APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions.

Here, Karren gives her expert advice to a reader who is happy to coast in her job and questions whether she really needs to go “above and beyond”.

Karren Brady gives you career advice

Q) I’ve been aware for a while that I’m just coasting in my job, but at 57, I feel like that’s natural.

I have no desire to be a manager and, if I’m honest, I’m mostly looking forward to the day I retire – even if, realistically, I can’t afford to do so for another 10 years!

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Although I do everything that’s asked of me, there always seems to be an expectation to go “above and beyond”, or you’re not being a good employee.

But I don’t want to go above and beyond – and I definitely don’t get paid to.

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How important is it to be seen to play the game, or am I entitled to stand my ground on this one?

Katy

A) What feels natural career-wise is different for everyone at every age.

If your priorities are shifting and you are more focused on stability and retirement, rather than climbing the ladder, that’s not complacency, it’s perspective.

That being said, every workplace operates with expectations that go beyond the written job description and, whether we like it or not, “going above and beyond” is often part of how value is judged.

That doesn’t mean you should work yourself into the ground, but it does mean understanding the environment you’re in and deciding how you want to position yourself within it.

You are entitled to deliver no more than your job description states, but standing firm works best paired with consistency and professionalism, not disengagement.

The smart middle ground is to be reliable and competent, while actively choosing when to stretch beyond it in ways that feel fair and strategic.

You don’t need to play every game, but you do need to ensure people see you as someone who can be depended on and brings value to the workforce.

Got a careers question for Karren? Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk.