1500 Days to Freedom

Think different and escape the rat race.

How to Kick Ass at Work

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“Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.” – George Carlin

photo (25)I saw this quote on The Simple Dollar recently and unfortunately, it really hits home. We have a big remodel going on and I try to do as much as I can myself. I’ve already run the electricity and plumbing. Soon, I’ll be painting, tiling, hanging doors and putting up all of the finish trim. However, I can’t do it all myself and in almost every case, the people who I hire are a disappointment.

  • The HVAC guy has been at it for over a month and still isn’t done. When I do see him, he regales me with tales of trips to Mexico and California. Mr. HVAC guy, I love travel too, I really do. However, I’d really like to have heat in half of my home. It wouldn’t kill you to work past 4pm.
  • The roofing guy doesn’t live anywhere near me, but that doesn’t stop him from only working 3 or 4 hours per day. When he does show, he whines about how he ‘underbid the project.’ Mr. Roofer, if you worked 8 hours a day, this would have been finished in under a week. If you stretch it out to a month and have to make 20 round trips to my home, you’re not working efficiently. Your problem, not mine.
  • I’ve spent many hours fixing the sloppy work of Mr. Buttcrack Builder. Much of his work was poor. Even worse, some of it was dangerous.

I don’t operate like any of these people. If you’re not going to do it right, even if it’s a lowly task like scrubbing the toilet, don’t bother with it at all. Do your best at everything in life. At the end of the day, you have to live with yourself.

All of this got me thinking about my own principles and how they helped me get ahead.

How to Kick Ass at Work

Work your ass off, even for a brief time: I started my career as a mainframe programmer right around the Y2K crisis. I had my pick of jobs, but I knew it would be short-lived. The Y2K code would get fixed and one day, there would be too many of us. I needed a new skill.

My solution was to retrain myself. I spent about 800 hours of my own time picking up a new skill-set and getting a certification* to prove it. I was quickly promoted. I continued to bust my butt until I got where I needed to be with work and income. I changed jobs twice. It was a couple years of very hard work, but it has set me ahead at least a decade. Totally worth it. Note: Do this before you have kids and a family. Family comes before everything.

If you’re not appreciated, get out: At a past job, there were two fellow software developers who couldn’t have been more different. One worked his ass off. He stayed long hours and wrote much of the critical code for the system. He went above and beyond what was asked of him and never complained. The other developer was really good at shooting the sh*t with management. He may not have been much of a coder, but he knew how to talk and talk he did. Guess who got promoted? It wasn’t the first guy. This was the signal that I needed to leave. And I did.

Keep your job in its place: At the same job, one day my manager let me know that layoffs were coming. She also let me know that Chuck in the cube across from me was getting the ax.

Chuck’s entire life was tied up in the job. He ate lunch with his co-workers. He played softball with them on the company softball team. He went out for drinks with them afterwards. They all went downtown together on weekends.

Layoff day came and I watched with a lump in the throat as Chuck was called down to The Room. Afterwards, his manager let him come back to his cube to clean it out and he wasn’t just in tears, but full-on sobbing. It was very sad and uncomfortable. His life was destroyed in 10 minutes.

It’s great if you like your job and fellow co-workers, but don’t build your life around them.

Remember names: At one job interview, the interviewer introduced himself and then announced that he was going to ‘ask me a bunch of tough technical questions.’ He did and I aced it. I was thrilled with my performance. He then announced that he had one more question for me. My smug self thought, ‘Throw it at me! I just killed all the other ones.’ Here is what it was:

What is my name?

I didn’t have a clue what his name was and felt like a complete idiot.

How many people have ever declared that they’re good with names? No one says that! So, when a new co-worker introduces himself, remember that name and use it next time you see him. He’ll probably have forgotten yours and you’ll instantly find yourself in a position of power.

Never stop learning, have an open mind and stay curious: New challenges keep the mind fresh. Be mindful of ruts. The deeper they get, the harder it will be to climb out. Recognize when you’re in one and make a change.

Go above and beyond: Let’s take a look at that quote one more time:

“Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.”

This is sad, but it’s also an advantage for you. I really believe that it doesn’t take much to stand out:

  • Work a little harder than the guy in the cube next to you.
  • Volunteer for the difficult task and then kill it.
  • Come up with creative solutions.
  • Make yourself indispensable.

You only live once. Do it right.

 

*I think that the value of technical certifications is dubious at best, but for some reason, the management at this company thought they were great.

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Comments

  1. 1500,
    Lots to think about with this post. I’ve had great contractors (a recent plumber), and some that have to take a smoke break every 45 minutes pushing the job to a second day(my gutter guys). Efficiency is a strong indicator of the quality of the worker. How did the ‘name’ interview turn out? That’s the worst feeling when someone catches you like that, when they already have a position of power. Remembering a new name takes concentration.
    -RBD
    Retire Before Dad recently posted…What I Learned During My Merrill Lynch InternshipMy Profile

    • Regarding the interview, I received an offer and took it. The interviewer’s name was Jamie Naylor. I’ll never forget that name as long as I live.

