> I watched the clock carefully made sure I was out of there the minute my shift finished.
Fulfilling your contractual obligations is not a sign of a worker who is just "getting on by", it's a sign they have other interests or ventures outside of the workplace.
This is why our industry is so fucked up with this bullshit "doing overtime means you're COMMITTED" attitude.
I agree re: the attitude towards overtime. Especially if the overtime is not particularly productive. Or if you're working overtime because the "regular" time is not particularly productive. If I deliver a better product/serice in my regular hours than someone else who's working OT, it makes no sense for the person working OT to be viewed more favorably than I.
But I also agree that in any job, no matter how mundane, if you try to learn and improve, it makes the job infinitely more bearable - though I wouldn't go so far as to say you can always make it "fun".
You got caught up on one line in the article and completely missed the entire point.
The article is a lesson in self-empowerment. It contains the truth that what you're doing in your employment can be even more for yourself than your employer if you adopt the necessary atitude.
He didn't say anything about not having other interests or ventures. You put that in there because of your preconceptions.
Learning that atitude was something I at least partly could control in my life was very important in my overall personal development.
going above and beyond for your employer it will help you out?
Yes. You learn your limits. You make time go by more quickly by being an active participant. You develop disciplines that can help you out in many contexts. You keep your mind active by DOING things rather than just watching the clock waiting for your shift to end. You make yourself more valued which can help you get that pay raise or promotion. You establish a reputation for being solid, which makes your future job searches a hell of a lot easier.
Look, you're going to be working your job anyway. You might as well do it well, make the time go by quickly, and help yourself along the way.
If you are doing 40 hours in a lot of places it means you slack. I also see recommendation on HN for things like "if your company is switching to a framework you don't know you should spend nights and weekends studying it". How about no? Each hour I spend the less money I make for my time. I have other things I like in life and work serves to allow me to do those.
Fulfilling your contractual obligations is not a sign of a worker who is just "getting on by", it's a sign they have other interests or ventures outside of the workplace.
This is why our industry is so fucked up with this bullshit "doing overtime means you're COMMITTED" attitude.