TheaterFire

What's the biggest lie you learned about working life?

Posted by PigsAreTastyFood@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 252 comments

Putting your head down and working hard will get places....... no it get's the person above me places. It took me a while to realise that.

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252 Comments

d_dawg_23@reddit

Hard work pays off. It mostly doesn’t
View on Reddit #77257648

Vegetable_Cut_1687@reddit

I genuinely disagree. Everywhere I’ve worked hard work has been recognised and rewarded. Maybe I’m fortunate to have experienced that. I’ve received bonuses and promotions with my work ethic cited as the reason. When waves of redundancy come around I’ve seen hard work be the reason people are kept on, and laziness the reason people are pushed out
View on Reddit #77274953

Known-Importance-568@reddit

People think turning up and working all day but not generating any value = hard work I mean it is - the people that do that are working hard but the equation is more nuanced than that. The real phrase should be generating value usually pays off (more often than not). If you work an entry level role in any field you can work all day it won't change anything because it's simple grunt work. If your work directly makes the business more money/more efficient/leads decision making then for sure you will be rewarded. In those instances where your not you'll be able to write on your CV the value you did add that will land you a better job. Similarly to the above commenter, I've always found hard work pays off be it at the place I work or allowing me to find a better job
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Honey-Badger@reddit

Yeah I mean this is reddit where you have like a 22 year old saying "hard work doesnt pay off" when they havent even entered the full time workforce yet. I find the biggest pay off I have had for hard work is that I can also take the piss when I want. Busy with life things? Yeah of course I pop out for a coupple of hours to deal with something at my bank. I can come in late, I can leave early, I essentially be totally absent for a day whilst I 'Work from home', why? Because when I work hard its really good work and my managers respect the fact im overall a great employee. I have people in my team who are generally shit and they have managers keeping tabs on them throughout the working day because they think they dont need to ever work hard
View on Reddit #77305308

DutchOvenDistributor@reddit

Same with me - there has been a few times where my reputation for my hard work got me internal roles and put on really cool projects, as well as good bonuses and pay rises.
View on Reddit #77275481

catfordbeerclub@reddit

I think for me it's slightly different, working smarter has definitely worked for me. I'm generally quite a lazy person, so I will always look for ways to do things more efficiently, but not let on that I have done so.
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Hame_Impala@reddit

It's about working smart as well as working hard a lot of the time. We can be pretty bad at self-promotion in the UK, self-deprecation is like a national past-time, but if you're working hard then important to find ways to trumpet your achievements (without being an arrogant dick about it) and make sure the right people are noticing. In a good company this can be pretty easy to do, in a bad one can be tougher.
View on Reddit #77284578

Vegetable_Cut_1687@reddit

I absolutely agree working smart is half the battle too. I just meant I personally have seen working hard as well paying dividends.. ultimately it’s about output, but someone who works both smart and hard will always have a better output than someone who does one and not the other. And you are bang on that in the UK self deprecation is a major issue.. there’s no point working hard if no one’s going to notice!
View on Reddit #77292319

Unlock2025@reddit

What job do you work in
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Merlisch@reddit

Hard work does get rewarded just, in my experience, not proportional to the effort. I'm not working hard but still get the work done as it's the most efficient way of earning money. Can I outgraft most people? Yes. But I've long lost any desire to do so. Never be the horse (Animal farm).
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DrH1983@reddit

The reward for hard work is mostly more work. Complete that report early? Well done, here's another task. It's why I never tell anyone if I've finished a report early.
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smd1815@reddit

Being good at your job just gets you landed with the shit that others are too incompetent to do. That's about it.
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Independent_List_513@reddit

Dontt be too honest, play a poker face
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mattymattymatty96@reddit

It did... Until we pursued neo-liberalist economics
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CarpeCyprinidae@reddit

This isnt a lie, its just selectively true. Hard work can pay off. And pay-off is usually the result of hard work
View on Reddit #77292593

House-of-Suns@reddit

It's complete horse shit. If you look at the poorest people in the world, they usually work in some of the most demanding and unsafe jobs just to survive.
View on Reddit #77284583

paperxbadger@reddit

But you better bet they notice your mistakes! We joke that we are just one bad decision away from being fired
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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

Speak for yourself. Maybe you should try working smarter.
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Ancient-Ad9861@reddit

In reality if you work really hard, you get to do someone elses work as well.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Your hard work pays off for the person above you.
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Eye-on-Springfield@reddit

You sound like a very bitter person or someone who's only ever worked in toxic environments
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platon29@reddit

How is it bitter to acknowledge the whole point of our economic system?
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hopium_od@reddit

There's a lot of toxic environments
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nbenj1990@reddit

I mean as a nation we all work hard and only a small percentage actually increase their wealth.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

I'm not bitter at all, these are observations that i've had in previous roles through the years. I haven't once said i'm bitter now in any way
View on Reddit #77258929

jademudkipyes@reddit

I don't think it's good to get bitter about it but should u blame ppl? They're sold that they can"work up the ladder if they pull up their bootstrap" Yet are also expected to be wage slaves to soulless corpos
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Nielips@reddit

It depends on your boss, ect, but it can pay off.
View on Reddit #77275284

halen2024@reddit

The reward for hard work is always more work
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Capital-Stick8679@reddit

I agree to an extent. A lot of people conflate working hard with being effective though. They are not the same
View on Reddit #77275206

THZ_yz@reddit

Work smart not hard 
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JayR_97@reddit

One thing I learned very early on in my office career, never ever ask for more work cos people will just give you the shit they don't want to do
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Confident_Leg2370@reddit