  2. I really got my butt into gear last year with my job, taking on extra duties and learning new things and making sure management knew that I was aiming for a promotion come this February. I didn’t get the promotion but I got a raise and a bonus, so I’m trying to figure out if I got duped or if I should be happy. Of course, if I stay in this position, I just have to keep busting my butt until next February and hope for the best. So far, the company’s finances aren’t where they want them to be at this point in time, so it makes me wonder if I am doing this all for a pay freeze. If next year can’t top this year, I may need to find a new job that appreciates me more. Going deeper, it makes me rather sad that I rely on them for a treat and a pat on the head when I “do good” how they want. Some day, I’ll be out of this rat race, and I won’t be disappointed that my efforts didn’t have the financial output I was slaving for, for over a year.

    • “I didn’t get the promotion but I got a raise and a bonus, so I’m trying to figure out if I got duped or if I should be happy.”

      At the employer that I mention in this article, they were famous for giving promotions (fancier title), but no pay increases. BS I say! My philosophy is that I don’t care what you call me, just fairly compensate me for my work and I’ll be happy.

      “Going deeper, it makes me rather sad that I rely on them for a treat and a pat on the head when I “do good” how they want. Some day, I’ll be out of this rat race, and I won’t be disappointed that my efforts didn’t have the financial output I was slaving for, for over a year.”

      Sounds like you’re an introspective person and on the right track in life. Maybe it won’t pay off with your current job, but you never know when the right person will notice and open a door for you . Never, never, never give up!

  3. These are really great points that all 20 y.o’s should really pay attention to. They have the time and resources to truly make a career that they will enjoy years down the road. It’s great to enjoy life and finally have time to do things for oneself, but happy hour is the same almost everyday and it’ll always be there.
    Amanda @ Passionately Simple Life recently posted…Turnover Tuesday…My Profile

    • “It’s great to enjoy life and finally have time to do things for oneself, but happy hour is the same almost everyday and it’ll always be there.”

      Ooooh, that is leading me to think about something else. I mau have sacrificed some happy hours, but I traded them for happy years. Work hard up front and you won’t have to a couple decades down the road.

  4. Great post that everyone should read!

    I taught myself to go beyond 2-D drafting and into 3-D rendering and photoediting. Senior management soon became accustomed to having photorealistic images showing what a project would look like before it was even started, and they knew who made them. One day, my entire department of over 40 people was eliminated. When I was called into “the room”, the HR manager was crying, and I thought for sure I was going to be axed along with everyone else. Instead, I was one of three people they wanted to keep (the other two were clerical employees). My first day back, one of the VPs sent his secretary to tell me that I was to devote all of my effort to helping his PGA tournament staff. I found myself doing not only my usual, but also things I had never done before, like designing maps. I worked my tail off, including 12+ hour days when the tournament was on. After I left my job, one of the managers passed along my contact information to his friends, and I landed two really great freelance gigs that I could do at home. There have been plenty of times when I worked my butt off and nobody appreciated it, but every once in a while the right person notices. Whether anyone notices or not, I take pride in a job well done. I wish everybody did.

    • That is an awesome story! Hard work opens doors! Of course, you have to have the right people around you to open them for you, but you can always change that.

      “Whether anyone notices or not, I take pride in a job well done. I wish everybody did.”

      Yes! Yes!! YES!!! Exactly. Do it first and foremost for yourself. That is most important.

      “I taught myself to go beyond 2-D drafting and into 3-D rendering and photoediting.”

      I can’t help but thing you could make some pretty awesome beer labels for the husband!

  5. Remembering names is SO HARD! But definitely worthwhile, especially if you can remember and use the name of the admin / office manager /receptionist. It’s not only the polite and thoughtful thing to do, you’ll never know when you can use that person’s help.
    Meg recently posted…Spoiler: AristotleMy Profile

    • It is hard, but there are tricks! I try to associate their name with something or someone else I know. I think about it for a few moments and I usually don’t forget.

  6. Remembering names is arguably one of the most important business traits an individual can have. As you’ve said, it puts you in a position of power and authority that carries through into the rest of the conversation and your interaction with that person.

    Not allowing your job to become your life is so important, especially today when most people change jobs every few years. Plus, it makes it that much easier to cut the cord when it is time to move on to another company.
    writing2reality recently posted…Trades – No-Cost Dividend Growth Portfolio Purchases: KO and ULMy Profile

    • That guy who was crying was a bodybuilder too (of course in the company gym). This made it all the more surreal. Mr. Muscles crying like a baby. Bleh, I hope he landed on his feet somewhere.

