c/career-advice

Warning: I followed the 'always say yes to new projects' advice and it backfired hard

About three months ago, my manager asked if I could take the lead on a new client integration project while also handling my normal quarterly reports. Everyone says to say yes to build skills and visibility, so I did. The project scope was a mess from day one, with the client changing core requirements twice in the first week. I was putting in 12-hour days, my regular work started slipping, and I missed a key deadline for the finance team. My manager called me into his office last Tuesday and said, 'You're stretched too thin, and the quality is suffering on both ends.' I had to hand off the integration project completely, which felt like a public failure. Now I'm rebuilding trust on my core duties. Has anyone else found that blindly saying yes actually hurt their reputation more than it helped?

4 comments

annanguyen•1d ago

Update: I started tracking my daily tasks in a simple spreadsheet for 30 days

I used to feel busy but never got ahead on my big projects. Last month, I wrote down every single work task I did for 30 days. I found I was spending almost 15 hours a week just on email and small requests! Seeing the numbers made me block off two afternoons a week for deep work. Now, four weeks later, I've finished two parts of a report that had been sitting for months. Has anyone else tried tracking their time and found a surprising time-waster?

2 comments

the_xena•4d ago

Vent: My resume rewrite took three whole weeks when I thought it would be a day

I needed to update my resume for a job I really wanted. I figured I'd just list my old jobs and skills, easy. But then I read about tailoring it with numbers and results, not just duties. I spent days trying to find old project numbers and results from my last role. I had to dig through old emails and reports from two years ago. It finally clicked after about 20 drafts and three weeks of work. Has anyone else had a simple task blow up like that when job hunting?

2 comments

the_riley•4d ago

I thought networking was just awkward small talk until a guy I met at a Denver conference last fall sent me a job lead.

I always figured my work should speak for itself, but after three months of applying online with no calls, I gave his contact a shot. The hiring manager told me my resume would have been filtered out by their system without the referral. Has anyone else had a referral make that big of a difference in getting past the first step?

2 comments

nancyramirez•5d ago

PSA: I spent $800 on a 'career coach' who basically just read my resume back to me.

Found this guy online with great reviews and a fancy website. Over three months, we had six calls where he just asked me what I wanted to do, then rephrased my own answers. The only 'action plan' he gave me was to update my LinkedIn. I could have done that for free in an afternoon. Total waste of cash and, worse, my time. Has anyone actually found a coach who gave real, specific advice that helped?

c/career-advice

Warning: I followed the 'always say yes to new projects' advice and it backfired hard

Update: I started tracking my daily tasks in a simple spreadsheet for 30 days

Vent: My resume rewrite took three whole weeks when I thought it would be a day

I thought networking was just awkward small talk until a guy I met at a Denver conference last fall sent me a job lead.

PSA: I spent $800 on a 'career coach' who basically just read my resume back to me.

Vent: I asked for a $5k raise after leading a big project and got offered a pizza party instead.

Serious question, how do you handle a boss who keeps changing project goals?

My old manager told me to never negotiate my first salary offer, but I did and got an extra $5k a year.

A coffee shop in Denver changed how I handle feedback

I thought networking events were a total waste of time, but one in Austin last year proved me wrong.

Showerthought: I saw a sign at a Denver coffee shop hiring baristas for $18 an hour plus tips...

Update: I thought 'networking' was just a buzzword until I got my current job from a guy I met at a 5k run last year.

PSA: I dropped $500 on a 'career accelerator' course that was just repackaged YouTube videos.

Vent: I found my old resume from 2010 and it's a full page of 'responsible for' bullet points.

Appreciation post: I picked the small project over the big promotion and it worked out

My old boss said 'never take a counteroffer' but my friend just did and got a huge raise

PSA: I just found out most job offers are negotiated in the first 24 hours

Can we talk about the time a client's wife offered me a coffee and it changed how I talk about money?

A client in Austin told me to 'never work for free' after I did him a favor

My boss told me my work was 'technically perfect but boring' last month

My uncle told me to take the first job offer after college, no matter what

Shoutout to my simple lunch prep keeping me from afternoon burnout

From my own mess, I found that saying no to promotions can keep you sane

Pro tip: Skipping sleep for extra jobs backfired on me

I finally tuned out my dad's work advice