Throughout life, we are told to work hard and, that if we do, we will see the reward. So, naturally, in our careers, we work extremely hard and wait patiently for the reward. We arrive at work at 6am, before everyone else, hunker down at our desk, and remain buried in our work until everyone is gone and it’s time to go home for the day. While we spent the entire day hard at work, unfortunately, working like this isn’t paying off in the end. Women are great worker bees but, what we aren’t good at is realizing that sometimes, work won’t get you ahead.

Yes, we need to produce good work to maintain a good career but, we cannot underestimate the power of socializing and networking with our coworkers. Maybe you are invited to happy hour with your team but, you decline to go because you would rather work. Or, you are invited to lunch but, you decide to work through lunch and eat at your desk. Skipping out on social events at work can be detrimental to your career and advancement. Sure, you may feel like you are making headway because you have completed every task on your to-do list but, the truth is, declining opportunities to bond with your coworkers or boss may be undoing all of your hard work.

Being social and getting to know those you work with is extremely valuable. When people like you, and like hanging out with you, you will be one of the first people they think of when they are creating a team at work or assigning a new project. Yes, your work product is important, and you should never miss a deadline to go eat chips and queso, but people need to know and trust you too. So, in addition to working hard, make an effort to be social, get to know people, and simply be around. Otherwise, you will spend your career, with your head down, working hard, wondering why it isn’t paying off.