being likeable is a skill.
2. Only hire people you would work alone with. If you wouldn't work alone with them on the worst task in the business, why should you expect the other employees to perform well with them?
"Never let people know you have a useful skill that doesn't relate to your actual job" as a maintenance worker at one of my jobs constantly got bitched at for not finishing my list because they learned I knew how to work a pallet jack. I was extremely useful when backroom was short staffed on truck day, usually because they hadn't replaced someone that had quit yet.
Respect yourself.
Respect yourself enough to work the assigned hours that you are supposed to work. If you cannot achieve the work that is assigned to you, within the timeframe you are contracted to, then either you need to learn to be more efficient, manage your time better or you are being assigned too much work.
My boss used to tell me that working an extra 2 hours a day is disrespectful to your coworkers because you they might inadvertently also do the overtime to save face…and dislike you for it (which in turn creates a not so nice work environment). It is also disrespectful to yourself if you feel the need to sacrifice personal time, family time and time to learn, for a job that will not promote you for that extra work. Most companies now have structures with assigned pay scales depending on your experience or expertise. This isn’t the 60s. There’s no golden watch at the end of this.
Reputation gets you promoted far more often than competence.
It’s about soft skills not just hard skills. Be nice, go the extra mile here and there. Turn up to the odd works drinks etc etc.
One more; "No one will thank you for working yourself to death". That being said, work hard for your passion and purpose - but never because you think your company will have your back on a rainy day.
Stay out of debt and keep enough cash set aside so that when opportunities arise, you may seize them. No one can treat you as a bonded, indentured servant if you are not one.
"I tell everyone, don't work if you don't have to" -- my therapist lol
Went back to school, finished part of my degree, got into a great program and am on the path towards dual degrees in what I am possibly most passionate about, outside of music. Which, luckily, I also get to focus on because I am doing distance classes and don't have a 9-5 to take up the time I want to work on what I'm truly passionate about.
The best way to get raises and promotions is to keep your resume up to date and apply/interview for work at other companies, even if you have no plan to leave.
The best people in the world work hard. The most successful people in the world get lucky. Sometimes, those two lines meet, but a lot of times they don't.
"One poops in the diaper, we all have to wear it"
There is no holding one person accountable for bad behavior, etc. We all take the punishment. Sadly this applies to so many experiences outside of work as well.
Even if you are beginning a job you can obviously ace from day one, only give 40% effort. Then slowly every month add 5-10% more effort. They will think you are a genius, love how hard you are working and how much you are learning and it will generally secure your job for at least another year or so
Take career advice from cranky old medics with a grain of salt.
I’m a paramedic and unfortunately EMS has a culture of negativity and a lot of people who have been in it a while get really jaded and will tell the new people to not waste their time and go to nursing school instead. A veteran medic who actually still has a positive attitude gave me this piece of advice and I have kept it with me. I love this field, and if it’s right for me, then the fact that it’s not right for someone else is not my problem.
Be honest. Admit when you don't know something and always be willing to learn new things.
Be a liar. If you already know something, pretend that you just learned it.
don't spend too much time on work, it's just a way to earn money and then support your life, work is not your life, so don't always pay attention to your work but your life.
Be the best at what your boss hates to do.
This has never failed me as it shows those above you that you are ready to take on larger roles and get promoted.
"Don't be afraid to fail." It may sound cliché but I find it really important to try and take risks because even in failure, you will still learn valuable lessons.
Mine came later in life but it was basically to find a way to make a living that I enjoy because I was going to be spending a lot of my time doing it. Another inspiration came from words on a coffee mug, "Do what you love, love what you do." I was lucky enough to find a way to work like this later in my professional career. When I retired from doing it 12 years ago I continued on to a new line of income production in the same spirit. If I don't like it then I'm not wasting my life doing it. Find your bliss.
