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Comment by Declanomous | Hacker News Reader

It's even better when they don't like the fact that you are doing the job in a way they can't understand. I swear some people think they are paying you to suffer, and if you do something in a way that doesn't require enough suffering they feel ripped off.

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Lets be clear here. What-ever the persons opinion of you should have absolutely no bearing on your professional work, and your relationship between then. I have rude clients, I have smart ass clients. Something is very clear I make it to them when I do the job, I'm doing it for money. If they think $1000 per hour is too much then they're not a client I really want to be working with.

I have found you need to make it very clear to clients why you're there, and what the ROI will be for them. After you've done the work, you move onto the next client.

They may be a wealthy business man, they may be a boomer. They may be a startup. You're there to get a job done.

That works fine when they're "clients" and you have a business - they naturally accept B2B situations as equals. But when you're the employee, that doesn't work. If you make it clear that you're only in the job for the paycheck, you're going to get fired - you have to make it seem to management like you have some psychopathic desire to be there busting your ass for nine hours on their inane and unfulfilling tasks.

I have to disagree with you there. You're taking the passive approach. Go out make a name for yourself in the market place in the field you work in. Do some volunteer work as a example to build up a client base and contact list. Advertise your services to other businesses and go to business functions. Get some offers on the table, and then you know where you stand within the organisation. You cannot do it if you're a slave to your job and you're literally working 10 to 12 hours a day. Cut back, turn off the phone after work. Go for a jog and go and have a beer with competing businesses or colleges.

Here's the problem - I don't work in a "field". I work in whatever office will have me, being another faceless drone, more grist for the mill of half-secretarial and half-self-taught patchwork IT people. No matter what the exact role is, there's someone who's either got better qualifications or training than me if it gets technical. I'm "discount office guy" - they don't want me to be anything other than passive.

then spend your time taking advantage of the billions of available free resources to increase your qualifications.

i was once where you are now. i am no longer there. it took time and a lot of work. it was worth it. you can do it too.

Your mindset is too stuck in the victim mentality. Yes, people are going to better than you, BUT there are also people who are LESS qualified than you! I will tell you a secret most people wont tell you. People with less qualifications than you get paid more than you.

So drop the `Technical qualification` bull####. If you need qualifications, like other people have recommended open up a text book and start reading. Start building web-sites. Start development with Postgresql. Go out and market yourself and your products. See WHAT people want to buy. See what people are willing to pay for products. Go and take night classes in business management/business skills.

You're a discount office guy because you let them treat you like a discount office guy. If you're worried about failure let me tell you now you're going to fail in amazing screwed up ways, but that is part of the fun. You're going to find your own style, you're going to fall in love and be walked over, you're going to get shit but you're not going to grow as a individual, person, and be a human if you are that `Discount Office Guy`

## I will end on this.

Honestly to dear &&&& god. You've got some of the most friendliest, supportive, happy go people on this community web site who I believe would love to give you pointers and critique your work. Leverage what you have, leverage your network.

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