A slacker who can kiss butt and play politics will almost always beat a hard worker who can't when it comes to most metrics that matter, like salary, work life balance, lack of stress at work etc.
What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
171–180 of 218 posts
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#172The following is (very?) controversial advice. Depending on your situation, it may be bad advice. There are too many downsides to list, so please use your best judgement. Before voting or commenting please remember this HN guideline: >Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith ...and for what it's worth, I absolutely wo…
On the money for 1-4. Don't do 5, though. Memorize the crucial parts: who it was aggregated from, how much it cost, or what important characteristics it had. Never take the original thing. Preserve the appearance of having "had an insight while working on problem X". It's hard to do that when you've literally got Stockfish next to you, so don't take the data. In the end, being sued like Carmack is preferable to being sued like Lewandowski.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#173If you find yourself alone around a woman you work with, leave the room, building, or do whatever you can to not be alone with them.
I'd say the opposite. Exploitation of this sort is vanishingly rare. It isn't worth optimizing for. Instead, be incredibly normal with everyone, girls and boys alike. Maybe you like their clothes, or you wonder how their vacation was, or you just want to share this new restaurant you like. If you're likable, people literally will not believe you could do bad things. If, for some reason, a cosmic ray hits the universe's RNG for you and you somehow encounter the exploitative femme fatale who's setting you up for a fake sexual assault suit, all the other women will back you up anyway because even though they're attractive, you were always professionally nice to them, and it wasn't even out of a sense of insecurity because you could casually make small talk like you were comfortable. You'll absolutely kill the case. And more importantly, in the happy path, you'll encounter a lot of people who you can work with productively.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#174Have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even if it terminates your employment status. I'm only unkeen to have my name on this, because I haven't done it, and I wish several times in the past, I had. I respect the person who did this early in his career in one ISP immensely: it was stunning to watch somebody say "you're full of shit" to the new CEO, and walk out. (he was btw, full of shit)
>>Have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even if it terminates your employment status.
This is very bad advice purely career wise. In fact being in the good books of the cartel managers is something you should proactively do.
Also stop believing in this myth of finding a boss who is powerful, just, fair and does the right things all the time. Humans are irrational species because we have to often arrive at a one pick decision between competing priorities, sometimes even paradoxical priorities. Reality is a big mess and no straight work-reward equations are possible. This extends to so many things in the real world. Business, relationships, contracts, job space etc etc. One must always aspire to be slightly evil as much as things allow one to be. That means developing tact to manage everyday politics, negotiating, coercing, influence and various other people management things.
Plus given this specific point, if your boss or immediate leader is too powerful fighting him is pointless and self destructive. And even more important point, stop fighting other peoples battles. Whistle blowing, activism and standing for principle all gives you a huge sense of self worth and makes you feel important about yourself. But it's a very bad strategy, because you will fall out of favor and get marked up as a trouble maker in the eyes of any powerful watching. And you will never meet a boss or a leader who is likely to appreciate this. Stop trying to be a martyr or other people's cause.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
> ... either they will respect you and do it or ... Another possible/likely option - they'll pay lip service to your plan, convince you to stay, and then gradually slip back to the full of shit approach they originally intended.
Basically I'm not willing to go to this level of drama unless the consequences of going the other way are really, really obvious. That means things like illegality, safety of life issues, ethical breaches, total project failure, etc. If you just think they're wrong and don't want to deal with their wrongness anymore, tell them so in your resignation letter. Hell, maybe by the time you have an offer in hand they're ha…
If ethical breaches cause you to escalate to this level of drama, may I ask in what sector you are employed? In my own industry I see breaches like this as a matter of habit and I can't even imagine being generally employed in IT if this bothers you. Unless of course you have really lax ethical standards compared to mine. That's also an option.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are very few jobs worth believing in to be honest.
This is not accurate. There are large number of jobs that have a directly impact, as part of solid teams working on things for the right reasons.
In cases like this it helps to give examples, as the person you are responding to evidently doesn't believe this is the case. Maybe you can change their mind!
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#177Earlier quoted context omitted.
How is that beneficial to someone's career though? Sure, it shows one's morals and standards, but how does that boost one's career?
Is a moral career not better than an immoral one...?
As someone who has experienced not having money for food, an immoral career is better than being morally unemployed.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Get the scoop on what's actually going on at executive levels by making friends with the office managers/personal assistants. I'd expand this to always make friends with gatekeepers. Office managers, PAs, front desk, kitchen staff, building security, etc. They're hardworking people who tend to be ignored and mistreated. Respect them, be friendly, and it will open many gates along with making their lives better.
Genuine question: how is making friends with the kitchen staff going to advance your career?
I have heard many things I'm not supposed to know from the rumour mill that kitchen/support staff is apparently a part of. They're not always entirely correct, but they are always at least correct enough that I can find out things I normally cannot find out.
Of course there are also the not directly career benefits such as having better/nicer food and a more pleasurable time at work.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
Questions about the audio recording, have you ever had pushback from others? Is it a ask for forgiveness not permission situation? How transparent have you been day to day, for example is it visible during meetings or in your pocket? And do you keep a specific audio recorder/use only work phone or have you recorded on personal devices like your non-work phone?
I hit record on my personal phone before I go into the meeting, then turn the screen off and put my phone on the table at the meeting. A lot of people put their phone on the table at meetings.
Do not actually do this, as in many places this is illegal. Check first whether or not it is 100%, entirely legal with a source that is not someone who tells people on the internet to record others without consent.
Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?
#180The following is (very?) controversial advice. Depending on your situation, it may be bad advice. There are too many downsides to list, so please use your best judgement. Before voting or commenting please remember this HN guideline: >Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith ...and for what it's worth, I absolutely wo…
People don't talk. HR departments talk. If you consider them people then that's on you.