30 Best Pieces of Career Advice No One Ever Told You There is much to learn when it comes to advancing and excelling in your career. Whether you work your entire career or are just beginning your career path, reading and listening to career advice can be helpful. Useful career advice can be used immediately, inspire you to do something different, or remember it for another day when you really need it.
In this article, we provide you with the top 30 career tips that will motivate and inspire you to perform at your best in the workplace and beyond.
The 30 best career tips no one has ever told you
As you continue to grow in your career, you will likely come into contact with many career advisors. It helps to think of career advice as commentary. You can read some tips and confirm what you are doing well and what you should develop further. Here are our top career tips that no one has told you yet:
- Venture out of your comfort zone.
- Think of every person you meet as a door that can lead you to a new opportunity.
- Show up early
- Think of yourself as a lifelong learner.
- Each year, think deeply about your career path.
- Look for value in comments or reviews.
- Cultivate endurance.
- Do what you say you will do.
- Ask the important questions.
- Don’t be afraid to speak up.
- Dress for the job you want.
- Find a job you love.
- Say yes to things that scare you.
- Set yourself realistic goals.
- Give up perfection.
- Remember that a job doesn’t give your life meaning.
- Any job will have unexpected downsides.
- In chaos lies opportunity.
- Find a mentor and be a mentor.
- Work harder than your fellow human beings.
- If you need help, ask for it.
- Use your strengths.
- Be willing to sacrifice some things to build the career you desire.
- Live your life, not someone else’s.
- Track your efforts.
- Don’t calm down
- Be confident but humble.
- Accept failure.
- Use your intuition.
- Be a team player.
1. Get out of your comfort zone
Trying new things prepares you for your next role. You may consider taking on new and difficult responsibilities that you are not comfortable with to expand your skills.
2. See every person you meet as a door that can lead you to a new opportunity.
You never know how someone can enrich your life professionally or personally if you don’t give them a chance. Your job may be a job for the moment, but that doesn’t mean the connections you make with the people there won’t last forever. It is best to see each person as valuable and worthy of your time and consideration.
3. Arrive early
Even if you’re exhausted at your job in your position, do your best to show up early and be ready to complete the tasks assigned to you. Every job you get is important in building your career and character. Employers will appreciate and notice your efforts, and you will continue to nurture good relationships if you show your desire to work by showing up early.
4. Consider yourself a lifelong learner
You can continue to learn no matter what stage of your career you are at. As you continuously learn, you can acquire more skills and become flexible and adaptable in your career path. A willingness to learn is a highly valued trait in today’s workforce.
5. Think deeply about your career path every year or so
About once a year, you need to refresh your network, explore new opportunities, and do salary comparisons. It’s easier to make strategic career decisions when you have real data to compare to the benefits of your current job. It is important to know where you stand in your industry. You can also consider brushing up on new industry trends every year to stay competitive in the job market if you ever decide to do so or if you have to leave your current job.
6. Look for value in comments or reviews
All the feedback you receive can help you grow and develop in your career. Try not to focus on the delivery method or the person giving you the feedback. Instead, you should do your best not to get upset and take the value of the message you receive and move on.
7. Cultivate stamina
You can’t walk into a job and immediately become a high achiever. It is important that you persevere and continue to grow in order to achieve your career goals and become one of the top performers. For example, if you are a writer and an editor keeps refusing the arguments you give for your story ideas, you can try to refine and develop your ideas and resubmit them to the same editor or to another publisher.
8. Do what you say
It is important to balance your words with your actions. Employers value employees they trust and can count on. If you tell your manager that you have a deadline to complete a project, you should take steps to complete the project accordingly. Relationships are essential to any business, and without trust, a relationship cannot be sustained. Once you take responsibility, you will find that you attract those you can count on.
9. Ask the important questions
Many successful professionals have succeeded because they ask important questions. You need to stay curious and ask questions. Asking questions will increase your knowledge and contribute to your learning and development. You can also consider asking questions about topics not directly related to your role if you think it might help you better understand your business as a whole.
10. Don’t be afraid to speak up
Meetings allow employees to share their thoughts and ideas on important issues affecting the business. If you have an idea or have reason to believe that an idea should not be implemented, you must state it in a professional manner with accurate data to back up your assertions.