Only if you’re self employed, the harder you work then the better that is for you, for someone else though? Forget it, nepotism is rampant , it’s not what you know, but who to know
View on Reddit #77259167

ArumtheLily@reddit

Tbh, most small businesses don't work out. That's not because the owners didn't work hard, they usually did. It's just that there are many factors that make all that hard work pointless
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bdbamford@reddit

Having a work ethic does.
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Ancient_phallus_@reddit

Pays off if you like more work
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MaximumScary1290@reddit

That you need ALL of the qualifications to get anywhere in life. I never got any passing grades at GCSE, couldnt do a-levels or get a degree, but I started working in IT at 19 as it was something I was geuinely interested in and its ended up with me having a nice 30+ year career doing everything from 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support, team and network management and for the last 12+ years I have been a solo IT Manager at a company I really enjoy working at. I also earned more than both of my older siblings until very recently.
View on Reddit #77610308

Idontunderstandmost@reddit

That loyalty matters - your company would post your job the day after you died. They don’t have loyalty. Don’t give them loyalty.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

The worst is when they advertise the same job you do at your company for like 6k more
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Heavy-Locksmith-3767@reddit

Apply for it.
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TheLemonChiffonPie@reddit

But I died, remember? 😉
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

😂😂😂 that would be the best way. I've never had the situation personally but i've got mates that have
View on Reddit #77259145

Heavy-Locksmith-3767@reddit

That's like a malicious compliance way of getting a pay rise. When you need to worry is when you see your job advertised but for less.
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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

Because that happens all the time… 🙄
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fgalv@reddit

That’s one of the reasons why companies don’t like advertising with actual pay information - it’s useful to people in those jobs as evidence for pay bargaining.
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badmother2@reddit

And you have to "bring the new guy up to speed"
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Bazsticks@reddit

I had to train someone up spent three weeks going through everything and the correct way of doing things for no extra pay six months later they get promoted above me after me being there three years longer and more experienced and taught them the job.... I left a week later.
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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

Right? Exactly what job hopping pays off for us.
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adsm_inamorta@reddit

Because they should - because they have to. Should they wait 30 days to hire a replacement? At what point is it acceptable to look to hire a replacement if not after 30 days for example?
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AloneCarrot738@reddit

when i was 19, i was put as a team leader for where i worked. our manager then disappeared one day and i was asked to fill in for the manager roles. i was told i was too young to receive the managers wage, but would still have to carry out the duties until they could find a replacement. i did it for around a month, but eventually got to the point where i was hoping to get in a car crash on my way to work, so i left too (still in the probation period due to having no manager) i was APPALLED to find out that they only put out an ad for the managers role after i left :/
View on Reddit #77289879

peppermint_aero@reddit

These days, they wouldn't repost your job. They would just reallocate your workload to the rest of your team that same afternoon.
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Rymundo88@reddit

"Loyalty" had some meaning back in the day when Final Salary pensions were a thing (as each year became more valuable). In the day and age of Money Purchase (defined contribution) pensions, this isn't the case. Move every 3 years or so for the salary increase
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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

Yup
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Firthy2002@reddit

One of mine was advertised the same day I was officially fired.
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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

That’s illegal here in the UK. I’m guessing you are US. Sucks ☹️☹️I’m sorry.
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Firthy2002@reddit

Nope in the UK and not illegal as it was a mere formality at that point (gross misconduct).
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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

Yes, I thought OP described redundancy. My mistake.
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paulmclaughlin@reddit

Only if it was redundancy. There's no rule against hiring someone to replace somebody who was otherwise fired.
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Idontunderstandmost@reddit

Oh sorry, you are quite right. I was thinking redundancy. My apologies everyone.
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byjimini@reddit

Everyone is winging it one way or another.
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Actual-Morning110@reddit

Never get attached with colleagues or a company.
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ThatBandicoot4769@reddit

Progression is about whether your face fits and you have sucked up to the right person. People who are good at their job don't get promoted because they're too good at what they already do. 
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Victoriaspalace@reddit

How the quiet hard working kid in school will probably be the future boss of the popular kids. Turns out, the popular kids already had the confidence and charisma to move leaps ahead of those that were quiet or kept to themselves. Or they had the rich parents that pushed them into managerial roles straight out of school. I think I was surprised when I entered the workplace only to find it's literally high school 2.0 except were older and now were paid.
View on Reddit #77258278

silversurfa525@reddit

This is a bot
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Victoriaspalace@reddit

me? or someone else?
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WrongExplanation1065@reddit

Yup... Extroverts get most places, even though an introvert would technically be a better manager 
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Honey-Badger@reddit

> even though an introvert would technically be a better manager  So wrong.
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Hame_Impala@reddit

It depends on what level of introversion we're talking about though. A good boss needs to have basic people skills and if you struggle to hold down a basic conversation then that'll be pretty difficult.
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beernon@reddit

The quiet hard working intelligent kid will bottleneck somewhere after one or two promotions as they didn’t have the social skills, personality or sociopathy to climb higher
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WrongExplanation1065@reddit

It's a shame as it can be due to neuro diversity and then in which case it's a disability discrimination. But it's not seen that way. It's well you're shy and have no social skills. There needs to be a better integration for people to not bottle neck and get support to progress further.
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Honey-Badger@reddit

Well I disagree to a certain extent. Management roles are *all* about managing people, if you don't have intrapersonal skills then you don't have the skills to move into a senior management position. There are plenty of stories of bad managers across the internet and those stories come from people who have managers that lack social skills.
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baldeagle1991@reddit

The amount of sociopaths I've experienced in middle management has always shocked me. Most lower management generally resemble school bullies.
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Unlock2025@reddit