      Yeah, I make a ton of effort with names. I’d say that 95% of people don’t though. I remember yours too actually without checking my email. Ha!

  7. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ll admit that I am more like the shmoozing coder than the hard worker. It is in my personality to leverage personal relationships. The thing I’m doing wrong is taking advantage of that skill to work at 50%.

    Thanks for the kick in the ass.
    Done by Forty recently posted…That Time Someone Ran Over My ScooterMy Profile

    • Shooting the shit definitely has it’s place. There is no shortage of fine coders who can’t communicate worth a damn with their business partners. I’m guilty of it sometimes too.

  9. In my experience people stay in jobs because they are too lazy to find other work. I am lucky in that I had a job I loved but when I had the opportunity to leave and do other things I love I jumped at it.

    Yes! You do only live once and doing it right it paramount. It drives me crazy when people say “one day I will.” No one know how long they have and delayed gratification may turn in to nothing but waste.
    Jonathan Look, Jr. recently posted…Wordless Wednesday | Route 66My Profile

    • Yes, don’t do it one day. Do it now!

      Growing up, my mother would always talk about going back to school. 30 years later, she never did. Uggggh!

  10. Great post! I love the interviewer’s killer question.bet it stumped you for a second because it is such an unexpected question. That’s the one thing l always make sure to try and remember. Everyone from big shots to the waiter in a restaurant. I also use the name association trick. Poor Mr Muscles. I can just picture it.
    Kemkem recently posted…Paris in a day!My Profile

    • Thanks Kemkem! It totally threw me for a loop and I’ll never forget it. Later, I interviewed people for positions at the same company (I got the job) and I’d use the same thing on applicants. No one ever remembered.

  11. Wow. Lots to think about.

    I don’t think there are bad people, just poor job fits. You have to like what you do not to be apathetic. Too many people go into a job they are “supposed to get into” or “fall into” after school and, once they are in it for a while, don’t think they can do anything else. How do you motivate yourself when you feel that way? It can be easier said than done. It takes guts to stop one career and go for another one that can fuel your soul…and too few people make the switch because of fear, money, debt, status, other obligations.

    On the part of working hard, I think what fuels you to work hard is two-fold: the passion for what you do and working for a company that does not abuse your willingness to work hard by demanding it as though it was your duty to deliver above and beyond ALL the time – we are not machines. The former is a must and the latter is like a slow leak in the gas tank…at one point you have no gas left.

    • “It takes guts to stop one career and go for another one that can fuel your soul…”

      Great point. Most just don’t. Change is hard and fear of failure holds us back.

      “On the part of working hard, I think what fuels you to work hard is two-fold: the passion for what you do and working for a company that does not abuse your willingness to work hard by demanding it as though it was your duty to deliver above and beyond ALL the time – we are not machines. The former is a must and the latter is like a slow leak in the gas tank…at one point you have no gas left.”

      Another great point. Don’t have much to add except in America, it seems like we have our priorities wrong. I read about 35 hour workweeks and 6 weeks of vacation in European countries. Where do we sign on for that? Of course, our economy and innovation tends to outperform theirs, so maybe that is the price we pay?

    • I hate the phrase “that’s above my pay grade”.

      Me too! Swing for fences! Aim for the moon!! So much opportunity for those who just work a bit harder.

  13. It’s amazing how many people fit into the construct of “Only work hard enough not to get fired, and paid enough not to quit.” In my experience having internal motivation and putting forth the effort to excel and learn more on the job has led to many opportunities. Remembering people’s names is extremely important. If you can’t remember someone’s name, in their eyes they must not be that important to you.
    Action Economics recently posted…401K Match Left on the Table?My Profile

    • Yep, most people have tunnel vision too. If they are assigned to do A, the do A and then are done. If I’m assigned A, I do A, mostly ahead of time, and then offer suggestions on how A may be improved. Creative thinking and problem solving can take you a long way.

  14. Great post! Found this specific post off the rockstar finance site, but have randomly come across your blog in the past. Some great tips, quotes and really thoughtful insights in it, awesome job.

    I can totally relate to the working your butt off model. I did so at all the jobs I’ve ever had and when I left the last two specifically, they both said I could come back whenever I wanted. I actually did that with the first job and they took me back without even having a job opening, based on the fact that I was a kick ass worker.

    I totally agree with some of the other commenters above that this should be mandatory reading for college kids entering the workforce.

  15. I’ve actually been trying to be more proactive at work the past few months and it is already paying off in spades. There have been others in the company for decades who are stuck in the same position but nobody really knows them very well. In order to get ahead you really have to cultivate relationships, make your work known and for sincere relationships with those that are in the know. Great post.
    Syed recently posted…I Found the Worst Credit Card EverMy Profile

  16. Mr. 1500,

    Let’s not forget that working your ass off for some people has an energizing effect. I work a corporate job that I like, but I tend to work 10-12 hour days. However, it’s forced me to spend my time more wisely and plan out how to build my relationships with my family as well as other pursuits. For me, I get way more done, and am more energized, than when I worked less than 8 hours a day on a flexible schedule. I tended to waste my time then.

