Seriously, cut out the constant overtime if you value your career.

I used to work late hours every day believing it proved my commitment. My energy crashed and my tasks took longer because I was exhausted. I made a rule to finish work at 5 PM no matter what. After a few weeks, I completed more during normal hours with better focus. My manager commented on my sharper reports and timely deliveries. Now I sleep well and have a life outside the office, which boosts my job performance. Don't let overtime wreck your health and work output like it did for me.

2 comments

2 Comments

nelson.dakota2d ago

Finishing at 5 PM no matter what sounds great in a perfect world. But in mine, if a client's system goes down at 4:45, I can't just walk out the door and say "sorry, see you tomorrow." Sometimes the job needs to get done, and being the person who stays to fix it is what builds real trust and gets you the big projects later. Your plan only works if nothing ever catches fire at the last minute.

willow_ellis92d ago

But how often does that actually happen versus just becoming the default person who's expected to stay late? Is getting the "big projects later" a sure thing, or does it sometimes just mean you get more last-minute fires without more pay?