Why should I ever go "ABOVE and BEYOND" what my job duties entail?

[roodd279]

Doing your very best and making the best effort you can make is not "above and beyond." It's the bare minimum.


It differentiates you from the rest, either by ability or by attitude. So let's assume you're already doing that part.


So your question is about time - how much extra? If it's essential - like working a late night or a Saturday would change a failure into a success - then that will be noticed. Maybe you'll be rewarded, maybe not, but at least you'll know it wasn't your fault when things go belly up.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by LarsMac

Well, sure, on occasion, you have to deal with a little boring. But you don't have to make a career of it.

That's right, and a good reason to go above and beyond, increasing your chances for different, more interesting assignments, and promotions. I stayed at the same employer for 17 years, with 5 promotions over that time. Currently going on 11 years with 2 promotions. Staying too long in the same position is what becomes boring unless it's a really interesting, challenging job, which is rare.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by mikeyking

True, but employers have a habit of letting people work overtime for free, even miss vacations, be on call all the time etc and then they will turn around to the employee and tell them that what there doing is nothing special and just within duties of the job.

Therefore if they want to employee to go above their duties there needs to a definition of that particular to the job their doing.

The problem is Employers change the rules constantly, and whilst you might think your going above beyond your duties, you may not be or the Employer may not want to give you more money.

What you're describing is simply being taken advantage of.

IMO - "above and beyond" is a relative term. As with any work related adjective you can throw out there - motivated, expert, lazy, laid back, etc.

In that sense - you can't really "baseline" these things like "if you do x, then you are considered above and beyond". Or if you do Y, then you are considered "highly motivated". Just like a rating system is relative. For many managers - on a scale of 1-5, doing your job perfectly is considered a 5. But to others, it's a 3. After all, aren't you just doing your job? Of course, this reflects more on the ineffectiveness of these ratings.

To me - this is more of a self reflective or personality trait. We all have worked with these people. They always seem to go that extra mile. Do things that you don't expect. The fast food cashier that remembers every repeat customer's name. The bank manager that stayed behind and helped a customer fix a flat in the parking lot, etc.

[Meemur]

Two jobs ago, I worked in at a place where employees were supposed to spend weekends volunteering at things like Habitat for Humanity, Race for the Cure, and other causes that the CEO's wife was into. You weren't considered a team player if you didn't, but there was zero money or other compensation. I saw that early on (too much like earlier jobs) and took a weekend job, stashing the bulk of that money into index funds for my retirement.

That was an insanely smart move. About five years into that job, the CEO got divorced and canned soon after that! Instead of nothing to show, I had a nice retirement account started.

The new management was also into volunteering but much different causes, things like the art and food fairs.

I admit that I got suckered into working at our booth at the state fair, but at least they did pay for parking and gave us lunch passes for the fair staff cafeteria.

[jmp61616]

I never saw anybody really getting ahead by going "above and beyond" - I saw lots of people get ahead by other means. Like sleeping with the boss, endless ass kissing, informing on "disloyal" employees - I even saw a guy get a promotion by bailing the boss out of jail on a DUI. You really have to work awhile, and in multiple places before you get the real jaded view of working.