Last time I talked about university. Scrap education ideals. The university of today trains you for work.

Let’s talk about work.

It’s the exact same problem, but now it’s about your salary, not your grades. There’s a fundamental difference: You are making money for someone else.

Now when you really put effort into work, you are not even getting good grades (the promise for a good job) for it. You are getting your salary. If you are lucky, a bonus. But let’s be real:

The new ceiling is your paycheck. Working 120% does not get you 120% of your paycheck. Doing that extra work that is not in your contract is analogue to the misplaced effort in university: You can spend weeks on a quality project that you know is good, but your boss’s priority was just hitting basic KPIs. Your good work is wasted time you could have spent improving a metric set by someone else.

At least university prepared you for exactly that, right? The specific work you were asked for.

But then why, oh god why, do we always read about „quiet quitting“ and „nobody wants to work anymore“? Pressure to keep you on your toes, compliant, anticipating getting fired any day now? Maybe.

But I do not think it changes the choices we have. Namely those three, as far as I can see:

The famous quiet quitting. Also known as the bare minimum. Also the work you were literally hired for. Do enough not to get fired. It is a logical, maybe cynical response. It is unfulfilling, and if you are the type of person without hobbies it is not a good recommendation for you. If you do have hobbies, a good private life, friends… go for it. You will suddenly have so much more energy if you leave your job thoughts at your job place!

Of course you might be a workaholic. Or a gambler. Or both. Everyone has an addiction, right? Go above and beyond. Work those 120% and hope your boss is one of those 12/10 types who notices your effort and decides to reward you out of the blue with a promotion or a bonus. But it is on your boss to do this, on their good will. And in all my years in university, this 12/10 thing happened only once.

The last option is to be Machiavellian and a strategic builder. Fulfill your contract. Do a solid 100% of the work you are paid to do. Reliable, but never more. Consciously cap your effort. Save that effort, those extra 20% and invest into yourself. Because you are the only person that actually values that and future you will pay you back. Do side projects. Certifications, if your country loves them. Use your time to apply for a better job that pays more.

Because:

You don’t owe the company. And if you dont own a company, this third option is the only one that feels like a real answer to me. Build that github. Do your passion project. Monetize job-adjacent stuff. But leave your free time free time and don’t hustle. That free time is too valuable for the last topic, friendships.

Until next time! And if you are a friend of mine, please don’t judge me too harshly on this…