> I think I was surprised when I entered the workplace only to find it's literally high school 2.0 except were older and now were paid 100% agree
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Commercial_Nature_28@reddit

Absolutely agree about how far charisma alone can take you. A lot of the outgoing cocky kids from my school have done really well for themselves thanks to their charm. The shy kids? Usually not as good unless in IT
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

One thing I have learned is that it's not what you know but who you know in the work place.
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xink37@reddit

Agreed I work in an area where senior staff members have got their children roles as administrators. One is so inept he has to check the intranet page when I asked him what job his dad did. Literally thick as mince
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Honey-Badger@reddit

I mean to be fair if his dad is in management he likely changes titles more often than he changes socks. I often forget the titles of people I work with daily
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xink37@reddit

He’s thick as mince
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

I once worked at a place where 3 siblings and a kid of one of those siblings worked together in one department. I worked directly with the kid. The kid was 15 (and the mother was 30......) and the kid was as lazy as shit. Would just sit there and do nothing, it was incredibly painful. Pulling hens teeth would have been easier.
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xink37@reddit

I can relate totally man one of life’s challenges we have no control over
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

Yep. I did have a rant to our boss and she was as annoyed as I was. Her hands were tied and had no control over the situation.
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OldManAndTheSea93@reddit

“Ultimately it’s what you know about who you know that’s makes the biggest difference!” Beer piece of advice given to me by a random man at my grandfather’s funeral 😂
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Horizontal_Axe_Wound@reddit

Absolutely. Seen too many positions and promotions to to family and friends of management. Or mid level positions go to their kids who are clueless
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

All happens to often.
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WaxWayneE2@reddit

Was denied a role due to not showing the experience in thst field. Which i did. The person they got has no experience
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

Now, this pisses me off.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Absolutely. I realised networking is key in all the industries I've worked in. This comes down to having the personality to network as well which helps
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OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

Yep, it certainly is the key. Many a time I have lost out because I didn't know of anyone, but when I do know of someone, I have used that link.
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Historical_Project86@reddit

That people rise according to merit.
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SYSTEM-J@reddit

Counterpoint: the biggest lie I've heard is burned out people on the Internet claiming there's no point trying in your job.
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Honey-Badger@reddit

I think you can often tell when the people saying these things are either super young and are surprised they're not on 6 figures after completing their grad scheme or you have people who sound like miserable people to work with. You'll get guys like 'well im 40 and my fucking stupid cunt boss who is a bitch idiot by the way hasnt given me a raise in years and they're fucking stupid to realise that im actually running the place whilst they're fucking stupid ass couldnt even send an email and I have to explain to her stupid cunt face everyday how to do her job'.... I read these comments thinking 'hmm, yeah cant imagine why no one wants to reward you'
View on Reddit #77306042

Kuddkungen@reddit

Over on the Swedish subs, we have a user who will post in *every* thread about engineering job searches, to complain that the engineer shortage is a myth because he's not getting any jobs. It doesn't take much to figure out that he's not getting jobs because he's an abrasive, miserable, misogynistic and xenophobic prick.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Good counterpoint - however I never mentioned being burned out, just asking a general question about how people perceived work before they started and how it turned out
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asmiggs@reddit

That anyone knows what they are doing.
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Future_Pianist9570@reddit

This is one of my biggest realisations in recent years. There is no real right or wrong it’s how many people you can convince that you’re right. 
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Kuddkungen@reddit

Indeed. I've come to realise that a so-so strategy that you can convince the vast majority of people to follow is way more effective than a brilliant strategy that you can only convince a handful to follow. You could have a plan so cunning that you could stick a tail on it and call it a fox, but if nobody wants to go along with it, it's useless.
View on Reddit #77313891

Legitimate-Ad3778@reddit

I hope my brain surgeon knows what to do, if I ever need one
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asmiggs@reddit

They'll revise the procedure with videos off YouTube the night before and accidentally a spoiler, don't worry though at least you'll look cool.
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Harvsnova3@reddit

If it's any comfort, you won't really know if he doesn't.
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Winging it is 90% of adult life. The other 10% is sleep
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rdxc1a2t@reddit

>The other 10% is sleep Hmm, I'm kinda winging it with sleep as well to be honest. Every night I just close my eyes and hope for the best.
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TheNotSpecialOne@reddit

Yup, the imposter syndrome
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thebigglercomplex@reddit

That it was harder than school
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Natural-Round8762@reddit

It's harder than uni life. Most likely because I did a demanding course at a competitive university, but I barely rested. The weekdays and nights blurred into the weekends as there was very little separation between work and play. Now at work, I stop thinking about work when I close my laptop when I leave work. Occasionally I will work overtime to get things over the line, but weekends are sacred.
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Honey-Badger@reddit

Uni life is definitely hard because you *could* always be working. Theres always more revision to be done or more time spent on an essay. Whilst at work once you are off the clock you could maybe stress about the following day but its not like you should be revising or something.
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Natural-Round8762@reddit

Plus it's not like I'm paid enough to worry that much!
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Hame_Impala@reddit

University as a whole was probably "easier" for me but agree more broadly. I was working on the side, in a pretty menial job, really didn't have that much disposable income, and you always feel on due to assignments and studying. Finishing for a week off and knowing you can properly switch off without any obligations is a great feeling.
View on Reddit #77284746

946789987649@reddit

It is interesting how similar start up life is to uni. Helps that I loved both !
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Work life balance is absolutely key as you get older and you can appreciate that more so I reckon because of the stress at UNI
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Natural-Round8762@reddit

