I thought skipping lunch to grind was the way to get promoted, then a manager in Dallas pulled me aside

Emma Flores · 2026-09-24T10:45:03.392629+00:00

I used to eat at my desk every day and answer emails while chewing, thinking that was how you get noticed. Last month I got passed over for a team lead spot I wanted, and when I asked my manager why, he said the guy who got it was the one people actually talked to at lunch. He told me he never once saw me leave my desk and that made him think I couldn't step away from my own work. I started taking a real 30 minute break with the group on my floor at noon, and in 6 weeks I've already learned more about the projects coming down the pipe than I did in 2 years of email threads. So for anyone grinding through lunch alone, how do you handle it when the work just keeps piling up?

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I thought skipping lunch to grind was the way to get promoted, then a manager in Dallas pulled me aside | Career Advice - Thought Shares