Dic: have something to show for one's efforts

• I'm nearly 31 and it's about time I had something to show for my time in my job.
• All those years of hard work, and nothing to show for it! 
• She tried her best to make the business work, but now all she had to show for her effort was a huge debt.

20. PHRASE : have inflects, PHR n △If you have something to show for your efforts, you have achieved something as a result of what you have done.

(have) something, nothing, etc. to show for something △(to have) something, nothing, etc. as a result of something

have something to show for something △to be the result of your effort.

.... Cobuild, OALD, 

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/have+to+show+for