'The 5 work hacks that actually helped me excel in my career.'

Let me be clear about something: the idea that you need to work 12-hour days to get ahead in your career is absolute bullsh*t. And I should know, because I spent the first few years of my career doing exactly that.

I used to constantly talk about how "busy" I was, answering emails at 9pm, and genuinely believing that my worth as an employee was directly tied to how many hours my laptop was open.

Then I realised being busy doesn't mean being productive. And being productive doesn't require sacrificing your entire life just to do your job.

Years later, I'd still very much describe myself as an ambitious, career-driven person, but I also religiously clock off at 4pm on Fridays (don't tell my manager). I take my lunch breaks. I don't check emails after hours unless something is literally on fire (it never is). And in doing so, my career has never been in better shape.

The secret isn't working more hours — it's working smarter. And that's exactly what we're diving into on the new season of BIZ, the Mamamia podcast I co-host with Lisa Lie (founder of Learna). Because honestly, work is hard enough without having to figure it all out yourself.

Before we get into it, my work and career podcast BIZ is back for season 2! Check it out. Post continues below.

Here's how I'm getting ahead while still having a life:

I've mastered the art of eating the frog.

This strategy completely changed my career trajectory, and I didn't even know it had a name until recently. "Eating the frog" isn't about doing unpleasant tasks — it's about strategically taking on the work your manager doesn't enjoy doing to carve out your own specialised role.

I started by paying attention to the tasks that seemed to always land on my manager's desk at the last minute, or the ones they'd mention needing help with. These weren't necessarily bad tasks — they just weren't in their wheelhouse or weren't what they preferred spending their time on.

So I volunteered. I learned how to do them, and then I became the go-to person for them. At the time, I soon became the only person in the company who knew how to handle these particular projects, which happened to be high-priority for the business.

Before you roll your eyes, you're not simply just taking on extra work— you're building expertise and credibility in areas that matter to the company. You become indispensable because you've created a specialised niche for yourself.

It's strategic, it's smart, and it fast-tracks your career progression without requiring you to work crazy hours.

I've become ruthlessly selective about meetings.

My not-so-hot take is that most meetings are a complete waste of everyone's time. I've become very strategic about which ones I attend and how I show up to them.

Before accepting any meeting, I ask myself: "What's my role here? What outcome are we trying to achieve? Could this be an email instead?" If I can't answer those questions, I don't go.

Now this doesn't apply to everyone and in certain situations, it doesn't apply to myself either. There are some instances where you of course have to go to meetings. I'm not saying to decline that weekly WIP with your manager. If you have a meeting in your calendar that you think doesn't need to happen, or you're not required, have a chat with the person who's put the meeting in and work it out with them — a cold decline is probably not the best practice.

When I do attend meetings, I come prepared with talking points and I make a point to say something. I'm not trying to be the loudest voice in the room, but I make sure my contributions are memorable and valuable.

Watch: BIZ season 2 is out now.

I've built genuine relationships with the right people.

Networking used to make my skin crawl because I thought it meant schmoozing with people I didn't like. Turns out, the best networking happens when you genuinely connect with colleagues and industry peers.

I've made it a point to have real conversations with people — not just small talk about the weather, but actual discussions about projects, challenges, and ideas. These relationships have opened doors that no amount of overtime ever could.

I've learned to communicate my values clearly.

This one was huge for me. I used to assume that my hard work would speak for itself (it doesn't).

Now I make sure to regularly update people I work with on what I'm working on, the impact it's having, and how it connects to broader business goals. I don't wait for performance reviews to highlight my wins — I make sure they're visible in real-time.

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I've set boundaries that actually work.

Maintaining work-life balance isn't just setting boundaries — it's setting boundaries that don't sabotage your career.

I'll happily stay late for genuinely urgent work, but I won't stay late to fix someone else's poor planning. I'll take on challenging projects that showcase my skills, but I won't take on busywork just to look busy.

It took me some time, but I learnt that I had to stop measuring my value by hours worked and start measuring it by the impact created.

If you're new to setting boundaries and trying out that work-life balance thing, you'll realise that you have to get comfortable with the fact that working smarter sometimes means working less.

This is exactly the kind of real talk we're bringing to BIZ this season. Lisa and I are done with vague inspirational quotes and recycled career advice that doesn't actually help anyone. We're talking about the nitty-gritty strategies that actually work — the ones we've tested in our own careers and can vouch for.

We're promising new wisdom, fresh energy, and zero fluff. Because let's be honest, you don't have time for anything else.

So, whether you're trying to get promoted without burning out, navigating office politics, or just figuring out how to make work actually work for you, we've got you covered. New episodes drop twice a week, because we know you need practical advice you can implement immediately.

The old way of thinking about career success is broken. You don't have to choose between ambition and a life outside of work. You just have to be smarter about how you approach both.

If you want more from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.

Feature image: Supplied.