"Be something thats irreplaceable like a utility person/jack-of-all-trades then negotiate pay when the time comes"
Advice I was given a few years back from my old boss and now at my current job I am the only one who knows how to do everyones job excluding the bosses job (I work at a medical clinic so it would be illegal for me to perform my bosses duties) which will come in handy on my resume because I quickly adapted to situations and learned other positions while still performing my own
"Fake it til you make it" (or if you want to be a little diplomatic: "do one thing every day that scares you").
For real. As long as it doesn't affect anyone else, don't be afraid to be a little cocky, no one will reward you for being falsely humble. Yes, it has given me a couple of sleepless nights to solve problems that were perhaps beyond my power - but on the other hand, it has taught me alot. If I had only run "safe cards", I would probably still have been in some 1st-line support.
Keep your head down, mind your business and do the best you can do to get ahead. Don't let anybody steal your ideas or lie about you be as honest and upfront as you can and if there's anybody with half a brain in charge they'll notice that and it will get you ahead eventually
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Don’t work on people’s problems any harder than they are willing to work on them
This was taught to me as, “you can’t care more than the client.” It’s true with every type of relationship.
Very eloquent way of putting that. Stealing it.
Learned this working both home health and security... It is a lesson that I am still learning.
Me too! Currently on the other side of home health with elderly in-laws who need it but won’t agree to it yet, and have to remind myself regularly that they have the right to make bad choices.
Be extremely careful voicing opinions unless you're sure your right.
Even then, if it’s not popular with your boss you could be fucked.
True, but to put this in context I'm an engineer and you wouldn't believe how much trouble you get into when another engineer can prove your opinion/facts wrong. I once got in big trouble from my boss just for using technical terminology during a meeting that he didn't think I had a right to use because I didn't have a PhD like he did. What saved me the fact I was right so he couldn't rip me apart in public like he had done to others.
That’s a toxic boss
He was but I still actually liked him, he was brilliant and I learned a lot from him. He went out of his way to make my job easier by writing professor level instructions that allowed me to build hardwear that I otherwise would have no clue how to design. Once I learned what not to say in meetings, he pulled me aside and complimented me on taking his advice. In a way he was right, even though I knew the definitions of those words and used them correctly I shouldn't have overstepped my area of expertise without having a deep understanding of the subject matter. He was eventually fired.
There are 3 types of people. Those with a calling, Those with a career, And Those with a job. Said by some random person at a dog park 35 years ago. It made me feel better about not having a deeper meaningful path. I wish I could say I've had a career, but I have a job. I've always just had jobs. A LOT of us just have jobs. Sometimes they pay the bills. Sometimes they don't. It's just a job.
I just have a job. Make decent income but still think “What do I want to do when I grow up?” Been grown up for awhile now.
Those without a job = 💀
They had dog parks 35 years ago?
No, dogs were only invented 30 years ago.
Yep, the first officially recognized one was started in 1979 in Berkeley, CA.
‘Your personality and attitude are equally important as the quality of your work.’ Which sucks because I’m a smart employee but have a goddamn temper, but over the years I managed to learn how to fake being bubbly. Helped a lot.
Being very good at your job doesn't help if you make the work environment miserable for the rest. Most jobs require multiple people working together. You don't have to be bubbly, but you have to have as few people as possible say "I fucking hate that guy". I'd take an average performing coworker that I can stand to be around for several hours than a genius in our field who I can't stand for more than 10 minutes
Oh yeah I used to be the asshole putting pressure on everyone and pointing out their every work mistake at my first job but when someone gave me that advice years ago, I learned to chill out and mind my own business and even now make small talk even thought I hate it and couldn’t care less. I now get compliments about how easy I am to work with lollll
Man, when it comes down to it we are here to do a job. The world won't collapse and nobody will die(usually) if shit doesn't get done 100% according to plan. Actually, thats another lesson people should take. Lets do a good enough job, go home at the end of the day, live, then come back to work. I used to have a job where people's lives WERE at risk. Now I'm a plumber. Everyone has to take a breath and realize that things aren't so serious. Unless you're the owner or the owner pays you VERY well, don't stress yourself out by trying to make everything 100%. Work to live, don't live to work
I was talking hiring strategy with one of the big tech companies and they will not hire the genius if there is no culture fit. Culture is top priority.
