I'm on the tail end of my career (hopefully), so I can share some unsolicited advice for younger workers. 1. Remember who you work for. Yourself. Not your boss

I'm on the tail end of my career (hopefully), so I can share some unsolicited advice for younger workers. 1. Remember who you work for. Yourself. Not your boss, not your grandpa who always wanted you to become a writer. You only have so many breaths before you get your ticket punched, so make them count. 2. Don't seek work as something you should love. Those should be your loved ones, and hobbies etc that stimulate you. Sure there's a small minority who get to do what they love, but over time love can turn to disgust. 3. When starting a job, figure out the organization's incentives. Some orgs want change, some will fight any change. Figure out what the org wants and your life will be much easier. My job is like the Maytag repairman, kind of waiting for stuff to break. I refer to it as being a digital janitor. 4. Nothing you build digitally will last. Hell, between linkrot, bitrot, and the heat death of the universe, nothing lasts. So don't expect what you've built to last, or to hold value. It'll all be re-factored/re-engineered/re-architected and become obsolete. 5. Large organizations are toxic and often sociopathic. So are small orgs. If you can find a way to start your own business, try to avoid becoming that way. Good luck, most businesses either fail or become that way. But at least you have more choice in the matter. 6. Find a mentor (sometimes referred to as a rabbi) who can provide guidance to you when times get tough. Don't choose a rabbi from your reporting chain. You will find yourself adopting a worldview that might not be aligned to your own interests (in other words, the bastards will manipulate you). This rabbi can be a friend, or just someone you vibe with. Be careful in choosing your rabbi, and take care of this relationship. 7. Illegitmi Non Carborundum