How I Excelled At My Job And Moved Up Faster Than Others

How I Excelled At My Job And Moved Up Faster Than OthersI sometimes see complaints in the personal finance community that bloggers focus too much on frugality and saving money and not enough on making more money.  There’s an endless number of posts about side hustling out there, but admittedly there are fewer about earning more at your W-2 job. 

That’s probably because jobs and careers are extremely diverse, and advice or tips for one job might not be applicable to others.  Saving money is easier to write about because we all buy food and clothes.  I excelled and moved up fast at my government job, way faster than most of my colleagues.  This post details how I did it, but first a little background on how I got there.

 

The Job That Didn’t Work

When I graduated college in the early 1990s America was still in a recession.  I was lucky to score a job at a small dotcom company in the very early days of the world wide web.  It was a startup, even though we didn’t use that term back then. 

Long hours, lots of coffee, and an expectation to perform.  That was the culture.

We billed clients in 15 minute increments, so if you effed off with your colleagues a lot that time had to be made up somewhere.  In hindsight it was chaotic and fun, but definitely a job meant for the young 20-something that I was.

The problem was we weren’t profitable yet and there was nowhere to move up.  I received glowing performance appraisals, but tiny raises.  Or none at all.  I was making $20k a year (the equivalent of what is now about $36,000 a year), well below the median in America.  There was nothing to get promoted into.  And as I continued to pour my life into the job with nothing to aim for I became disillusioned.

So when the federal government contacted me about a position I applied to three years prior, I took it.  I was immediately thrust into a massive hierarchical system with often arcane personnel practices. 

But the good news was there were tons of positions to get promoted into.  I quickly figured out how to get ahead in the government.  It’s not rocket surgery.

Show up and work really hard.  Many others don’t.

That’s the 100,000 foot view of course, and should probably be a guide for success in any endeavor.  But here are some more specific ways I got ahead and my job and moved up fast. 

 

How I Got Ahead 

How I Excelled At My Job And Moved Up Faster Than OthersNever bring your boss a problem without simultaneously bringing one or more possible solutions. The last thing a supervisor or manager wants is an employee coming to him or her with just a problem. “The system is down”, or “Our project is way behind schedule”What are you doing to fix it, or get it back on schedule?  Relaying a problem without a solution is essentially whining.  Don’t be a whiner, fix things.

Never stop learning. News flash, you don’t know everything, and you never will.  Continual learning does not necessarily mean formal school, although that’s an option.  For a five year period in my career (before smartphones) I took the DC Metro to work.  I was on trains and in stations for a total of about an hour and a half every day.  Did I sleep or read sports magazines?  No.  It was my time to read the trade publications of my industry.  I learned more from them than from anywhere else.  Staying current on industry trends helped me get ahead.  I wasn’t getting paid for that work.  It was my self development time.

Solve problems, fix things, and get involved in good projects that aren’t in your job description. More concisely, do more than is asked of you.  Don’t always ask permission, but know the culture and politics of your work place well before you do that, and do it wisely.

If your boss asks you to do something you think is stupid or a waste of time, do it anyway. Build trust with your boss.  Once you have that trust, then you can kindly suggest a better way the next time.  Most good bosses actually want push back and contrarian ideas, but they have to trust you first. 

Value diversity and seek it out. By this I mean real diversity.  That word has been co-opted and taken over in modern parlance to mean only a very small part of what diversity actually is.  Real and full diversity means seeking out diverse opinions, personalities, backgrounds, and working styles.  Listen to people who disagree with you.  Realize they just might be right, or at least have something to offer.  Avoid echo chambers and group-think at all costs.  Ask your colleagues in other departments if they think you’ve fallen victim to those traps.  Outsider opinions are often far more valuable, honest, and direct.

Be kind to everyone.  This can indeed be hard.  There’s lots of unkind people out there in the workplace.  Do your best to not reciprocate.

Realize that you often have to do the work of the position you want before you get the paySelf explanatory.

How I Excelled At My Job And Moved Up Faster Than OthersIf you’re a supervisor or manager, don’t expect your subordinates to do anything you are not willing to do right beside them.  Do you need them to come in this weekend?  Well you better be there with them.