1000%! Perhaps I'm lucky enough to be in a position where work life balance is somewhat emphasised, but work life balance was incredibly hard at uni when so much was at stake. Think international student, STEM degree etc. Weekends were study days!
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Minimum_Promotion728@reddit

Not so much a lie, but we’re all quite literally slaves. We work to be able to eat and pay to be warm and dry…if you’re on minimum wage like the majority of us this is all working gets you. At the same time all that hard work you did gets taxed in every way possible and put into the governments pockets. Probably an unpopular opinion but in my eyes that’s how it is.
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Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

How else would you be warm, dry and fed, my friend?
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Minimum_Promotion728@reddit

And that’s why we allow it. I allow it for that reason anyway, because I would be on the streets or starved otherwise. It’s rubbish that this is what our life’s are valued at though.
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Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

Seriously. You’d rather live off-grid, growing your own food, hunting or farming, cutting wood, all that shiz? Do you know how *easy* we have things, compared to either just a few hundred years ago, or right now for many, many other people on this planet? If anything, it’s only your own comfort you’re a slave to. Feel free to debate this point, by all means.
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Browneskiii@reddit

Found the middle manager who sucks up to higher management, is completely unnecessary, and kicks down the minions.
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Honey-Badger@reddit

Im confused. Why arent you living off grid and growing your own food etc? There is little stopping you from just traveling out to somewhere super remote and building yourself a shelter.
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Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

Found the minion who lacks the skills to move up. Try again, Sherlock.
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Taear@reddit

It's absolutely INSANE to me that you're blaming taxes for this (oh boy 13% more pay) compared to blaming the companies for paying you an unlivable wage and also for ramping up prices and etc etc etc
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Minimum_Promotion728@reddit

Times that 13% you say were taxed on by every working person, it might only be a small percentage but it is an incredible amount when all the working slaves are all taxed. You can find it INSANE all you want but when you realise you won’t look back. It’s not just 13% either because you’re taxed on everything else after you’re payed until the day you die and then anything you have left guess what that gets taxed too! The minimum wage also isn’t set by the employer, they’d be paying a lot less if they could.
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Taear@reddit

Yes, so the tax isn't the issue. The tax pays for society. Your employer is the issue.
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Minimum_Promotion728@reddit

Your employer is also just a person that has to follow the law and is controlled by the people above. Look at the image of all the little slaves at the bottom. https://preview.redd.it/g7wu9wxa9pgg1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ce00b6f56276cb581c82d233cf269c03c945415
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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

This MF has no fucking idea what slavery is.
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Minimum_Promotion728@reddit

“Slavery is a system of forced labor and severe exploitation where one person is owned, controlled, and deprived of liberty by another, often treated as property for economic gain. It relies on force, threats, or coercion, leaving victims unable to refuse work or leave their situation.” As I mentioned modern day, we’re programmed to believe it benefits us to work. But it doesn’t - we have to pay tax we have to pay NI we are controlled by the government, if you don’t pay your taxes you get threatening letters and assists eventually repossessed. We are slaves just in a modern way that they try to hide. Yes we have the option to leave work but at what cost? Do we still keep our roof over our head? Do we still get fed? We are controlled, we are slaves.
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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

And as that’s not what’s happening, bravo on the self own. Why don’t you piss off back to im14andthisisdeep where you belong?
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Ok-Opening9653@reddit

I’ve done the slave jobs and now on higher income. They take it all in the end.
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English_Rose_2025@reddit

That it's for your benefit, growth and self-worth. No it's not. It's soul destroying. Making some rich person even richer isn't my idea of self-fulfilment. If anyone wants me, I'll be living on a desert island in the Pacific and using pics of my former bosses for target practice 😀
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HeartyBeast@reddit

And the people who work for charities? The public sector? Or who do work they genuinely enjoy?
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

You mean you don't want to work unpaid overtime and come in on weekends so targets are met to be a team player because we are a family here? 😂
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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

No, they don’t want to work at all and have everything provided for them free gratis because they’re a lazy entitled POS who never grew up. Sorry, are we not doing “shit that doesn’t actually happen except on social media?”
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English_Rose_2025@reddit

🤣 🤣 Utter BS huh?
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Absolutely. Or being on salary that stated 45 hours a week. Working about 70 and getting no OT because it's not what they do
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throwpayrollaway@reddit

Seriously. What industry do you work in?
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PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Used to be in Hospitality. That's where this was so bad
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throwpayrollaway@reddit

The hospitality business model sounds wild. Rich people open a place and protect their investments and past the risk onto employees.
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English_Rose_2025@reddit

I don't know how this scenario would work where you are, I'm in the UK. I've been asked many times if I would work overtime and my answer is always the same: I don't work for free. No overtime, I go home and come back one morning when I'm actually paid to work. It's been a while since I've worked, and I don't know if it's the same now, but it would have been a very stupid company if they fired me, they would be taken to a work tribunal immediately ... and they would have lost. But this answer was never questioned because it's literally slave labour, and no company wants to be accused if that.
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DrH1983@reddit

Hey, it's not just for the bosses benefit. Think of the shareholders!
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SlickAstley_@reddit

Creating an illusion that you're super busy (and that it somewhat stresses you out) is the best way to keep the workload tolerable.
View on Reddit #77258138

PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

On this note, being really good at your job and your manager knowing is never good because you get given more work, expected to do things amazing all the time and if you mess up it's a shock... where as lazy Barry who puts 0 effort in get's a free ride doing less work
View on Reddit #77258268

HeartyBeast@reddit

Unless of course * you think your work is valuable  * you think that you are good at it * you manager seeing you are good at it leads to them asking you how to better organise things to make work easier/more efficient 
View on Reddit #77304918

Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

I am good at my job and can do things more quickly than others I work with. Nobody at work knows this.
View on Reddit #77262410

Carlomahone@reddit

I came back to my employer after a year away at a training centre. (I was an apprentice engineer). The day I came back I started on the shop floor and a man who was assigned to further my education told me a piece of advice that I've passed on to apprentices I've trained. He said 'if you want to get on and be promoted in your work life, never let the bosses know you're really good at your job, if they find you are, you'll never get promoted because they'd have to find someone to replace you'. He was never proven to be wrong in the 49 years I worked.
View on Reddit #77259393

Relevant_Setting7334@reddit

But I AM super busy and stressed-out!
View on Reddit #77288835

soverytiiiired@reddit

This is why I can’t move on from my current job. I’ve perfected it and everyone thinks I’m super busy all the time. A lot of the time I’m sitting with an audiobook on or my kindle in front of my monitor
View on Reddit #77282231

OldBoyShenanigans@reddit

This is actually really good advise. People are less likely to dump extra on you if they think you're not keeping up.
View on Reddit #77258603

HeartyBeast@reddit

I think the biggest lie is the one commonly on Reddit: ‘the people you work with are absolutely not people you can like or socialise with’.  Some of my best friends are people poke I’ve met through work over the years. 
View on Reddit #77304741

AffectDangerous8922@reddit

Annual raises based off performance reviews. This means no one gets raised. Ever. Because everyone gets "satisfactory" or "meets expectations", no matter how hard you work.
View on Reddit #77304353

LameFossil@reddit

HR are useless
View on Reddit #77259898

Taear@reddit

HR is to protect the company from you, not protect you from the company. That's why unions exist.
View on Reddit #77290520

LameFossil@reddit

Unions are just as useless too. I've got experience with Unison, NUT, RCN and BMA myself and through family and friends. When issues arise, the representation has been more of a formality on their end rather than actual defence and resolution.
View on Reddit #77296098

Lazy-Objective-1630@reddit

"We want innovation, new ideas, new blood. Things need to change so we need someone driven and resourceful to drive up efficiency!" Then as soon as you say: "so could we do this a different way?" Its: "Nope! We've done it that way for 25 years!"
View on Reddit #77293584

Leading_Nature_6222@reddit

That we are all adults School rules, hierachy and popularity all apply, it's just a different environment but same things apply. There's always comparison and a number that are seen as weak/less than and those that the higher ups want to push up. The cycle then repeats.
View on Reddit #77292978

wizenwitty1@reddit

that you have to work hard
View on Reddit #77292339

FabianTIR@reddit

Verbal/informal agreements are worth something. Unless the agreement in question is incredibly trivial, *get it in writing!!!!* Companies look out for themselves and so should we. Imo people need to be way more cynical dealing with their employers
View on Reddit #77289382

TruJahBlue@reddit

I’ll be able to live comfortably if I have a job 🤡
View on Reddit #77287349

Latte-Addict@reddit

I work in food production, have done for many years. Despite all the health and safety notices, requirements, acts, whatever...my employer gives a shit about all those. It's all bullshit. I wouldn't actually eat anything that we made. YOU do though. I pretty much guarantee it.
View on Reddit #77259208

Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

Okay. What should I be avoiding?
View on Reddit #77259868

Latte-Addict@reddit

Cup soups, porridge pots except Greggs, pot noodles Packets - I'm not sure I would go near a custard powder from your favourite supermarket ( the small kind that serves 2-3) Ive seen the machine op use a MOP to clean the inside of the filling machine, pure fucking lazyness on his/her part.
View on Reddit #77282689

Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

Pot Noodles eh?
View on Reddit #77283083

Latte-Addict@reddit

Personally, no I wouldn't. But we don't make all brands, L45 You see that on the bottom of a pot as part of its code, put it back on the shelf
View on Reddit #77284456

Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

Thank you. I am prone to a chicken and mushroom now and again.
View on Reddit #77284773

Latte-Addict@reddit

[Aldi.Lidl](http://Aldi.Lidl) \- No :(
View on Reddit #77285526

Otherwise_Leadership@reddit

🫡
View on Reddit #77286480

Fluid-Depth2327@reddit

Where did you work? Just so I can avoid that particular product.
View on Reddit #77260130

Latte-Addict@reddit

Telling you our factory name wouldn't actually tell you which products we provide or for which company/supermarket. I wouldn't go near a cup soup - for multiple reasons. The worst example? I work on a production line opposite this huge machine that churns out 200 sachets a minute.. I needed a wee, the male toilet floor was filthy, sticky from pee & various dirt brought in from the outside and product powder stuck to the bottom of colleagues shoes. One of the cup soup operators was in the toilet with me, when we want back, he stood on the filling machine to set it up, basically standing over the small funnels which lets powder into the small sachets below :( I hope you like your soup pee tainted, not that you'd tell anyway. Allergens? Whatever! We use air guns to blow powder off internal/external machine parts that are hard to reach, where do you think that powder/dust goes? Well, into the air and then onto the nearby production lines think anything from chicken powder to custard powder Today I got hit in the face by a stray pasta spiral that was 'blown' from one guys machine, all I did was walk by! My fault - I was told I was in the way!
View on Reddit #77282216

cabiwabi@reddit

Growing up watching star trek gave me an unrealistic expectation of professionalism in the workplace.
View on Reddit #77286314

GreyFoxNinjaFan@reddit

Your coworkers and boss are not your friends. They will throw you under the bus if it means saving the ability to pay their own mortgage.
View on Reddit #77286078

ChipCob1@reddit

Most of it's not about efficiency or productivity it's about keeping other people happy.
View on Reddit #77285857

