My current job requires basically no work but all politics. This is a totally different game where I am essentially a mid-level courtier in the court of the lord of the house and need to appease the Marshal of the house, or my current boss.
The rules I need to focus on involve:
1. Being a source of positive wonder and amazement - make them want to engage with you, want to open your emails, by being a constant positive source in the court.
2. Do not bring bad news but instead bring news of how you solved a problem.
3. Do not take credit - do everything to make your boss look good.
4. Express modest admiration for the work of others - in this way you indirectly draw attention to your own good works.
5. Do not aim to be friends with your boss - keep a respectful distance.
6. Arrange to be visible and seen - even if you are not doing anything, being there and being seen allows others to keep you in mind.
7. Do not be overly flattering or directly obsequious - flatter indirectly, by downplaying your own contributions to make your boss look better.
8. Be nonchalant about your efforts - everything should seem easy and effortless. Don't be seen to be working too hard.
All this for:
- 40k value (32k real) in signing bonus
- A salary around 10k CHF per month (around 220k value I guess)
Let's see what is worth it and what is not.
That's pretty substantial given the possibilities of going forward
Update January 2026: I hate this and I am not sure if it was worth it.
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