Never stop building your professional network. If some of the people in your network become friends too, that’s great.  But for your career, friends don’t matter.  Your network does.  I have solid relationships with folks who now work at Google and Amazon because they were formerly in my professional network at my job.  I doubt I’d ever seek a job with those companies, but it’s nice to know if I did I would have a champion to help me.

Just out-work everyone. I’m not advocating for 70-hour weeks and having no life, although I was guilty of those things in my career.  But work smarter, work harder, and optimize.  Don’t keep seeking a job you love all the time, those are kind of unicorny.  It might exist for a while but will probably be fleeting.  Find a job you like enough to pour your heart into.  Then crush it with your work ethic.

 

YMMV

These suggestions are a result of my experience.  Your mileage may vary.  But these are the things that helped me shoot up the ladder at my job way faster than my colleagues. 

Jobs obviously vary greatly and some professions require different political tactics or networking strategies. 

So chime in AF Readers – what helped you get ahead in your job?

 

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Dave @ Accidental FIRE

I reached financial independence and semi-retired in my mid-40's through hard work, smart living, and investing. This blog chronicles my journey and explores many aspects of personal finance including the psychological and behavioral factors that drive our habits.

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34 Responses

  1. It’s so true and yet so perplexing to me. Standing out is not complicated nor does it require insightful thought. Work hard, be kind, show respect and you’re light years ahead of most.

    I think you’re spot on with this post. Fortunately, our staff exhibits these qualities… But our people are increasingly difficult to find.

    Keep spreading the word, AF

  2. What a refreshing post, Dave.

    So much time is spent in the PF blogging space talking about how to get out of the “corporate” world. Kudos to you for being an example of how to excel in it. Government and corporate are synonymous for me in this case. ESI Money has written a lot about the same subject. You two are the minority.

    Both of you are examples of how to achieve financial independence and the option for early retirement while excelling and growing your incomes in the traditional “work for someone else” job market.

    Doing more than asked, not asking someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself seems like a lost art these days.

    Well done, my friend!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Yeah as I stated in previous posts, I didn’t mind much of my career, I actually loved it for a few years when I was on a kick-ass team. But management was forced upon me and that’s when things started turning south. But there’s still something to be said for a good job on a good team with good benefits. I appreciate the kudos!

  3. xrayvsn says:

    Wise words to live by. If you stand out and do things better you will be on the short track for advancement

  4. PFI says:

    Great list! I’ve had a similar experience working in public education even after choosing to leave a more lucrative career track.

    Your “Be kind to everyone” tip is really important and so few people think about it. I’ve been in so many environments where the social groups just complain and tear down other people. I even fell into the trap when younger. But it’s an unproductive and unhappy way to go. People notice those who don’t get drawn in and instead focus on making things better.

  5. Words of wisdom, Dave. I’d add one thing to “Be nice to everyone”…you never know who might be your next boss. I hope many who are climbing the ladder read your advice. From my experience (I was also a fast climber) it’s spot on.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I actually had it in there as “be kind to everyone”, but perhaps you’re insinuating that ‘nice’ and ‘kind’ are different. Now I’m wondering if I did it wrong!!

      😉 Thanks for stopping by dude!

  6. ” Be kind to everyone. This can indeed be hard. There’s lots of unkind people out there in the workplace. Do your best to not reciprocate.” A-freaking-men! Great post! I really especially liked never stop learning. You NEVER know where that extra skillset can take you!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I have a shirt that says “Collect skills not stuff”. Not sure who coined it but I love it

  7. drmcfrugal says:

    All great tips. I’ve definitely used some of these to get ahead and earn more in my profession.

  8. i have never been a climber. i just couldn’t pretend to be what my big conglomerate seems to value. there was one small company i worked for where i really showed them something and solved a couple of hard problems. they offered a promotion to keep me but mrs. smidlap won out and i moved. it probably saved me from certain levels of heavy metal poisoning from handling silver compounds all day for years so it was still a win without the promotion. even though i didn’t move up those are all very sound tips for getting ahead. i think i would add to look for the latest buzzy acronyms in the jobs above you and acquire those chips. it doesn’t matter if you think those six sigma belts are useless b.s in most instances. if that’s what it takes get one next to your name.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I hear ya, they kinda forced me into management. And great advice on the buzzy stuff, we have lean six-sigma training but I was already too jaded by management by then to care. But good advice if you’re still climbing the ladder and care.