JustNoGuy_@reddit

People know what they're doing. Do they fuck.
View on Reddit #77285527

Other_Exercise@reddit

I always imagined work meetings being like in the films - someone gets fired, a massive inspirational pep talk, some kind of scandal. Then I quickly realised in real life that most work meetings are like watching paint dry.
View on Reddit #77285343

JniB8@reddit

If hard work mattered then the donkey would own the farm
View on Reddit #77284569

WildWinterberry@reddit

When they ask in an interview for anything that isn’t related to 999 “how are you in emergencies?”, they’re not assessing your cool headedness. They’re asking if you’ll do 3 people’s jobs because they’re too cheap to hire enough staff
View on Reddit #77284476

Objective_Mousse7216@reddit

The more you take on, the more work is given to you. When you then struggle and burn out, they say it's your fault. The person next to you who does the minimum is then praised for completing everything without drama. They get the big bonus.
View on Reddit #77284371

richbun@reddit

Loyalty pays off. No, job hopping is the best way to earn more pay!
View on Reddit #77284269

miIk-skin@reddit

More often than not, showing any semblance of competence in your role will not see you elevated, it just means your colleagues will try to pile more shit on you. 
View on Reddit #77283604

yearsofpractice@reddit

Hey OP. 49 year old corporate veteran here. Couple of things: - I thought work was a meritocracy and the best would rise to the top. Nope - the people who are willing to be cruel to other people rise to the top - I assumed that most people should be interested in seeking out ***what*** is right - finding the best solution. Nope - most people are interested in finding out ***who is wrong***
View on Reddit #77276871

Unlock2025@reddit

>Nope - the people who are willing to be cruel to other people rise to the top 100% agree with everything you have said
View on Reddit #77282346

yearsofpractice@reddit

It was an awful realisation. I must clarify that it’s not people who ***want*** to be cruel because psychos usually get weeded out before they do too much damage to the company… It’s people who are ***willing*** to be cruel that get to the top: They can be perfectly pleasant people but are ***willing*** to be cruel if it meets their aims.
View on Reddit #77282469

Unlock2025@reddit

This is true, although I’d argue that in some sectors - such as law or banking - psychopathic or narcissistic personalities are fairly common and, in some cases, even actively sought after. That said, I agree with your point about damage to the company being the key factor. Once the cost of someone’s behaviour outweighs the benefit they bring, the company will only tolerate it for so long. I also agree that even generally pleasant people can end up doing unpleasant things, whether to stay popular or simply to avoid being bullied themselves.
View on Reddit #77282983

Mysterious-Sock39@reddit

Realised this year the harder you work get done the more comes your way, he gets stuff done.. whilst others in the team do bare minimum ,now something may take 1 day takes me three days😃
View on Reddit #77282840

LargeSale8354@reddit

It's not the hard work and due diligence that pays off, its being seen to be hard working and seen to exercise due diligence. You can be as lazy as fuck as long as you can create the perception of hard work. That and being good at managing upwards.
View on Reddit #77282829

catschimeras@reddit

In my experience, putting your head down and working hard means you get to pick up the slack of the wandering glad-handing smarm merchant who's spending all his time at other people's desks cozying up to the bosses instead of doing their fair share of the work.
View on Reddit #77260959

Unlock2025@reddit

>putting your head down and working hard means you get to pick up the slack of the wandering glad-handing smarm merchant who's spendin Or this could get you fired in some teams for not being extroverted enough
View on Reddit #77282205

catschimeras@reddit

I've (thankfully!) never worked somewhere that was quite that dysfunctional! In my case it meant people called / emailed / showed up at my desk looking for help rather than go to him because he was never there to pick up his phone / answer his emails / talk to in person when they stopped by to ask questions he should have been answering. When I started saying no to those requests (because I had my own work to do!), I did get pushback including the implied threat that I'd be let go for "underperformance", which cowed me into submission for a lot longer than it should have, tbh.
View on Reddit #77282561

Fun_Yogurtcloset1012@reddit

Everyone acts like adults in a workplace. Nope, some act like immature schoolkids.
View on Reddit #77267194

Unlock2025@reddit

So many people act like kids in the workplace.
View on Reddit #77282302

MidnightRambler87@reddit

Work is just an extension of the school cliques.
View on Reddit #77274807

daddy-dj@reddit

When I was starting out in my career I used to naively think that HR had the best interests of the company's employees at heart. That they were the ones pushing for employees to get a bonus or training or other perks, etc... That they were friendly people who were on my side. The reality is that HR exists for one reason: to stop the company inadvertently doing or allowing something that could expose them to a lawsuit.
View on Reddit #77266433

Minibee72@reddit

Not always…I worked in a company where upper management spent all their time doing damage control whenever HR did or allowed something that could expose them to a lawsuit. This meant they were elite-level at spreading untrue rumours but didn’t have the slightest clue about their industry.
View on Reddit #77279321

Unlock2025@reddit

>This meant they were elite-level at spreading untrue rumours but didn’t have the slightest clue about their industry. Completely agree. Seen this myself with a chief people officer who recently got fired for racism and tortiously interfering with a former employee.
View on Reddit #77282271

daddy-dj@reddit

Ha, oh wow that sounds mad 🤣
View on Reddit #77279838

itshanito@reddit

Letting your work speak for itself. It simply does not. A girl I worked with previously was more extroverted, conversational, and fun to be around. Six months into the job she got a promotion. Unlike her, I failed to navigate the game properly
View on Reddit #77258903

Unlock2025@reddit

I've seen people fired for not being extroverted
View on Reddit #77282133

Fluid-Depth2327@reddit

So she was basically a suck up. As an autistic individual I'm already cooked.
View on Reddit #77260041

