Does working hard pay off? (references, interest, money, fired)
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If you work for a company where hard work doesn't pay off you should be looking for another job. The only certainty is NOT working hard does not pay off. So your only alternative is to work hard as that gives you the chance to be rewarded.
Realistically, hard work mostly just wears you down most of the time. I've seen first hand people who were thrown out or let go after they basically gave up their life for the company simply due to some BS politics or the company pissing its money away or similar crap. Loyalty is basically a thing of the past, at least in the USA. Sure, you might get a promotion or raise if your boss/bosses like you. People who kiss ass may get ahead in the corporate world, but be rest assured, they're still a minion.
Sure, I could kiss ass to my boss and kick down to newbies in my current company. They promote me to Team Lead and I kiss ass to the Assistant store Manager and kick down to my subordinates and the Store manager makes me the assistant store manager. Then, I kiss ass to the Store Manager and kick down to the Team Leads and regular workers in the store and they make me Store Manager eventually. This continues on for a while until I'm in my 40s/50s and I'm Vice President of the Company. I kiss ass to the CEO and kick down to everyone below me (ever wonder why the executive managers are pricks in most companies? They see everyone below them as a stepping stone) and the Board of Directors finally makes me CEO. I play the PR/politics game like every good CEO does (that's why stockholders and corporate boards pay them so well) and I'm finally a big shot, LOL (ever wonder how people on House Hunters and similar shows can afford those expensive homes? They're probably playing the corporate bull****ting game) and I've got my own little fiefdom, er company to run. All of a sudden, the board and/or the stockholders decide I'm not "management material" anymore, or they find someone who cracks the whip even harder and faster than me, and I'm let go from the company. I'm blackmailed by the rest of the corporate world because no board wants to hire a 'nice' CEO (corporate America is progressive? Gimme a break) and my career is toast. Better break out the alcohol and drink myself to retirement like so many in this bind do...oh, and all of the people who I stepped on in the past will surely remember that mother****er that fired them years ago from the store for some petty crap. Not a good place to be! (CEOs usually have a lot of enemies...I've seen this myself firsthand).
Moral of the story: a person can sell their dignity for power/wealth/fame, but all of that probably won't get that dignity back (or soul, if you are religious). I won't sell myself out for that, even if my 'family' and 'friends' do so. As far as hard work goes, that is a brand on you saying 'use me, abuse me, lose me'. It's sad, but true. I only wish I understood that when I was in college.
Realistically, hard work mostly just wears you down most of the time. I've seen first hand people who were thrown out or let go after they basically gave up their life for the company simply due to some BS politics or the company pissing its money away or similar crap. Loyalty is basically a thing of the past, at least in the USA. Sure, you might get a promotion or raise if your boss/bosses like you. People who kiss ass may get ahead in the corporate world, but be rest assured, they're still a minion.
Sure, I could kiss ass to my boss and kick down to newbies in my current company. They promote me to Team Lead and I kiss ass to the Assistant store Manager and kick down to my subordinates and the Store manager makes me the assistant store manager. Then, I kiss ass to the Store Manager and kick down to the Team Leads and regular workers in the store and they make me Store Manager eventually. This continues on for a while until I'm in my 40s/50s and I'm Vice President of the Company. I kiss ass to the CEO and kick down to everyone below me (ever wonder why the executive managers are pricks in most companies? They see everyone below them as a stepping stone) and the Board of Directors finally makes me CEO. I play the PR/politics game like every good CEO does (that's why stockholders and corporate boards pay them so well) and I'm finally a big shot, LOL (ever wonder how people on House Hunters and similar shows can afford those expensive homes? They're probably playing the corporate bull****ting game) and I've got my own little fiefdom, er company to run. All of a sudden, the board and/or the stockholders decide I'm not "management material" anymore, or they find someone who cracks the whip even harder and faster than me, and I'm let go from the company. I'm blackmailed by the rest of the corporate world because no board wants to hire a 'nice' CEO (corporate America is progressive? Gimme a break) and my career is toast. Better break out the alcohol and drink myself to retirement like so many in this bind do...oh, and all of the people who I stepped on in the past will surely remember that mother****er that fired them years ago from the store for some petty crap. Not a good place to be! (CEOs usually have a lot of enemies...I've seen this myself firsthand).
Moral of the story: a person can sell their dignity for power/wealth/fame, but all of that probably won't get that dignity back (or soul, if you are religious). I won't sell myself out for that, even if my 'family' and 'friends' do so. As far as hard work goes, that is a brand on you saying 'use me, abuse me, lose me'. It's sad, but true. I only wish I understood that when I was in college.
What is hard work? everyone has a different definition. Anyway, in the current economy, your efforts may not be recognized. Its the rule in most industries. However, it may be possible that without working hard, you will not have a job at all. If we take a look from a wide perspective, working hard doesn't pay when you are working for someone else, but is a good think when you work for yourself.
Agreed it depends on what your definition of what is hard work is -
Often people will struggle in isolation with limited information, discussion or debate, or just being given any management, guidance to work in the most efficient manner. They are often thrown into disorganised, cut throat environments where everyone is trying to undermine other people's performance.
This pattern seems to be all over corporate outfits with some people doing some aspects of their job well, other aspects not so well - With no one person doing everything very well.
Whilst many people are "Working Hard" - It does not mean being effective, efficent or adding any value.
An Employee is only as good as the system that surrounds.
On Balance I'd say a better strategy is to work harder than the people your working with - If your thrown into a typical disorganised corporate hell hole - The only logical strategy is to work harder than your competitors.
It is true, but this very well applies to the majority of industries as well. You can make a similar argument for medicine, engineering, banking, etc. and you'd still have a corporate ladder climber who kisses up and kicks down. A lot of companies have that sort of corporate philosophy despite whatever PR spin they give to the public. And the actual kiss up/kick down behavior can be worse in 'professional' environments vs. retail or public service. I've worked in a couple of banks in the past and the workplace politics and cronyism there were a LOT WORSE than what I've seen in retail; I worked a total of 6 months in two different banks and I saw and experienced more crap there than I have in over 2 years of retail. You'd think it would be the opposite but I can see where a person works in some office for x number of years, burns out, and goes to work for Walmart or something. I can't say I blame a lot of people here when they say they wouldn't work in an office or such again. I won't either; the stereotype of office politics being more important instead of actual competance or ability is not pure fantasy!
If you give the impression that the work is hard for you and you are struggling and require a lot of overtime and support to get things done, it makes it seem like you are over your head and will likely be fired or held back.
The best employees get things done their supervisor thinks are important and makes it look easy.
If you give the impression that the work is hard for you and you are struggling and require a lot of overtime and support to get things done, it makes it seem like you are over your head and will likely be fired or held back.
The best employees get things done their supervisor thinks are important and makes it look easy.
The workplace seldom works like this anymore. If you are salaried, you can bet that most companies are going to put you in way over your head by way of understaffing. The "productivity gains" of the last several years aren't really gains at all. They're simply the result of employers trimming people from their salary payroll because in this economic environment they can easily force 2 salary workers to work 60 hour weeks rather than hire 3 at 40 hour weeks. There is simply too much work to be done. Too many ultra-high priority items. Each task is more important than the rest defeating the purpose of prioritizing workloads.
In a word..............NO. Take it from someone who knows.
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