19 Career Lessons People Learned the Hard Way

Keep your head down and do your job, don't settle, and keep setting new career goals, and most of all, get paid.

Published 1 year ago in Feels

If you've had multiple jobs, then you know most of these things to be true. Keep your head down and do your job, don't settle, and keep setting new career goals, and most of all, get paid. People over at r/AskReddit talk about the lessons they learned from their jobs that taught them the most about the competitive working world.

1
You are easily replaceable, why give 2 weeks notice if companies don’t give 2 weeks notice to fire/ lay you off.. u/misfit378

2
It's just a job. The rest of life is way more important. u/JMWest_517

3
Half of life really is just showing up (on time and presentable). u/doro0123
4
Wealth does not correlate with intelligence, willpower, or capability; but is almost exclusively tied to luck. u/IonlyusthrowawaysA

5
Don't settle. Look for new opportunities. Whether that is further education/certification, promotions, or just looking for a higher-paying job or a job with a better management structure. u/sporks_of_doom
6
Don’t work for a company that’s public in the stock market. Most CEOs like mine will sacrifice your benefits, raises, and overall well being to please shareholders and make the stock go up. u/anonlasagna23
7
You don't need to make fake friends at work. Just go there to make money and that's it. u/Suspicious-Berry4586

8
To quit when you have the chance. I worked for a shitty boss who never paid me on time and who was just a dick all the time. I thought about quitting but it was my first job and I didn’t think I could find a new one. When I told her I wanted to quit she convinced me to stay. then she fired me to months later for being late. Fuck you Rosie. u/Hour-Necessary2781
9
Also, being present at the worksite will afford you more opportunities than those that work remotely (unfair but true) u/california_west_kidd
10
Promises mean nothing. You don't have that raise, promotion, new assignment or whatever until you actually have it. u/xkulp8

11
When their job security is threatened, people will do anything to keep their job. That includes throwing you or anyone they can under the bus. That doesn't mean there are some noble people out there, but you shouldn't expect people to be noble. u/madkeepz
12
Companies/leadership don't care about you and your career....the only person who cares about your career and advancement is yourself. u/Stealth_13
13
The harder you work, the more people expect you to work hard. u/Queeeeennn

14
Only trust yourself. Every one can drag you down if you let your guard down. u/EmbarrassedWheel2104
15
Nobody cares about my money like I do. u/JBAnswers26
16
If you work hard and get your job done faster than other people in your position, instead of downtime, you get rewarded with more work, but not more pay. If you set a pace above what is expected of you, and you ever fail to meet your new standard, you will get poor evaluations for not producing as much as usual, even if you are still 200% above the corporate requirements. Corporate work environments teach great workers to be average, average workers to not have aspirations, and bad workers how to keep their jobs by exploiting HR's desire not to get sued for wrongful termination. u/romanbarker1

17
HR is not your friend. u/johnp299
18
Just do your job. Nothing more. Nothing less. You will not get rewarded for doing extra. Your job really does not care about you. You are a line item on expense report. u/phillyCHEEEEZ
19
Use your PTO. Job love/loyalty won’t pay the bills. If you died, your job would have you replaced before you’re even buried. u/yeah_yeah_therabbit

20
That the company can make a record amount of money during a pandemic and work you to death but still can't afford to give you a pay raise. u/Vinral