JBobSpig@reddit

Hard work, being the best, it means fuck all, brown nosing and nepotism are basically how people get promoted.
View on Reddit #77258902

PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Or who your parents know
View on Reddit #77259253

JBobSpig@reddit

That's the nepotism 
View on Reddit #77281044

Educational_Try_6105@reddit

Jobs where you “help people” aren’t actually rewarding. Healthcare is a waste of time to work in.
View on Reddit #77262620

peppermint_aero@reddit

Some of the worst bullying, terrible working conditions and soul destroying burnout is in the "caring professions"
View on Reddit #77281023

Watchkeys@reddit

You have to choose the right thing to work hard at OP.
View on Reddit #77280923

mr_vestan_pance@reddit

HR are there to help you.
View on Reddit #77280526

Brido-20@reddit

That you're part of a team. No, you're a sole trader selling your labour and your employer is merely your customer.
View on Reddit #77279533

Rokathon@reddit

Work hard and you will be rewarded.
View on Reddit #77278535

MrSam52@reddit

Hard work is rewarded, from my experience hard work leads to you just being given more and more work until you reach a point where you can’t do anymore. The worst thing is as soon as you slip up people will be on your case. Meanwhile someone else in your role will be doing a quarter of the work, constantly going on breaks and not having any expectation on them. Fortunately I’m in a different company where that doesn’t happen to me as my team is all very good but it did piss me off. Taught me meet expectations and slightly exceed them but never over achieve as it won’t be a reward you get. No doubt this is part of the reason we’re less productive as a country.
View on Reddit #77259581

DrH1983@reddit

I realised that and strive to be the person doing a quarter of the work.
View on Reddit #77278473

ams3000@reddit

It’s more fun than school. School days were in fact worst days and work life can be fun.
View on Reddit #77258286

DrH1983@reddit

I still prefer work to school, but I'd rather go back to university than work
View on Reddit #77278441

PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Work is hell, school was more hell but I couldn't just leave
View on Reddit #77258614

Lumpy_Benefit666@reddit

I hated school but fuck me do i miss it now im in the real world. I could just piss about if i wanted. Cant get fired for chatting to your mates too much, youll just have a teacher that doesnt like you and cant really do anything about it other than make you stand outside. I love standing outside when at work. I do it on my lunch break
View on Reddit #77269401

BountyBobIsBack@reddit

We’re all family here, or some other corporate spin. There is no loyalty from your employer
View on Reddit #77278384

Ok-Onion-780@reddit

That being friendly with people is far more valuable than your actual skills and work ability( in most jobs) When promotions come up management arent going to be thinking about the quiet guy who does great work. They will be thinking about the guy who stops for a chat in the hallway and who invites them out for drinks no matter how good hus work is 
View on Reddit #77278070

Past-Bicycle5959@reddit

You having some problems at work bro?
View on Reddit #77277978

caristeej0@reddit

Working hard gets you nowhere. You need to be assertive.
View on Reddit #77277648

richandmore@reddit

It's considered okay
View on Reddit #77277605

UniquePotato@reddit

The noisiest wheel gets the oil
View on Reddit #77277157

One_Anteater_9234@reddit

That the boss cares most out of anyone
View on Reddit #77276587

secret_ninja2@reddit

Going to university guarantees a good career
View on Reddit #77276429

John_Thursday@reddit

Trust. No. Fucker
View on Reddit #77274891

bsnimunf@reddit

Networking and good communication is more important to success than being hardworking and good at the job
View on Reddit #77274315

Smooth-Bowler-9216@reddit

That senior leaders actually know what they’re doing. They don’t. They’re just winging it and hoping that a) it doesn’t screw company performance and b) get them fired
View on Reddit #77274192

Wrong_Requirement413@reddit

There are equal opportunities for all, and hard work gets you further - complete lies
View on Reddit #77273928

NeitherBag4722@reddit

That what you do is important - for most people nothing they do matters - if you disappeared tomorrow nothing would change.
View on Reddit #77273882

Commercial_Nature_28@reddit

Charisma, charm and networking take you very far in a career. Constant hard graft can fly under the radar if no one in the workplace is mates with you. 
View on Reddit #77273813

Hour_Mousse7914@reddit

Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life they said. I just ended up hating the thing I initially loved.
View on Reddit #77266624

Lienidus1@reddit

Self promotion is necessary if you want to advance. Talk loudly and often about what you do to many people.
View on Reddit #77266077

Luke_Nukem_2D@reddit

That people in higher positions know what they are doing. For the large part, they don't. Everyone is just making it up as they go along.
View on Reddit #77259080

Dazz316@reddit

0I forget the name of the thing. But people will get promoted until they're out of their depth, Good at Job A? Up into Job B you go! Good at Job B? Up into Job C you go? Oh you suck at Job C? Well you just stay doing job C then. It's a nice thought and sometimes it's all true. But often, people know what they're doing just fine. People don't move up because they're comfortable and the opportunity never presents itself be it their superior staying put or them never looking into the job market. Sometimes it's completely true and they'e just living on a hope and prayer.
View on Reddit #77259725

daddy-dj@reddit

The Peter Principle.
View on Reddit #77266066

PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Funny isn't it. When you are a kid you think adults have it all worked out. When you are an adult you realise everyone is just winging it
View on Reddit #77259480

