I used to think doing more than was asked of me would mean something. That if I stayed late and kept quiet when I was treated unfairly, it would pay off somehow.
Nope It doesn’t.
No one remembers the hours you gave up, only that you’re available to give up more. Most bosses don't keep track of your sacrifices to reward you later. Truth is the system is designed so that if you can handle more work they’ll give you more work, not more money or more freedom.
The reason for that is you’re not being paid for effort, you’re being paid for output, and even then the value of that output is decided by someone who has every reason to keep it as low as possible. If you double your effort, your pay stays the same because the contract you signed doesn’t change every time you push yourself harder.
Promotions are not tied to fairness, they’re tied to what benefits the company.
If you’re too good at your current role, they might keep you there longer because replacing you costs money. I’ve seen people train new hires for months only to watch those hires get promoted over them because they were cheaper to move around.
Plus, I want you to consider the fact that your life outside work doesn’t pause while you’re proving how "dedicated" you are. The time you give away isn’t coming back when you finally take a vacation.
No one tells you that loyalty to a job in most cases only goes one way because most people don’t notice it until they’re fired or replaced. Companies restructure every day and entire teams are let go without warning, so remember that all that extra energy you poured in makes no difference when it happens.
You’re told to work hard because the company benefits when you believe effort equals security.
I don't think it to be so, you’re secure only as long as you’re useful, and usefulness is decided by numbers you don’t control. Once you understand that, it’s hard to see a reason to give them more than the exact work they pay you for.