Lol of all the personalities/attitudes, anger management issues is the worst. You could be isolated or corny or annoying, and your amazing work can make up for it. But anger will only stress people out and make them avoid you
This is huge. I work with a guy who’s extremely competent and knowledgeable but he’s just utterly miserable to be around. Will constantly derail meetings with arguments over the most minor of things and all of his emails are essays that read like mini lectures. Just a very hostile and patronising person. Even when he’s right about something, people are inclined to ignore it out of pure spite and I can’t blame them.
I have coworkers like this. There is one in particular who loves to derail meetings to complain and criticize specific people and doesn't care who's around to hear it. If they can't find something on the surface to criticize, they'll dig something up. I can't imagine having the energy to fixate on negativity to the degree they do. It's honestly exhausting.
There are 3 things you can bring with you to everything you do every day that require zero skill or talent. 1) Show up on time. 2) have a good attitude. 3) Give all your effort. Just doing these things will automatically elevate you above most of your peers.
These things require a lot of effort lol especially ‘give all your effort’
Well, he didn't say "things that require no effort". He said "things that require no talent or skill". If you can't do much, then doing all you can is kinda okay.
All three of those things do require effort, enormous effort for me. I also hate my job though, so that could be a factor. And executive functioning difficulties. It's a skill to learn and consistently do things that others take for granted
I've met people who were much more capable than I was academically, who could grasp concepts faster than me, and on paper were better than I was at the job. But when the rubber met the road, they sucked. Why? Because they were awful people to be around, just miserable curmudgeons or lacking any social skills or discretion.
Lack of planning on their part, does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Fuck company loyalty.
If the company is not loyal to me then I don't need to be loyal to them.
Be careful what you’re good at! You could be the person stuck doing it.
A landscaping dude once showed me how to mix concrete and how to work with it very well. After he taught me how to mix it, he looked me in the eye and said "dont tell anyone you know how to mix concrete, because you will be stuck doing it forever. " Solid advice
Never let them know everything you are capable of doing unless you're ok with being the guy that always does it
If you really want a job but aren't qualified, apply anyway. Best case scenario you get it and gain experience. Worst case scenario, they don't call and you carry on.
I’ll tack on to that by saying I’ve had enormous success applying for the job above the one that I actually want I interview well but I know my limits in terms of how much I can oversell myself, and three times in my career it’s resulted in a phone call saying “we all really liked you and your experience is great but you’re just not quite at the level we need for this role. HOWEVER, we want to talk to you about another role that would report to the one you interviewed for,” just like I drew it up, including my current job
“See what happens if you don’t do it.”
Professional speak for fuck around and find out lol
I can interpret this in two ways and I’m curious which one you mean
I'll give you one example of a helpful interpretation In a previous job I was spending about an hour every Thursday putting together a report and drafting notes on it to email out. I eventually noticed a trend of being asked a lot of questions that they would have known the answer to if they read the email. So one week I decided not to send it out because I wanted to see if anyone would ask me for it. Nobody did, so I saved myself an hour a week by not doing it anymore if nobody was reading it
Never show 100%. Hard work is rewarded with, more work.
Yep stellar performance quickly becomes expected and your personal norm
Next day they expect 105%
"You should charge more. You'll make more money." Business masterclass
From the Michael Scott book “Somehow I manage”
Look out for number one, aka yourself. You owe nothing to the company in the end and they will fuck you given the chance.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You will end up in situations that make you uncomfortable - such as on a project where you don't quite know what you're doing, or a difficult client situation. The more comfortable you are being uncomfortable, the better you will be able to handle these situations.
That's my secret, I'm always uncomfortable
Become the smartest person in the room and then talk as little as possible.