Immediate_Machine_92@reddit

That people in management roles are generally competent, capable and good at managing people. (This may be the case in some companies. It was not necessarily the case in the company I worked for.)
View on Reddit #77258290

daddy-dj@reddit

AKA the "[Peter Principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle)", i.e. employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another.
View on Reddit #77265995

fergie_89@reddit

Don't be yourself
View on Reddit #77265646

Kapika96@reddit

That efficiency is important. It's not. Most jobs are paid by the hour, and even if they're not you'll still likely have a minimum expected hours. Getting your work done faster than those hours doesn't benefit you. Being a lazy plonker and doing the bare minimum doesn't harm you either. So, why not do the latter?
View on Reddit #77264548

Extra-Sound-1714@reddit

That absolutely useless managers exist in all sectors and often get promotion.
View on Reddit #77262293

GingerrJinx@reddit

You're the owner of your life. You're not, most of your life is given to your employer. Of 365 days, only 21 days are yours to enjoy however you like. Think about that barbarity. If you work mon-fri, then you can add 104 days for weekends, but during weekends you're not really free, because saturdays you spend them tired from the week, and Sundays you spend them dreading Mondays.
View on Reddit #77262255

Erdreicht@reddit

Hard work doesn't pay off just by itself. If you can clearly identify how doing something above and beyond would benefit you, do it, otherwise do what you're expected and no more because you will be known as the go to for any adhoc work to be piled onto. A lot of career progression will originate from networking and generally being on good terms with your colleagues instead of hard work, even in supposedly meritocratic environments with lots of procedures you get an upperhand simply by having someone help you with applying for promotions and putting in the good word for you when opportunities come up.
View on Reddit #77262105

FlareStar612@reddit

Faster you work the more work you get, the harder you work the less work others do.
View on Reddit #77261632

thefilmforgeuk@reddit

Not really a lie, a realisation. The people above you are just like you. So when people complain about managers and things being idiots, they’re just you in a few years (hopefully!). I’ve been in that position for a while and risen higher. It’s interesting to see how people see you differently because of a job title. It reminds me a lot of when I was a kid I thought my dad knew everything, it was only when our dog died and I saw him upset and uncertain when I was 14 that I realised it wasn’t true. We are all just dads of kids with dogs really.
View on Reddit #77258949

PigsAreTastyFood@reddit (OP)

Well this made me think of my dog that I had to put down recently. Thanks a lot! I hope you stand on lego!
View on Reddit #77259372

thefilmforgeuk@reddit

You’re very welcome
View on Reddit #77261505

Sea-Drawer-2104@reddit

A lot of people in higher positions just bs their way through life and rely on their underlings to make things happen. Being smart has no relevance to how fast you will climb.
View on Reddit #77261428

hunsnet457@reddit

All ‘job hopping’ is bad and you should try to get in somewhere and work your way up. Arguably the complete opposite of what you should do in most circumstances.
View on Reddit #77260443

kiddj1@reddit

Getting my head down and working hard got me ... Support Engineer -> DevOps Engineer -> Senior DevOps Engineer -> DevOps Manager I guess you either had a very selfish manager or you actually aren't that great The biggest lie is probably thinking everyone will do their job...
View on Reddit #77260038

psychmancer@reddit

1. Anyone knows how to do their job, free extra ones 2. Anyone remembers anything from their university courses or even high school and 3. People have any morals or ethics, and understand that breaking morals for another makes them liable to have harm when others break morals around them. Also that any job isnt just picking shades of bad.
View on Reddit #77259491

bdbamford@reddit

Doing jobs to just earn money and not enjoying what you do. Your work life should be kind of progression. Any job> better job > career
View on Reddit #77259369

CherryRoutine9397@reddit

Biggest lie for me was that loyalty and hard work get noticed automatically. They don’t. You can be great at your job and still be invisible if no one with power benefits from noticing you. Took me way too long to clock that. Another one is that managers know what they’re doing. Some do, a lot don’t. Plenty are just winging it, protecting their own position, or repeating stuff they were told years ago. Once you realise that, work feels less intimidating and more like a weird game. Also the idea that everyone else has it figured out. Nah. Most people are just slightly ahead of you in one area and completely lost in others. The confidence is often fake or borrowed. And lastly, that work will love you back. It won’t. You can enjoy your job, be proud of it, but the company will move on the second it needs to. That’s not evil, it’s just how it is. Once you accept that, you stop tying your self worth to it and things get lighter.
View on Reddit #77259109

badmother2@reddit

The company will always *say* it cares about you, that you're part of the *family*, but ultimately, you're just another disposable commodity.
View on Reddit #77259079

Resident-Honey8390@reddit

How easy it was
View on Reddit #77258932

BeardusMaximus_II@reddit

It's not a lie, but never work hard. Just do the bare minimum amount of work that doesn't result in any disciplinary action. If you work hard and complete all of your tasks, you'll just be rewarded with more tasks.
View on Reddit #77258796

Some_Ad6507@reddit

People higher up generally don’t have a clue about the general day to day stuff and the impact their decisions or inaction has even then they worked their way up. Quick to forget and too much red tape
View on Reddit #77258601

Firthy2002@reddit

If you work hard you'll get the top positions. In actuality it's about being a culture fit and making sure you kiss the right bums.
View on Reddit #77258553

ResplendentBear@reddit

- Senior management are sometimes really accomplished people, sometimes know what they're doing, and sometimes are just there because they're good looking and/or get on with the right people. - Things that seem like they're a really bad idea, will, no matter how much people insist on them, turn out to be a really bad idea. - There's a lot more bad CEOs than you think. - Big businesses are soulless but small businesses can be the deranged playground of the bosses ego.
View on Reddit #77258536

fantasticvinyl@reddit

The employer cares… majority of jobs managerial or lower are just replaceable numbers.
View on Reddit #77258422

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View on Reddit #77257357