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Not that I endorse this, but this seems the wrong way to do this. Take one job and do well at it. Get a reputation that you don't need to be managed. Work ha

Not that I endorse this, but this seems the wrong way to do this. Take one job and do well at it. Get a reputation that you don't need to be managed. Work hard. Identify a niche for work that needs to be done but is currently underserved. Take over some of that niche while telling everyone how hard it is. In reality the niche takes 20 or fewer hours a week. Get the second job lined up. Take some vacation from the first and come out the gate hard at the second job. Attempt to more or less repeat what you did. If you can get yourself setup on the right little niches you could probably keep three or four jobs going. If you are just kind of jelly fishing along though eventually people will notice how all the other juniors in the same surface area out perform you. You want to be the person who went off, slew some dragons in a specific area, and we need to keep this person around to ensure the dragons don't repopulate. I basically get promoted doing that. Of course I'm using my spare hours to go help other people in the org, build relationships, get noticed, etc. All while having an easily defended core area to handle. Just do that but collect other jobs instead of promotions.

throwaway1492 5y ago
This is basically how I did it. Max for me was three jobs. I started pre pandemic. I was thoroughly burned out after five years. Took a break before getting back in. I could retire, but keep working for healthcare and the lulz. (One job) There are a lot orgs out there where if you can spell java, your golden.
actually_a_dog 5y ago
Not that I particularly endorse this practice, either, but your way wouldn't work. You're missing the part where the reward for hard work is more hard work. You definitely can get promoted this way, but, you can't really use it to maintain a whole other job, IMO.
- ucm_edge 5y ago
  That's why I said you define the niche and overstate its work. You work hard and build trust and then yes if you ask for more work, you get more work. However there is a window in which to define what you do next and make it seem like more work than it really is.
  - actually_a_dog 5y ago
    I don't really understand what you're saying. Is it that you need to say "I'm really only capable at $THING, but $THING is very, very important/takes 2x more time than I'm actually saying it does?" If so, I don't understand how you hope to BS all your managers and coworkers into believing either of those things.

throwaway1492 5y ago

This is basically how I did it. Max for me was three jobs. I started pre pandemic. I was thoroughly burned out after five years. Took a break before getting back in. I could retire, but keep working for healthcare and the lulz. (One job) There are a lot orgs out there where if you can spell java, your golden.

actually_a_dog 5y ago

Not that I particularly endorse this practice, either, but your way wouldn't work. You're missing the part where the reward for hard work is more hard work. You definitely can get promoted this way, but, you can't really use it to maintain a whole other job, IMO.

ucm_edge 5y ago
That's why I said you define the niche and overstate its work. You work hard and build trust and then yes if you ask for more work, you get more work. However there is a window in which to define what you do next and make it seem like more work than it really is.
- actually_a_dog 5y ago
  I don't really understand what you're saying. Is it that you need to say "I'm really only capable at $THING, but $THING is very, very important/takes 2x more time than I'm actually saying it does?" If so, I don't understand how you hope to BS all your managers and coworkers into believing either of those things.