30 Best Pieces of Career Advice No One Ever Told You
You can also request a face-to-face meeting with a supervisor if you need to discuss a sensitive topic or seek advice. If you attend and speak, employers will see that you care about your work and take it seriously.
11. Dress for the job you want
Dressing for the job you want goes beyond the clothes you choose to wear. This includes how you present yourself overall, your attitude, how you address people at work, and how you physically dress. These elements reflect how important your job is to you.
13. Say yes to things that scare you.
Opportunities don’t arise as often as you might think. If you’re afraid of an opportunity, it might be a good idea to at least try. This will help you gain confidence and more often than not you will find that you can do the things you think you can’t.
14. Set realistic goals
Setting goals will help you stay motivated throughout your career. You need to set achievable goals for yourself on a regular basis and reward yourself when you achieve the goals you set for yourself.
15. Forego perfection
Once you give up being perfect, you allow yourself to be good.
16. Remember that a job doesn’t give your life meaning.
A job you love can help give your life meaning, but it’s not the only thing in life you can find meaning and inspiration from. You must decide what is important to you and build a fulfilling life that brings meaning. Meaning can mean many things to many people, it depends on how you define it.
17. Any job will have unexpected downsides
All jobs have minor to major downsides that can frustrate you. Try not to give up and see these unexpected inconveniences as temporary while continuing to do your best at your job despite these inconveniences.
18. There is opportunity in chaos
Many of your most important career opportunities arise from times when you were able to make a difference. Perhaps the best way to make a difference is in a position that requires you to clean up the mess. This will likely draw attention to your skills and expertise.
19. Find a mentor and be a mentor
Having a mentor and being a mentor can provide you with valuable insights and help increase your presence in the industry. Asking your mentor to introduce you to people who are currently working in the industry you are interested in will likely help you in your career path. When you start mentoring, you can introduce your mentee to others.
20. Work harder than those around you
A good work ethic demands respect. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be the first to get to work in the morning or the last to leave work in the evening. However, you must cultivate habits that can help you perform and put in more time and effort than those around you. This shows your commitment and earns respect from your peers and leaders.
21. If you need help, ask for it
There are probably certain tasks or projects that you need to complete at your workplace that you may not understand. It is better to ask questions for clarification than to make unnecessary mistakes. It saves your time and ensures that you can complete the task or project successfully on the first try.
22. Use Your Strengths
By focusing on the things you are strongest at, you will become an expert on the subject over time. By outsourcing your weaknesses to others who excel in those areas, you can cover those weaknesses better than you otherwise could. Trying to be great in everything could make you thin and prevent you from realizing your full potential in your strongest areas.
23. Be willing to sacrifice some things to build the career you desire.
You may have to sacrifice time and money to build the career you want. This may include attending additional courses, internships and other things. It won’t always be easy to choose work over pleasure, but it’s worth pursuing the career of your choice.
24. Live your life, not someone else’s
Stay true to yourself and what you want and need. Your path won’t be the same as someone else’s, and that’s okay. While it’s good to have role models to help shape you, focus on what makes you unique. It makes you more memorable and sets you apart from your peers.
25. Track Your Efforts
Your passions may not always be the things you put your time and effort into. Not everything is worth it. The best way to find your passion and succeed in life is to track your efforts.
26. Don’t Calm Down
It’s never too late to embark on the career path you want. You can have a job that you want and that motivates you. Don’t settle for less than you want or deserve. Perseverance will lead you to the opportunities you eagerly pursue.
27. Be confident but humble
Confidence can drive productivity at work. It is important to develop your confidence to effectively communicate your ideas in the workplace. Stay humble and always accept that you won’t always be the one who knows best.
28. Accept Failure
Failure can help you find ways that aren’t working. It can also help you move on and learn from your experiences. Failure is just as valuable, if not more so, than success. Continue to be ready to start over or move on if something doesn’t work.
29. Use your intuition
Your instinct or intuition often has the answer. Try to listen to it to guide your decisions. When something feels right for you, like changing jobs, changing careers, or finding a new circle of friends, trust it. Use it as a foundation you can always rely on in times of doubt.
30. Be a team player
Working in a team and collaborating with other employees is central to most jobs. Do your best to work with the team rather than against the team. A lot of great things can be achieved by working well with your teammates, and it’s often critical to business success.