From Overlooked Engineer to Salary Superstar: How One Employee Used Company Perks for the Ultimate Payback
There’s nothing quite like the sting of being undervalued at work—especially when you’ve bent over backwards to deliver results that would make any boss beam with pride. But what if, instead of quietly sulking, you flipped the script and used your company’s own resources to catapult your career (and your paycheck) into the stratosphere? That’s exactly what happened to Reddit user u/apost8n8, whose tale of petty revenge is equal parts inspiring, hilarious, and oh-so-relatable for anyone who’s ever been stuck on the corporate hamster wheel.
Let’s break down how one overlooked engineer turned the tables on his penny-pinching boss—and ended up tripling his salary in the process.
The Set-Up: When Hard Work Isn’t Enough
Imagine spending four years grinding away in the trenches of a defense contractor, collecting your standard 2-4% annual raises and waiting patiently for promotions that seem as rare as a Friday off. Our protagonist wasn’t content to stagnate. So, he set his sights higher, snagging a project engineering role with real leadership responsibility.
He managed a cross-functional team, delivered a system that brought in $1.6 million in sales its first year, secured a patent, and even landed a nomination for a prestigious Department of Defense award. We’re talking serious wins—plus 100 grueling days on the road, away from family and comfort.
The result? A glowing 10/10 performance review…and a measly 3% raise. To add salt to the wound, a team member he managed—someone with a different boss—was promoted early and bumped up to a senior role. When he confronted his own manager, the response was the corporate equivalent of a shrug: “Try again next year.”
The Petty Revenge: Mastering the Art of “Quiet Quitting”
Having hit the glass ceiling at Mach 3, our hero decided it was time for some self-care—and a little subtle sabotage. He dialed back the hustle, clocked out at 40 hours, took all his leave, and stopped traveling unless absolutely necessary. The only real “extra” effort? Diving into the company’s under-utilized education budget. If the company wasn’t going to invest in him, he’d invest in himself—on their dime.
He teamed up with his recently promoted (and amicable) coworker to take high-value training classes in FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and 3D modeling—skills that not only looked fantastic on a résumé, but also happened to be in high demand. The kicker? While the company required a multi-year commitment for MBA tuition reimbursement, there were no such strings attached to the technical training budget.
The Career Plot Twist: From Undervalued to Unbelievable
With new skills in hand and no contractual handcuffs, our engineer quietly started applying for jobs that required exactly what he’d just learned—thanks to his current employer’s generosity. It didn’t take long before he landed a new position with a starting salary that was double his previous pay—and, get this, paid overtime. By year’s end, he was earning three times what he’d made while being underappreciated.
When he handed in his notice, his boss sputtered the usual guilt-trip greatest hits: “We just paid for you to learn all this!” and “Don’t you have any loyalty?” The pièce de résistance: “How much are they paying you? Let’s see if we can match it.” Sadly for the boss, the new offer was so good it even outpaced his own salary.
Lessons from the Pettiest of Revenges
Let’s be honest: this story is so satisfying because it’s a fantasy many of us secretly harbor. Here are a few takeaways:
- Loyalty is Earned, Not Owed: If your company won’t invest in your growth, don’t feel bad about investing in yourself.
- Use What’s Available: Education budgets and training perks are often overlooked. If you’re not using them, you’re leaving value on the table.
- Know Your Worth: Sometimes the best way to get a raise is to get a new job. If your skills are in demand, don’t be afraid to explore what’s out there.
- Petty? Maybe. Strategic? Absolutely: Revenge is best served with a side of career advancement—and maybe a slice of 3X salary cake.
Share Your Own Office Justice
Stories like this remind us that sometimes, the best revenge is living (and earning) well. Have you ever used corporate perks to level up your career? Did you ever serve your boss a slice of humble pie on the way out? Share your stories and let’s swap some sweet, sweet office justice in the comments!
Original Reddit Post: My boss refused to promote me or give me reasonable raises so I developed skills on the company dime that got me a >100% raise at another company.