I realized promotions don’t always go to the most capable person. Sometimes it’s the person who speaks up more. Sometimes it’s the one management already likes. Sometimes it’s just timing, politics, or who’s visible not who’s actually carrying the workload.

It’s frustrating, but it also teaches you that being good at your job and being noticed for your job are two different things.

Have you ever seen someone get promoted and thought wait, how did that happen?

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Watched a coworker get promoted to supervisor over two people who ran circles around her. The difference? She hung out with the manager after shifts and the rest of us went home. Ability had nothing to do with it. Places like that are the absolute worst. I'm very happy to be out of there.

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Ugh, that’s the worst. When it’s about who you hang with instead of how you work, it just kills the vibe. Glad you’re out of there.

Absolutely, it happens more than we like to admit. Being skilled doesn’t always mean being seen. It’s frustrating, but it’s a reminder that visibility and relationships often matter just as much as performance. You start learning how to show your work without feeling like you’re bragging.

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So true. It’s not just about being good at your job, it’s about being seen too. That balance is tricky.

There is a big difference between dedicated person and politically playing person. One of them educated and loaded with hard skills, the other one is just know how to act that belongs that position and get it with visibility and taking opportunities from crisis. I have few my upper manager I have been witnessing their promotions and how they do keep the their role. Believe me, at the end of the day those people who thinks they know the game, they won’t last.

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Totally get you! Skills matter more than politics in the long run

Yep. All because they were close to the general manager and the person who would eventually give them the promotion. It pays to know ppl

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Yep, connections really do make a difference sometimes,ugh, office politics!

I worked in one place were promotion was given only to those management like because they behaved like a teacher per .

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Yup, sometimes it’s more about who they like than what you actually do!

This is one of the toughest lessons in the workplace. Performance and visibility are not always the same thing. It does not mean skill does not matter, but politics and timing absolutely play a role. Once you see it, you move differently.

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Exactly! Once you see the game, you can play smarter, even if it’s annoying!

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