For me:
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you work, your going to get laid off either way.
Just showing up can sometimes make the difference.
Your not paid to be a software developer. Your being paid to be a problem solver.
Being right doesn’t matter if you can’t convince others.
Also that the best way to convince others that your ideas should be done is to make them think it is their idea. Worrying about getting credit works against getting things done.
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.
And then you get laid off. 🪿
You can’t go in and give 100% every day. You will burn out. Give 70% regularly. Only give 100% when shit really hits the fan. People will think you are a miracle worker.
Plus, companies will abuse you.
Not even companies, other coworkers or your manager
These are my grandfather’s words not mine: no matter how much of an idiot your boss is, he is still your boss
People are really fucking stupid. I work in IT. I’m a helpdesk tech at an MSP, and I see profound idiocy all day every day. People have no critical thinking skill and seem proud of the fact they don’t know shit about anything. People young and old say they’re tech illiterate like it’s a good thing.
The informatics nurse took a second to register that I was just gonna give her the IP address to remote in. She had this whole spiel ready ready to walk me through finding the device number (that wore off years before I even started). I was like girl I have the network settings open do you just want the IP address I just need you to make the new EPIC update behave let’s get to it.
I wish every user was as good as you. The best users that I’ve encountered are my immediate family. I’ve trained them up over years and when they need my help, it’s not a nightmare lol
It usually doesn’t need to be perfect, good enough is often good enough and can be a lot faster where trying for perfection might not get finished in time.
Your boss’s priorities are your priorities.
Join a union the first chance you get, they exist to fight against HR, and to fuck over the company if they try to fuck you over
Somehow, I’ve got HR fighting for me. What a great country to live in.
You can get away with a LOT if you keep people up to date with what you’re doing
If only I’d think of that while doing it.
It’s usually a “This will take 20min or so” and turns into an “I know I am 3 hours into that but I know I am close to fixing it for good!”
But you can get away with the 3 hours on a 20 mins task, if you detail exactly what’s happening with a check-in every now and again, that’s what I mean.
If I would remember doing that! Yeah, sure.
Hard skills are important for doing the underlying job, but soft skills matter more if you want to progress in the career as well as financially.
You could be the smartest person alive, but if you don’t communicate effectively and play nice with others you’re almost useless.
Never try and improve things, specifically things having to do with how your job, group, division, it whatever works. Don’t try and improve efficiency, optimize workflow, or anything like that. Just do what you’re paid to and nothing more. If the company wants things to be more efficient then they can have your boss figure it out on their own. If they don’t punish you for trying them they won’t reward you for success, so don’t bother. Going above and beyond never works out.
Bullies go unpunished by corporate unless it’s overtly sexual or racist in nature. If you stick your neck out to defend someone getting bullied the company and the victim will leave you hanging in the future when the unpunished bully turns on you next. HR are soulless husks.
No matter what, under no circumstances should you ever believe the company or place you work for will back you up.
If a company was placed in a situation where they can get rid of you for any reason, they will and they will do it as fast as possible.
Even if you believe you are irreplaceable, a company will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get you out of the equation.
Even if you have been with the company for 20+ years, if the company sees a way to save a hundred bucks by getting rid of you, they will.
Even if you and your boss and their bosses are buddy buddy and they are the godparent to your child and if you donated them a kidney, they will replace you.
Even if you show that you work the most, bring in the most sales, work the longest, get paid the least, and do work so everyone can slack off, they will replace you.
Also HR is never there for you. It is there to protect the company first and foremost. If you go to them for any reason, you are on a list to be the first to go.
Even if you ARE irreplaceable and crucial to success, the company will only realize it a month after you’re gone.
Even if you ARE irreplaceable and crucial to success, the company will only realize it a month after you’re gone.
So true.
But it is still fucking hilarious, to watch go down.
Pro tip: Make sure some colleagues have your contact info, so you can enjoy the news right away when your former boss gets fired for incompetence. It doesn’t fix anything, but it feels nice.
I remember reading of the lady who donated her kidney to get boss and then got fired
HR protects and represents the company, not you as an employee.
Don’t touch liquid nitrogen with your bare hands.
Don’t touch glowing metal with your bare hands.
Don’t touch exposed wire with your bare hands.
Spending your own money on super high quality gloves is absolutely worth it.
Stupid no fun allowed lessons, next you’re going to tell me I can’t feed the lions dressed in a zebra costume
Do NOT let people walk over you. Especially collegues. Especially collegues who have a history














