I am an engineer that gets screwed by managers and bosses because I actually do real work. And doing real work translates into sucking at office politics.
The more you work, the more problems you confront. The more problems you face, the more you get associated with problems. Your bosses don’t know shit. Your manager are dumb as a rock. But if you are the one working, then you provide them with something to work on – You. They get free content for future meetings to pose questions to you, place deadlines on your own work, and hold you accountable for not reaching that deadline. You become a subject of their internal cliquish gossip of how you don’t work because you missed on a deadline, effectively placing a target on your back. Others take credit for your work but blame you if shit goes down. Eventually you are fodder that everyone feeds upon to push their lives up. I find it so hard not to work or accomplish something when I goto work.
Everyday I come home angry and frustrated for doing some shit only to give others a chance to criticize me and feel good about themselves. I can’t go to work thinking that I have to make myself look good, not get the job done. There are plenty in my office who do nothing but get promoted and credited for god knows what. I hate myself for working after hours and during weekends just because I am actively engaged in my job and I can’t adapt to my office env that punishes hard work and effort.