An Employee Watched His “Lazy” Coworkers Crush Their Workload and Land High-Paying New Jobs—While He Worked Twice as Hard and Got Stuck
Magnific/Reddit
Some people seem to take a more relaxed approach to work but still manage to get ahead.
This employee has noticed a pattern among laid-back coworkers who seem to succeed easily in the workplace. Despite their casual attitude, they often finish their tasks quickly and perform well in interviews. They also manage to quickly find new opportunities.
This is one of those workplace situations where someone’s personality doesn’t always reflect how capable they are at their job. Read the full story below and see if you agree.
Why do people who don’t act seriously get accepted into jobs so easily?
I’ve started noticing a strange pattern lately.
In a lot of workplaces, especially in software and IT positions, there are always laid-back people who don’t seem like they treat work as a major responsibility.
And they spend a lot of time laughing or joking around with their coworkers.
The strange thing is that these same people often do very well in interviews and get accepted without much struggle.
This man noticed that these employees can just relax and chat with coworkers and don’t get in trouble.
The part that confuses me is that these people, who aren’t in positions higher than mine, still finish their tasks, and afterward can sit and watch videos, chat, or take long breaks.
No one says anything to them. They also aren’t serious in standups or planning calls.
They interrupt with silly comments and laugh, while everyone else is trying to discuss deadlines and project issues.
And no, I personally don’t enjoy being around them. Sometimes they act arrogantly, take up more space than necessary in the office or on chat.
And honestly, they can come across as self-centered.
He felt like he needed to work three times as hard just to find the right job for them.
If I acted like that, I’m almost certain people would call me unprofessional or say that I don’t care about work.
I always feel like I have to work three times as hard for people to take me seriously, and even then, getting interviews or offers isn’t easy for me.
But somehow, these people can leave one company and find another role in ten days as if it’s nothing.
It makes me wonder whether there’s something I’m not seeing.
Maybe social skill, confidence, or some hidden advantage that lets them move so easily from place to place, even though they don’t seem serious at all.
He thinks presenting themselves at work is an important skill to learn.
Perhaps the difference isn’t always how serious someone is about their work, but rather how adept they are at presenting themselves in important situations.
Interviewing is a completely different skill from performing the job itself.
And I’ve often discovered that some people use interview apps to reduce stress, allow you to communicate your experience more effectively, and increase your chances of being hired.
OP’s observation has some truth to it. In some workplaces, the best employee isn’t always the one who appears the most serious or works the longest hours. I agree that communication and confidence can also make a difference, especially when it comes to interviews and building relationships at work.
Let’s check out the comments of other online users on this story.
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Plain and simple.
This one makes a good point.
Another honest opinion.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who got the perfect revenge after being told he can’t work from home.
This user chimes in.
And lastly, this makes sense too.
Working hard isn’t the only way to get ahead at work.
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