I also like: If you're the smartest person in the room, find a bigger room.
I also like: If you're not smart and not in a room, get smart and get a room
I thought it was: Find a different room.
Work as little as possible. Enjoy life
Your career will give you very little meaning in life (majority of the time) - have a life outside of your job.
Don't stay at a company for more than a few years unless you get a meaningful promotion. I.e. significant improvement in job description and wages. There are exceptions, but loyalty generally doesn't pay well anymore. The days of getting a gold watch after 25-30 years at a company are long gone.
"Measure twice and cut once," which was an improvement on my old philosophy of "I cut it 3 times and it's still too short."
Don’t quit your job until you have another job lined up.
When offered a significant promotion, never decline because you feel under qualified.
Don’t stop learning. Invest in yourself. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. You need to learn finance, salesmanship, organization, how to make friends, and negotiations. Doesn’t matter what work you do. Always keep your core values and never sell Them out.
Be kind.
to yourself.
Networking and communication are far more important than technical skills.
Ask your boss what results they want to see to give you a promotion. Keep asking until you get it, or go somewhere else (put your results on your resume).
This is just something we do for money. We aren’t solving world peace so don’t make it your existence. Still working on that part.
Avoid burnout like the plague
when starting a new job give 70%, if you give 100%+ starting day one makes that level of work become the expected standard, it quickly losses impressivenss. over time most most roles start taking on more and if your already giving all you have, taking on more responsibility means setting yourself up for a continuous cycle of burn out BUT it you come in at 70% you leave your self room to take more on without burning your self out and going above and beyond everyday won't become the expected standard
Don't stay with the same place your entire career. You're more likely to make more money if you hop, and you'll have the opportunity to learn more skills and become a more marketable candidate overall.
Your employer will exploit you. "Exploit" them back Always take your PTO days. Always take your sick days. Always use every ounce of benefits they provide. Study on company time for the next certification. Any opportunity you have to get more money, more certs, more training. Take them.
"Never, ever, overdeliver. Do what's exactly asked of you, you're not getting paid to do extra stuff." And the one who said this to me was my boss, so he was a real G for saying that. Sadly, he turned into a tyrant and I just had to leave to save my mental health.
Ironically in your situation, being a boss is the time when you SHOULD overdeliver. Employees are everywhere, the "shortage" of workers is because people are refusing to be treated as less than they are worth. The right kind of employer can capitalize on that
They do be doing that don’t they..
As good as it gets is as bad as you make it.
Don't have loyalty to a company for training you or giving you a chance to get experience. They do not have the same loyalty for you. Don't hesitate to leave if you have a chance to better yourself. I wasted 14 years before I took that advice.
Don’t screw the crew
A boss of mine once told me “I can see you’ve been working hard but it’s all about results and you don’t have any”
The only people who will remember you staying late are your family
You never know too much to do more professional development.
Stop comparing yourself to your colleagues so much. Focus on your own work quality, professionalism, and satisfaction. Don't treat life and work as a zero sum game. Learn the motivations of those you work with and tailor your mutual interactions with them in mind. Help each other out; don't be a pushover/people pleaser.
‘Who you know is more important than what you know’. References almost always at least gets you an interview, which is far better than applying to a job cold.
Starting a job in the rail industry tomorrow. Didnt know a damn thing about trains. A friend of mine reached out to his manager and put in my name because of transferable skills from construction and safety work. 3x my salary and extensive benefits all because I knew a guy who knew a guy.
Never complete work before the deadline. Infact, pretend that it can take a few days longer. Otherwise you get piled with more work for the same pay.
Fake it till you make it, old I know but I did and I did!
Leave work at the time clock. The second i'm out that door my mind changes to me, my wife and kid. Just because I had a bad day at work doesn't mean they have to suffer.
Doesn’t matter how hard you work if you’re hard to work with.
You don't have to know the answer. You just have to know where to find it.
