On the first day of my career I wrote the following words on my dry erase board in my ofgice as told to me by a mentor: “Ride the wave until you hit the beach, and when you hit the beach…walk.” As a mentor, I must have shared that same advice a thousand times. It has worked and served me well. I loved every job I’ve ever had except one. My mentor was spot on when he said ” the act of work in its purest form is transactional. You give the best of your service and your company gives you a salary reflective of the value of your service. If your service should stop giving value, they have the right to stop or change your pay. It’s a transaction and not personal.” His point was that the goal of both parties is to get as much value out of the transaction as possible. “Get as much out of it as you can, because that’s what your employer will be doing…getting as much as possible out of you. When there us nothing else to get… one of you will have to change. Successful people can see the beach before they land on it.”  Ride the wave until you hit the beach.