Just wanted to share my life experience pro tip to any fresh outta college whipper snappers entering the workforce. I was once that guy, I started my job with an ambition to be the very best i helped everyone that asked for help (even when it wasnt my job) and busted my ass. I thought the company would notice me and appreciate my efforts with promotions, bonuses and raises. Instead what I got was
More work and responsibility
years down the line I realized I became the go to guy for all kindsa shit, everyone knew me as the “helpful guy”. I was at that point doing 3x the amount of work anyone else on my team was doing, all at the same pay. I was getting these “thank you, recognition if your hard work” emails and shoutouts in out company meetings, but that only compounded my problem because now more people knew to come to me for help. I got burned out from this shit and felt awful and unappreciated. I asked for a raise and was denied 3 times.
One day I just stopped helping people and began to prioritize MY work. People got UPSET. My manager got upset and said people were complaining about me now. I said I am doing now exactly what everyone else on my team is doing, which is MY work. I said if they want me to take on additional duties and carry on helping others, i will need a raise and a promotion. That got denied again. 1 week later I was terminated for “insubordination”.
Lesson if the story, corps dont give a fuck about you or your hard work, they will squeeze you dry by dangling an imaginary “things might get better” carrot, but that shit gets yanked the second you get to close. DO NOT bust your ass for a company. Do the bare minimum to not get fired, and jfc make sure to not create unrealistic expectations by working harder than others. One time doing that will set that work as the baseline by which all you other work will be judged.