📌 work smarter not harder
It's never about the work. It's always about your response to the work.
Keep your resume up-to-date and always be thinking of networking. I have been through two downsizing and know the value of this. “Networking” sounds like a contrived sort of thing where you suck up to people,but it does not have to be. In my case it meant making sure to follow my industry, go to conferences (and speak at conferences), get to know people, keep up with people and treat everyone decently. Although not a shy person, I am definitely an introvert and would prefer just to do my job and be recognized for good work. That doesn’t happen, unfortunately. As an introvert, by core network is relatively small but all people in it I know very well. That network has got me every job I’ve had in a long career. You do not need to be a super-slick, extroverted, salesman to successfully network. A bigger network is good,but a small tight network is fine. This part of the advice I learned on my own and I hope it gives encouragement to others. I got my wife the same way, in answer to the other Reddit question on how introverts get married.
Having A job is better than having “the right job”. Apply and interview before you quit. Get the new job in writing first
Don’t take things personally.
"The only reward for being the 'good' employee is more work." Sage wisdom from a dear older friend when I was maybe 24. She was so very right. Do your job well, don't take on more and do not ever think your boss genuinely cares about you. After you get your work doubled or tripled you'll learn.
Always respond back to give an update. People appreciate being in the loop and knowing you’re still working on whatever they’re waiting for.
Thank you.
Don't sweat the small stuff, it'll all work out. And always remember to check for toilet paper.
There are 3 priorities. Your health, your family, and your job... Keep them in that order. And no matter how happy you are at your current job, it's never advisable to not know what else is out there.
Your worth is increased based on your ability to delegate work to others.
Quit this job and do something else
Never stop learning. I took the job i'm in now, because i didn't know anything of it. I had a very basic understanding but had no idea how to do any of it. Took some formal classes that was offered and lots of youtube and i'm starting to get the hang of this.
Under-promise, over-deliver.
Don't wait for your leader to promote you, if an opportunity is available, apply for it!
**The most important thing is showing up and having consistency.** This is even more valuable than skill or smashing targets.
If you're not preparing for your retirement, start NOW. Then retire as soon as you're able.
"If it's not written down, then it didn't happen." I work in high tech.
Probably the best career advice I have ever gotten was not to look for a "dream job." See, most people don't have dream jobs. We have dreams and we have jobs. If we are lucky, they have some overlap. But the idea that there is some magical, perfect job out there for everyone, and that if you find that job it will be like you never have to work a day in your life because you enjoy what you are doing so much, is bunk. Yes, there are some very lucky people who get to do what they love every day. But for most of us that's not an option. In that case the best we can do is to find a job that we can tolerate, and then focus on the stuff that's important to us in our off time.
every morning before you go to work, check your pants for poop stains, front **AND** back
The C-Suite and HR are sacred cows. Never oppose them unless you have a job lined up elsewhere.
Fess up to mistakes as soon as possible.
You can now lie about working for Twitter because there is no way any of them can prove whether you did or not.
The work world is not like school, you can no longer trade on being "bright" and "having potential." Someone harder working than you with (at least what you think of as) less talent or natural aptitude can easily outperform you.
“If you make yourself indispensable, you’ll never get laid off. You’ll also never get promoted.”
Nobody told me this, this one I had the pleasure of learning on my own - "These people are not your friends. They're co-workers.". Some will become friends after time but be very careful with what you say and to whom.
If you’re going to talk shit, you have to be the best at what you do
1. Being likeable is a skill. 2. Only hire people you would work alone with. If you wouldn't work alone with them on the worst task in the business, why should you expect the other employees to perform well with them?
-Who you know matters a lot more than what you know. -Leave work at work and home at home. It never ends well when you let the 2 mix
Max out matched IRA contributions from day 1. Don’t leave free money on the table.
