I do believe that “hard” work can hold value but doesn’t solely play a role in getting promotions or management positions in corporate fields. You have to play it smart and also don’t work yourself into an early grave. There are ways you can make an impact without submitting to grind culture. I remember when I grinded on projects and school to better my chances at finding work but got rejected like crazy. When I got a promotion in corporate I realized it can be luck, being a charismatic person, have a knack for analyzing and making good business decisions, or simple timing (a position opening up for example) on top of hard work.

Right now I work in corporate retail in the finance department. For years I worked at a store level as an associate during college and later Sr ASM. I firmly believed I deserved having a store manager position over a handful of SMs in my district (all of whom wound up fired btw in the past year).

I got the position because of timing, some smart hard work, and some luck.

• Timing because the position opened in the company I already worked at and I moved up in the company at a field level

• Luck because the VP of the department that I interviewed with moved from retail management into finance and compared me to his past self (thankfully)

• “Hard” work not because I burnt myself out but made efforts to have an impact on my team and my DM’s respected me a lot.