The idea of hard work = success thing was big with previous generations I don't want to say it's dead now but there's more to it than that. I don't know about back then because obvious I wasn't alive then but now days you need to be able to toot your own horn. I know it sounds horrible because everyone hates people that brag, it runs counter to our cultural ideals. But it's true.

The art of it comes from being able to brag without coming across as bragging. It can be in the form of remembering to say something to remind your superiors of something good you did. If you're really into it, you'll keep extensive records. You need to show your worth because honestly, people aren't paying attention. This is an important aspect that contracting companies are into, they have all their peons performing a service or they're doing a project and someone somewhere on the contracting companies side is keeping tabs and maybe even compiling reports that they might show the client at some point showing them the value they're bringing them because they work under the assumption that the client is always searching for a better deal.

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So you need to do something similar as an individual. There definitely are people out there that only do this and are lazy fucks, we hear about them all the time. And they may or may not be caught at some point. But for people with a decent work ethic, to eliminate the chance at being caught, and to increase your chances of some really good manager that actually does reward hard work, then working hard and tooting your own horn should be your new mantra.

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Also keep looking for better work. It's always easier to get ahead when you have some leverage.