Strong Work Ethic
I believe that a strong work ethic is one of the most valuable traits an individual could possess. Ever since I was young hard work has been instilled in me. As a kid I was taught no matter what I am doing I need to give it my all. This goes with everything I do from school work to my experience in the Marine Corps. To this very day I still live by this in my everyday life.
What having a strong work ethic means to me is: no matter what you are doing 
you need to give it your all. With hard work, time, and effort put into the task at had the faster and more efficient you will be at that task. In my opinion if you put in the time and effort, anything is achievable. However, I’m not saying it will be the same for everyone, some people it takes a little more time to learn and master tasks, but in my opinion, I think it is possible for pretty much anyone. With a strong work ethic, it will set you above your peers and allow for more self-reliance in the task at hand.
In Jayson DeMers’ article “Hard Work? It’s Not All It’s Cracked up to Be. It May Even Be Irrelevant. Here’s why,” Jayson DeMers discusses that working hard and giving your 100% might not be good enough anymore. He also states that they (employers) are looking for productivity instead of time in service. I do agree with what Jayson DeMers is saying, that you should be kept on your value to the company. Personally, I think this is achievable by having a strong work ethic. If you do everything in your power to know and master the job, your productivity is going to go up. You may have to spend extra amount of time and effort into learning and being productive, but it’s still possible.
Ever since I was young, I gave my all from the sports I played to my first job I had. My first job I had was as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) working at a nursing home in the Alzheimer’s unit. I did this job when I was a junior in high school, after school I would go to work and, I’d be at work until one in the morning. When I got out of work, I would then proceed to do my homework, then I would go to sleep just to wake up and do it again. I performed this job every day, including weekends. Since I have such a strong work ethic, and the amount of time spent performing this job it didn’t take much time at all to become highly proficient in the job I was tasked to perform.
I would have to thank my strong work ethic for my success in the Marine Corps. It was my junior year when I decided I wanted to join the Marine Corps. I however, was not in a shape to go to bootcamp. So, everyday in the summer before my senior year I would run every day, usually a couple miles at a time, until I lost enough weight so I could ship out to bootcamp. About a month after I graduated, I shipped out to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego for 13 weeks of hell. During these 13 weeks I was pushed to my limits, and stressed in anyway my Drill Instructors could think of. However, no matter what, I wasn’t going to allow them to break me. When they told me to do something I would do it to the best of my ability (which was never good enough) and I did the task as fast as I could. After these 13 weeks of being abused and degraded, I had a ten-day break, then back to training at MCT (Marine Combat Training). During MCT I was in the field the majority of the time, learning how to use multiple weapon systems, clear building, and other basic rifleman skills. While I was at MCT, I became extremely sick and had to go to the emergency room, however, I didn’t give up, I got right back at it to finish the rest of my training.
After about a year in the Marine Corps, I finally hit the fleet, which is where I performed my MOS, or military occupational specialty. As a new guy in the fleet, it was extremely stressful, for the first couple years I was terrible at my job and hated being there. Even though I hated it I still gave it my all, I struggled to pick up on it, so I would come in hours early just to read from the publications to learn my job. This hard work paid off, after about four to five months of coming in and putting in the extra work, I became proficient at my job and picked up my CDI stamp (inspector). As a CDI I became the most qualified Marine in my shop, training over eight CDIs under me, and being the person, they’d come to for the hard jobs. While exiting a helicopter, I became stuck and twisted my knee, causing me to tear my meniscus. After the tear I had to have three knee surgeries, which put me out of work. Even though I could no longer perform my job, I would still help the other CDIs to the best of my abilities and was on desk duty. Even though I was stuck on the desk, I gave it my all. With a strong work ethic, I was able to overcome the challenges that were thrown at me. I was able to recognize the fact that if I would want to progress in my current job I would have to put in the extra work. For doing this it in fact set me apart from my peers and allowed me to advance ahead of them. So, with the strong work ethic I became essential personnel to my job, and as Jayson DeMers said “They are looking for productivity instead of time in service.” With a strong work ethic this is achievable, you might have to put in the extra work, but it’s still achievable.
I would have to credit my success in the Marine Corps, and life in general to my work ethic. If I didn’t work as hard as I did, I would have never been as successful as I was in the Marine Corps. I may have not injured myself either, however, it put me in the position I am in now to be able to attend college. I do agree with Jayson DeMers also, however, I think these two things work hand in hand. If you put in the work you will become proficient, and when you become proficient you increase your speed that you can competently perform the task at hand, in return does increase your productivity.
Sources
Jayson DeMers “Hard Work? It’s Not All It’s Cracked up to Be. It May Even Be Irrelevant. Here’s why.”