Act your wage

The past couple of years have significantly influenced Americans’ views on employment and careers.

Working from home gave many people a much-needed change. Although some have embraced going back to the office, many think, ‘Wow, I don’t know how I managed to drag myself into work every day!’

Frontline workers like doctors, nurses, and first responders experienced increased stress, which caused many to reconsider their careers. After all, there’s no point in working yourself to death if you’re not around to enjoy life, and work-related stress can lead to a multitude of health and social problems.

Many buzzwords were born during this time, like ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘rage applying.’

A fairly recent buzzword to emerge from the career scene is ‘acting your wage.’

If you’re unfamiliar, you are likely asking:

“What does it mean to ‘act your wage’?”

To put it simply, it means that the level of effort you put into your job corresponds with the compensation you get, not doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

It’s about setting hard boundaries and expectations to prevent getting taken advantage of, and shaking off the hustle culture leads to stress and burnout – like not answering work calls after you clock out and saying ‘NO’ to forced or unpaid overtime.

Financially speaking, it’s living within your means and spending money responsibly based on what you earn.

That makes me wonder, though.

Should we draw a hard line with our employers, making it cut and dry and never doing more than we get paid for? Or do we go the other extreme and give our careers our all?

There are pros and cons to both sides. Going above and beyond makes you stand out and (hopefully) makes you promotable. On the other hand, you could get taken advantage of.

Whatever side of the argument you fall on, remember to set and work toward your goals, whether that’s finding a better job, climbing the ladder where you are now, spending more time with family, or daydreaming about retirement.

That said, don’t wait to start planning for your future. Schedule a consultation with a financial planner like me to start building a brighter financial future today. To book a 15-minute consultation and chat about your plan (where you are now, and where you want to be in the future), it’s easy – just click the buttons below.