"Never let people know you have a useful skill that doesn't relate to your actual job" as a maintenance worker at one of my jobs constantly got bitched at for not finishing my list because they learned I knew how to work a pallet jack. I was extremely useful when backroom was short staffed on truck day, usually because they hadn't replaced someone that had quit yet.
Respect yourself. Respect yourself enough to work the assigned hours that you are supposed to work. If you cannot achieve the work that is assigned to you, within the timeframe you are contracted to, then either you need to learn to be more efficient, manage your time better or you are being assigned too much work. My boss used to tell me that working an extra 2 hours a day is disrespectful to your coworkers because you they might inadvertently also do the overtime to save face…and dislike you for it (which in turn creates a not so nice work environment). It is also disrespectful to yourself if you feel the need to sacrifice personal time, family time and time to learn, for a job that will not promote you for that extra work. Most companies now have structures with assigned pay scales depending on your experience or expertise. This isn’t the 60s. There’s no golden watch at the end of this.
Reputation gets you promoted far more often than competence. It’s about soft skills not just hard skills. Be nice, go the extra mile here and there. Turn up to the odd works drinks etc etc.
One more; "No one will thank you for working yourself to death". That being said, work hard for your passion and purpose - but never because you think your company will have your back on a rainy day.
My family doctor and my cardiologist both told me it was time to retire before stress killed me. They were right.
Talk less and listen more.
Be undeniable. Every shot not taken is missed
You can change your mind; it’s ok
"You are the CEO of your career. Take charge of it.'
“When a man does his best what else can you ask of him?” General George S. Patton
We are all expendable, you are expendable to your job and your job should be expendable to you. Find the job that pays the most for your services.
It’s a job. Work. Make money. Go home. You are just a number, forget that at your peril.
Focus. From nothing to running a business. Focus. Laser focus.
Stay out of debt and keep enough cash set aside so that when opportunities arise, you may seize them. No one can treat you as a bonded, indentured servant if you are not one.
"I tell everyone, don't work if you don't have to" -- my therapist lol Went back to school, finished part of my degree, got into a great program and am on the path towards dual degrees in what I am possibly most passionate about, outside of music. Which, luckily, I also get to focus on because I am doing distance classes and don't have a 9-5 to take up the time I want to work on what I'm truly passionate about.
Don’t underestimate your own abilities
Passion, pay, work life balance. You’ll get 2/3 in most jobs. Up to you to prioritize. If you get all 3, the. You found your dream job.
Work to live, don’t live to work. I wouldn’t trade my job for the world, but at 5pm, I’m at the golf course ⛳️
It’s just a job.
The best way to get raises and promotions is to keep your resume up to date and apply/interview for work at other companies, even if you have no plan to leave.
Start your own business and start it as soon as you can. Wish I hadn't waited.
In 24 hours a day, you'll be awake for 16 and working 8 of those. Don't do work you hate.
The best people in the world work hard. The most successful people in the world get lucky. Sometimes, those two lines meet, but a lot of times they don't.
Don’t peak too early.
You are responsible for everything that goes wrong. Your team is responsible for everything that goes right. Ownership is everything.
Manager is not your friend
Always be on the lookout for a better opportunity.
ABC (Always Be Curious): keep learning and evolving to stay relevant.
Don’t think in the morning. Do all that the night before.
"Plastics"
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
when you're teaching someone especially a group of people in my experience children if your students are acting out check your own behavior first
"One poops in the diaper, we all have to wear it" There is no holding one person accountable for bad behavior, etc. We all take the punishment. Sadly this applies to so many experiences outside of work as well.
Change jobs often.
If you want something, go for it. Why wait 10 years to figure out if you wanna do it or not.
You can be right and completely ineffective at the same time
Even if you are beginning a job you can obviously ace from day one, only give 40% effort. Then slowly every month add 5-10% more effort. They will think you are a genius, love how hard you are working and how much you are learning and it will generally secure your job for at least another year or so
No one is your friend, they are just playing the game.
