Doing a boring job well is a flex nobody posts. It’s also the one people remember when references get called.

Competence at unglamorous work is nearly invisible in the moment and remarkably durable afterwards. Nobody posts about a tidy stockroom or a properly mopped floor, and the manager who gets a call about you in two years will remember exactly that. Quiet reliability is a slow asset, and one of the few that other people will describe on your behalf.

Do the dull part of your job properly this week, including the bit nobody checks. Then ask that manager whether they would be a reference. They usually say yes.