Okay, so I keep hearing this phrase, “tanzel smart career earnings”. Sounds fancy, right? Like some secret formula somebody cooked up. My first thought was, yeah right, another buzzword probably cooked up by someone selling a course.
But it got me thinking about my own journey trying to make sense of this whole ‘career earnings’ thing. Forget ‘Tanzel’, let’s talk about my smart, or maybe not-so-smart, attempts.
My First ‘Smart’ Move
Early on, I figured ‘smart’ meant getting specialized. Really specialized. I spent ages learning this one particular software integration technique. Like, deep dive. Nights, weekends. I thought, okay, I’ll be the go-to guy, command a high price. That’s smart, yeah?
- The Plan: Become indispensable in a niche.
- The Reality: The niche became crowded fast. Or, the company just saw it as ‘part of the job’ and didn’t bump the pay much. So much for that ‘smart’ move. Still did the same amount of work, just different stuff.
Trying the Job Hop Strategy
Then I saw folks jumping companies every couple of years. Big pay bumps each time. Seemed ‘smart’. More money for similar work. So, I gave it a shot. Polished the resume, practiced interviews, the whole dance.
Did I make more money? Yes. Was it ‘smart’ overall? I dunno. It was exhausting. Always the new guy, always learning new systems, new politics, new coffee machine quirks. Felt like I was constantly restarting, never really building deep relationships or project ownership. Plus, you burn bridges sometimes, even if you don’t mean to.
What About ‘Passive’ or ‘Side Hustles’?
Heard that was the ‘smart’ way too. Don’t rely on one paycheck. So I tried a few things on the side.
- Tried writing technical articles. Took ages, paid peanuts mostly.
- Looked into building a small app. Got halfway, realized the marketing was harder than the coding.
- Considered consulting. That just sounded like more work on top of my main work.
Most of these ‘side hustles’ just felt like second jobs, honestly. Maybe I didn’t pick the right ones, or maybe it takes a certain type of person. Didn’t feel very ‘smart’ when I was just tired all the time.
So, What Now?
Look, I never met this Tanzel person or figured out their specific ‘smart’ system. My own practice? It’s been messy. Lots of trial and error. What feels ‘smart’ to me now is different.
It’s more about finding a place where the work is interesting enough, the people aren’t jerks, and the pay is decent for the hours I actually put in. Not chasing every last dollar or trend. Trying to be reliable, build good relationships, and maybe, just maybe, not letting work consume everything.
Is that the ‘tanzel smart’ way? Who knows. Maybe it’s just the ‘getting older and tired’ way. But it feels more sustainable than chasing buzzwords or constantly jumping through hoops. It’s my current practice, anyway. Still figuring it out, like everyone else I guess.
