The importance of job reputation
moneyrelations :: Jan.30.2008
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I ran into a college classmate a couple of days ago and we shot the breeze on current news. He told me he recently received a job promotion and a raise in salary. Being in the same field, I can ballpark what he’s getting. It kind of surprised me. Smart guy that he is, he hadn’t been compensated properly in my opinion.
Or maybe I’m just over-payed…
Whenever I go into this line of thinking, my friends and family always tell me that it’s the organization’s decision whether I’m worth it or not. Apparently I am, since I make performance bonuses each year or I get some other kind of recognition award.
But what I think really helps is that my reputation precedes me. And people value that reputation.
When I was in high school, I was in enrichment classes. From what I remember, we were the laziest bunch of students ever. We’d rarely do our homework. Why? Because we had the reputation that we would cram the night before and come through at exam time. Compare this to the brow beating the “normal” classes got and homework check everyday. We took the same exams but we got the breaks. How fair is that? It was a lesson but in more ways than one.
And in college, I’d be minding my own business sitting in a middle row (not in the front with the keeners nor in the back with the sleep deprived). I’d get singled out by other students. I seriously hope it wasn’t because I was giving off the NERD vibe.
Even though I have the intellectual capacity for most things, I have to work hard at it. Nothing comes naturally for me. So imagine my surprise when others asked me to tutor them - even though I was just as clueless, learning as we went along. Heck, maybe it was because I was one of the few girls in the male dominated courses but I was friendly and approachable to both the girls and the guys. Word got out and I ended up getting paid for tutoring logic circuits and assembly language. Another lesson learned.
Fast forward to the present. At work, people know they can get a quick answer from me. They often bypass the normal chain of command and if within reason, I get things done for them. And frankly, my supervisor is just happy he doesn’t have to deal with it. In meetings, I’m always prepared and well-read on subjects. I don’t waste anyone’s time.
By doing these little things, people give me the benefit of the doubt on the timeline of the more important projects. As the examples above show, I’m neither that hardworking nor am I the brightest. But people value the reputation of helpful efficiency. It literally pays.
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Mariam,
This is this side of you I have been waiting for..
I can relate to a lot of this, and as you know this is just scratching the surface as you don’t won’t it to come across the wrong way.. good job… You would be hired and promoted in my company straight away and still get the freedom to be a thought leader while the soldiers do the work… but that’s another chapter.
Thanks, Paul.
That’s kind of surprising as seeing you work in Japan, where I would assume hard work is valued.
And you’re right, I didn’t want the post to come off as goof off and you’ll get rewarded. The point is to maximize the effects of your efforts. 80-20 rule, right?
You got it…, at the moment for me, 20% of the people do 80% of the work
but at least they know who the 20% are 
Don’t get “hard work” and “long hours at work” confused, Japan has been surprised me in more ways than one.
Do you mean “your reputation”?
I agree with your arguments. A reputation for efficiency and dependability is worth more than a pile of paper qualifications.
This is a very positive post, and I am glad to hear that these skills are valued in the field you are in. I am frustrated continually in my field by the perception of reputation which can be so easily misconceived. I have seen several examples where people assume quality because of company size or paper qualifications rather than proof/references or where the ability to talk the loudest and dominate the crowds is mistaken for skill. Because I am not naturally exuberant or dominant I worry my skills and abilities get overlooked - even when my paper qualifications exceed those of others several times over and I have the results to back me up. It is something I work on constantly though, and I like your straightforward approach.
Reputation is extremely important. I know in high school our reputation shapes the kind of attitude we get from the teacher and it applies in the job world, too.
@ Paul
OOoh, that sounds bad. I despise pointlessly long hours. And don’t tell me it’s because of company bonding at some bar
I’d hate that. The sooner I get back to my own life, the better.
@ Fathersez, WW, and Selene
Hey, thanks for dropping by, folks.
I think all your comments reinforce the importance of soft skills.
Fathersez, I often wonder what drives someone to mold a reputation. Is it because folks who lack paper qualifications are forced to develop marketing skills? I don’t consciously work on it. It’s more of a “don’t be an ass” attitude
WW, I hear you about not being dominant or exuberant. I’m really low key but when I first got my job, I asked to renegotiate my salary, lol. I made really sure they knew what type of a mess I inherited when I first came in. I actually got 5 weeks of extra vacation because of overtime that I got while taking over a project. So I guess I set my reputation really early without even realizing it… Looking back, it might have been a bad idea to charge for overtime as I should have been worrying about making a good impression but it set the tone that I shouldn’t be taken for granted… Walk the talk and be able to back it up… And it’s amazing how far your mark can take you.
Selene, I used to help friends with their homework in high school. Er, in fact, I wrote some of their papers for them. It always amazed me what marks they got. With some papers, I thought it was my best work but they still came back with a B. My own stuff I submitted I got an A. I seriously think teachers pigeon hole you from the beginning - especially for the artsy subjects.
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interesting post with lots of great comments!
Thanks, CS
Welcome back to the blogging scene
Mariam, I am 100% running home as early as possible for your exact reason. Generally it’s a 5:05pm finish to catch the bus, but lately it’s been 10:30pm meeting finishes. Good with the bad, dinner at midnight getting ready for a 6:00am jump out of bed start gets a bit tiring though.
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