We often hear people say that if you want to succeed in your career, you need to be willing to do more than what you are paid for. But is it really fair to expect someone to go beyond their job scope all the time?
Personally, I believe there is nothing wrong with doing extra work. In fact, I see it as an opportunity to learn something new, improve ourselves and discover our capabilities. Sometimes, the tasks we never expected to do can teach us lessons that our actual job description cannot. It helps us become more responsible, independent and prepared for bigger opportunities in the future.
But here is where I start to question things. What happens when doing extra work becomes an expectation rather than an appreciation? What happens when people start assuming that because you are capable of doing something, you should always be the person responsible for it?
I believe there is a thin line between being dedicated to your work and being taken for granted. Just because someone is willing to help does not mean their kindness should become an obligation. We all have responsibilities, and completing our own work should not mean we must constantly carry someone else's burden.
For me, the question is not whether we should work beyond our job scope. The real question is whether the environment we work in allows us to grow while respecting our time, effort and contributions.
Because at the end of the day, being a good employee means being willing to contribute, but it should never mean forgetting your own worth.
So, the next time someone asks you to do something beyond your responsibilities, do not immediately say no, but do not automatically say yes either. Ask yourself what you can learn from it, whether it is reasonable and whether your efforts are being valued.
After all, we work to build our future, not to prove that we can carry everything on our shoulders.
Mirhaa05 (hemirhaphysio@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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