No one said anything about "sucking up" to your manager at all. In fact, my interpretation of the parent was more akin to making sure that you can have open, tw

No one said anything about "sucking up" to your manager at all. In fact, my interpretation of the parent was more akin to making sure that you can have open, two-way communication with your manager, so that they understand the importance of the work you are doing. A bad manager (or one that simply doesn't see eye-to-eye with you) can ruin an otherwise fulfilling job, no matter what you do.