  9. Abigail @ipickuppennies.net says:

    There’s nowhere for me to move up in my current position, but I’ve more than doubled my salary over the years simply by working harder than my colleague (yes, singular — it’s a small company). I care about giving customers more than just the most basic replies (when applicable), and I will go the extra mile when the opportunity arises. It seems to show because my boss loves me and keeps giving me raises.

  10. Katie Camel says:

    Where I currently work, I can earn more by picking up extra hours, but there’s not as much room for “getting ahead,” since there are limited management roles. I don’t care to be in management anyway – I left corporate America for that reason. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is attitude. With the right attitude, almost anyone can get ahead. How you view your role and others helps determine your outcome. If you don’t care about what you’re doing or what others are trying to achieve, it’s hard to find success. A willingness to jump in and help others – another form of being nice to others – often helps in climbing that ladder too. People like team players, especially ones with a positive attitude. But, yeah, great point about how important it is to increase income because there’s a limit to how much you can reduce spending.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Wise choice Katie, stay out of management. That’s what started my decline at my job and my desire to get out. And soooo true, jumping in to lend a hand never goes over poorly and always makes allies.

  11. Steveark says:

    Those are very good, especially being kind. Even though I am crazy competitive I never tried to get ahead by tearing someone else down. I always took the high road, and while it cost me sometimes in the short run, in the end I became the boss because my coworkers liked me and trusted me because they saw I never took advantage and always gave everyone credit for their work, and usually for some of mine too. Now that I’m retired I get stopped all the time by people thanking me for how I treated them, its a pretty satisfying way to look back at that phase of my life!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Sounds like you were the guy to work for, and a great manager. And I should have added that one – “Never take credit if you can legitimately give it to someone else”

  12. keepingupwiththebulls says:

    This is a great list! I would add too to the professional network how important it is to have mentors and sponsors. I’ve found a lot of my success getting ahead has been my network advocating for me in meetings I haven’t been in and subsequently getting offered a new opportunity or new projects to be a part of.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Yes, great add. I’ve had a few awesome mentors and have been honored that a few folks have asked me to be a mentor as well. It’s a role I do really like, although I might tell them to go for FI and consider scaling back 😉

  13. Rachel says:

    Great article, lots of great points. My very favorite line, though, “it’s not rocket surgery.” Great line, I have been chuckling for hours!

  14. Travelin'Dad says:

    Those are some useful tips and I will put them into practice. For me, some things that have helped me advance have included:

    – Being open to tackling projects no one else wants to touch with a ten-foot pole
    – Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of unanticipated problems and setbacks
    – Focusing on doing what is right, despite the financial costs
    – Being respectful of co-workers without trying to be everyone’s close, personal, weekend friend
    – Not being afraid to make a decision on my own authority
    – Avoiding the creation of new committees and new weekly meetings at all costs

  15. And all of these are SO much easier when you enjoy your job. If you hate, or just somewhat dislike it, it’s a heck of a lot harder to go above and beyond.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      VERY true Angela. Once the dischord or disappointment starts in a job these are indeed hard to stick to, some more than others of course.

  16. Great tips on how to get ahead professionally.

    How about taking ownership of your role and treating the employer company as if you own it. Have the owner’s mindset. Just caring and taking ownership go a long way in everything you do for the company and can separate you from the pack.

  17. Mr. Tako says:

    Great list of ways to excel at a job, but I have to emphasize that if you can’t save most of that higher income you’re not really better off.

    Many of the super hard workers I’ve know had a “earn more” mentality, and then over compensate and waste all their earnings on fancy cars, drinking, abusing other substances, expensive vacations, and so forth. All in the name of “blowing off steam”.

    When I’d ask those friends about their saving they’d always tell me, “It doesn’t matter, I can always earn more.”

    Uh huh…right!

    That high income is only going to last so long… until a young kid comes along that’s smarter and can work harder. Either that, or the work-horse is going to die in the field pulling the plow.

    Remember to save it folks!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      So so true Tako! Excelling and getting promoted is worthless if only used to buy more stuff and thus work more to keep the stuff up.

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