    It’s counterintuitive, but getting a good 6 hours of sleep a night instead of a bad 7 or 8 always wishing I had gotten more has done wonders for my energy, both for work and in my personal life.

    • Interesting thought. I wonder if you’ll ever get burned out by long hours?

      I agree with you on sleep. This is something that I need to work on.

  17. I also recommend dressing a little better than others in your area. Even if you work in mailroom and everyone wears t-shirts and jeans then you should wear golf shirt. So many people dress down as much as they are allowed and I think its a big mistake. You want management to see you as someone that belongs in a bigger job then you currently have and how you dress could be a factor.

    • Yes, this is smart. When I go into my current office, some people have jogging pants one. No joke! Professional clothes tells everyone you take the job seriously (unless you work at Google).

  18. I never understood how people could just come into the office, do the minimum and go home. I have a personal stake in doing my best – whether anyone sees the results or not. I’ve had jobs where I really just kinda sat around all day – I worked as hard as I could at getting out of there and working somewhere else!
    Mom @ Three is Plenty recently posted…Spring CleaningMy Profile

  19. It is so important to continue developing and adding to your skill set. You never know whats coming around the corner so adding new resources is a great investment. Getting some sort of certification to verify those experiences, that is even better. Thanks for the insightful post!

  20. I currently work at a place where schmoozers get ahead before people who actually work. At my last job, my boss was a schmoozer but she also busted her butt (single woman in her 50s so she always had to work hard growing up in her generation). After two years at this job, I’ll be searching for something with more pay as raises only happen at my current place for people who schmooze and that’s not my personality. Don’t get me wrong, I love chatting with my coworkers when appropriate. But when the first three hours of your day are spent in the office of your supervisor most days that you’re in the office, you’re not getting shit done.
    Tara @ Streets Ahead Living recently posted…Are we bad at math or are we in a self-fulfilling prophecy?My Profile

    • “I currently work at a place where schmoozers get ahead before people who actually work.”

      Wow, sounds like you worked where I worked (a large retailer that rhymes with ‘Beers’).

      I really can’t stand when hard work isn’t recognized. Do your job, do it well. Management’s job is to identify the good workers and help them along so they stay and make the company better.

  21. Thank you for this post! I have this PostIt note on my desk: “Always do your best. Always.” I hate when people cut corners – whatever it is. I think when you are deliberate and authentic, everyone remembers that. Your reputation will precede you almost 100% of the time. I think that it’s one of the things that separate those people who accomplish goals and those who wonder why they’re not successful in life. It’s pretty simple.

    As a headhunter, I love your reminder to “remember names” – It’s huge!! I say the person’s name 3 times in my head or write it down on email. Since I have a fairly unique name, I’m sensitive to everyone’s need to be recognized 🙂

    This post was a great weekend read for me!
    Anneli @thefrugalweds recently posted…Sisters Trip to the Philippines: Part 2 – Our Review of Kamana SanctuaryMy Profile

    • Yes! Life is too short to cut corners. How do you want to see yourself when you look back?

      Everyone fails, but I’d rather fail knowing that I gave it everything.

  22. It is true to work hard especially for your first job out of school. The first real job is so important, it allows you to gain experience. It almost doesn’t matter if it leads to anything upwards in the company ladder. To have experience and transferable skills is invaluable down the road.

    Also, it depends on what you are looking for in a job. It took me a while to truly understand that a job is just a tool for a better life. Without the time to enjoy it, it is not worth it. It helps a lot if you like your co-workers and you enjoy doing you job though. However, if you are in it for the money, then working hard for a few years is not too bad. If you are looking for a career, make sure it is something you enjoy doing.

    Finally, I more than 100% agree with what you said about leaving if you are not appreciated. The sense of achievement can’t be quantified with money many times. I made the decision to leave my first job for the very same reason, even though it was very comfortable, decent pay, and flexible hours. It just did not feel right. You know you will end up with something better, if you are good at it.
    Mrs Y recently posted…March 2014 Net Worth UpdateMy Profile

    • I looked for months to find people. Six months in some cases. I think it’s related to my location (Colorado). I was able to find decent people in Wisconsin.

Trackbacks

  1. […] How to Kick Ass at Work by 1500 Days. “Most people work just hard enough to not get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.”-George Carlin. Great quote to start off with and Mr. 1500 goes on to explain some simple tips to use to excel at your job and also a reminder to keep your job in perspective and not make it your entire life. I particularly like the final tip. Check it out. […]

  2. […] How to Kick Ass at Work | 1500 Days […]