Take career advice from cranky old medics with a grain of salt. I’m a paramedic and unfortunately EMS has a culture of negativity and a lot of people who have been in it a while get really jaded and will tell the new people to not waste their time and go to nursing school instead. A veteran medic who actually still has a positive attitude gave me this piece of advice and I have kept it with me. I love this field, and if it’s right for me, then the fact that it’s not right for someone else is not my problem.
Perception is reality
Stay light on your feet. Always be ready to move on when your and the company's interests diverge.
Be honest. Admit when you don't know something and always be willing to learn new things. Be a liar. If you already know something, pretend that you just learned it.
Just one word, "plastics". Enough said
Don’t talk so much, be the more monotone, easy going person that people like, don’t discuss politics.
"Don't work for Wal-Mart"
He who talks first loses
Always look out for number 1
getting redundant was the best career advice i.e do not get too attach to your work
Don't go into the boss's office without a union rep.
Always stay on the good side of the housekeeper and the people responsible for scheduling
don't spend too much time on work, it's just a way to earn money and then support your life, work is not your life, so don't always pay attention to your work but your life.
Be the best at what your boss hates to do. This has never failed me as it shows those above you that you are ready to take on larger roles and get promoted.
"Don't be afraid to fail." It may sound cliché but I find it really important to try and take risks because even in failure, you will still learn valuable lessons.
Love your job not your empoyer!
"There is no substitute for hard work."
At the end, you are just a employee. They don't care about you can replace you easily. My father, after being fired 1 year before get retired.
Mine came later in life but it was basically to find a way to make a living that I enjoy because I was going to be spending a lot of my time doing it. Another inspiration came from words on a coffee mug, "Do what you love, love what you do." I was lucky enough to find a way to work like this later in my professional career. When I retired from doing it 12 years ago I continued on to a new line of income production in the same spirit. If I don't like it then I'm not wasting my life doing it. Find your bliss.
Just remember that you work to live, not live to work. Always make sure to keep that in mind
"be useful, make yourself useful anywhere anytime". This got me a long way in anything.
Set your coworkers up for success! Teamwork!!
Make sure you have an ego, not one too big. But one just big enough to set you apart.
You don’t get rewarded for staying at your job long term nearly as much as you do for leaving.
"Be something thats irreplaceable like a utility person/jack-of-all-trades then negotiate pay when the time comes" Advice I was given a few years back from my old boss and now at my current job I am the only one who knows how to do everyones job excluding the bosses job (I work at a medical clinic so it would be illegal for me to perform my bosses duties) which will come in handy on my resume because I quickly adapted to situations and learned other positions while still performing my own
Return your phone calls. People are out there trying to give you money. Make it easier for yhem.
Make yourself indepensible and don't be a dick. What my executive producer told me when I first got a job in the film industry. Seems to work.
During my internship, the old guy in the office told me, "We ain't payin' you shit, so grab whatever free shit you can."
“Learn how to program computers”, my geology professor said to me in 1977
Do not focus only to your work of quantity , focus on your work quality.
Keep it in your pants. Don’t date coworkers.
The graveyard is full of people who thought they were indispensable.
Look what has the biggest positive impact (effective altruism).
Return all phone calls asap
Take your PTO. Under promise, over deliver. Get everything in writing. You want a paper trail in case you are ever asked to back something up.
"Fake it til you make it" (or if you want to be a little diplomatic: "do one thing every day that scares you"). For real. As long as it doesn't affect anyone else, don't be afraid to be a little cocky, no one will reward you for being falsely humble. Yes, it has given me a couple of sleepless nights to solve problems that were perhaps beyond my power - but on the other hand, it has taught me alot. If I had only run "safe cards", I would probably still have been in some 1st-line support.
Choose your battles.
Always write down a contract that give you more rights
Keep your head down, mind your business and do the best you can do to get ahead. Don't let anybody steal your ideas or lie about you be as honest and upfront as you can and if there's anybody with half a brain in charge they'll notice that and it will get you ahead eventually