As I interview job seekers everyday I've come to see that even in IT hard work makes a difference. Having played several sports my entire life up to the semi-pro level I always noticed the difference between the guys who were extremely talented and those who were not. More intriguing is the difference between the guys who are extremely talented and work hard and those guys who are extremely talented but lazy. All the guys that I played with that went pro I spotted in the gym during off hours working hard.
One quote on the subject that I particularly enjoy is by Ivan Misner. He is the founder of BNI, one of the largest networking organizations in the world. He says:
"The secret to success without hard work is still a secret."
There are a few here and there that acheive success in laziness and complacency riding the coat tails of deceit, nepotism, etc. But the respectable, decent people of the world have to rely on coupling talent with hard work.
The top candidates I submit to my clients for a job opening aren't always the insanely bright, higher IQ than anyone you've ever met types. Most are bright, but what sets them apart is that they spend time off the clock working for their company. I'm not saying you need to work off the clock because I believe in getting paid for what you do. But the fact that they do spend time off the clock working says something about their self pride.
Some guys are creating a similar setup with their home computer system as they have at work, so they can increase their proficiency. Others are spending time updating their skill set by learning new languages, frameworks, systems, etc.
Most companies appreciate and increase the pay of the person who works hard for them. No matter what your talent level is... work hard.
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