10 Pieces of Career Advice for My 21-Year-Old Self

10 Pieces of Career Advice for My 21-Year-Old Self 10 Pieces of Career Advice for My 21-Year-Old Self Article by Kate GilbertThe corporate world is elend for amateurs. Its ruthless, unforgiving, and downright brutal onyour self-esteem. I consider myself a survivor of this world, having escaped before it took the last remnants of my energy, moral standing, and sanity.But after 20+ years spent climbing the corporate ladder, I am now an outsider.Now that I havea more objective viewpoint, I understand what I did right and what I did wrong. If I knew then what I know now, I would have developed fewer grey hairs, drunk a lot less alcohol, and found more balance in my life well before I reached 45.If I could give advice to my 21-year-old self when she welches just starting out in hercareer, it would be this1. Associate Yourself With Good PeopleYou will work with hundreds of individuals in your career. Given the choice, you will never want to work with most of them again. The corporate wor ld is full of mediocre people who occupy office chairs and not much else. Talent in the workforce is a bell curve. The truly awful people tend to get weeded out, unless they are related to someone in management. The middle of the bell curve is where most people are. When you find good people those individuals who care and want to do honest, good work stick with them as long as you can. When you work alongside a talented coworker, boss, or employee, you should never see them as a threat or competitor. Instead, feel lucky to be on the same team, learn from them, and share in their success.2. Leadership Is More Important Than the Quality of Your ProductYou will probably work with some crappy products at some point in your career. But the best products dont always succeed. Some quality products or ideas will never get out of the starting gate, and less stellar ones will go on to be amazing successes. The line between success and failure is slim, and any given product will have its set of pros and cons. Dont be put off by a long list of cons. If you have to pick between a good product and a crappy leadership team, or an average product with a killer team behind it, go with the latter. That team is far more likely to find a successful strategy, and you will learn a lot more in the process. You will also be better equipped to deal with less-than-perfect products in the future.3. Speak Your MindYou were given this job for a reason. You convinced someone you were smart enough to be worthy of a paycheck. Keeping your head down and going with the flow is not your style. Over time, you will gain experience that will give you insights many others dont have. You have valuable contributions to make participating and challenging is what you are there for. Dont be afraid to go against conventional thinking. Even if your ideas arent implemented, you will be recognized as someone who has earned a seat at the table.4. Know When to QuitYou might think youre right you might actu ally be right but that doesnt mean you will get your way. Sometimes you will think your company is making a wrong turn or launching a lousy product. Fight for what you believe in, but recognize when you lose. The moral high ground can be a lonely place. Dont waste valuable energy and career currency flogging a dead horse. When you lose an argument, dust yourself off, fall in line with the decision, and move on.5. Be Prepared to Be WrongMaking decisions is hard, and as your career progresses, you will be called upon to make more and more of them. Make the best decision you can with the information you have available to you at the time. Thats the best you can do. More information might become available later, but your position requires a sense of urgency.You dont have that luxury of waiting for more information. Sometimes you wont know you are wrong until you try, but at least you will know. Its better to make a wrong decision quickly than to make no decision at all.6. Respect People Who Make Tough DecisionsPeople in executive positions have to make difficult decisions all the time. Reducing staff, cutting expenses, or stopping projects might seem illogical to you, but you cant always see the full picture. Its easy to criticize from the outside. Yes, sometimes these decisions are made out of self-interest or with bad intentions, but often they are not. You are not in the boardroom, nordo you have all of the facts. Once you get a seat at that table, you will have a chance to face these difficult choices.7. Be KindCompassion and empathy may not always be rewarded in business, but they will help you live with yourself as you make your way up the career ladder. You may have to make tough calls in your career, ones that affect real peoples lives. You might also be on the receiving end, so remember to always treat people with respect and kindness. Treat them as you would want to be treated yourself.8. Dont Give Someone Too Many ChancesAs your career progresses, you m ight find yourself managing people, or at the very least being someone your colleagues look up to. Be a good listener, coach, and mentor, but remember it is not your responsibility to resolve other peoples problems. While you might have the occasional success in turning a negative contributor around, most of the time, you wont. Instead, you will become frustrated at the time and effort invested in a losing battle.Often, thebest way to help someone is to give them a chance to move on. That way, they can find a role or situation that better suits them. You cant fix everyone.9. Keep Some Emotional PerspectiveYou will find this very hard. In fact, you might never master it. Your rational self will know it is not worth getting frustrated, angry, or upset that your boss doesnt value your contributions or the ideas that you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into but you will still find yourself crying, despondent, and defeated. Try tocontrol your reaction, andremember that you will meet some wonderful people during your career. They will become lifelong friends. They are worth emotionally investing in the rest wont matter.10. If You Dont Like the Rules, Make Your OwnThere is an alternative to working for the corporate world. At some point, you will realize the best way to work and live the way you want means walking away from your comfy cubicle. Dont be afraid to go it alone. Youll be surprised how fulfilling and challenging your life can be even when you dont have a fancy job title and a ecksto office.You are smart, thoughtful, and ambitious, and your career will be important to you. It will bring you great rewards and wonderful experiences. If you take my advice, you just might find that you need to spend less money on hair dye and sauvignon blanc. Good luckA version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.Kate Gilbert is the author of The Happy Camper How I Quit My Corporate Job and Sold Everything to Travel Full Time. After 20+years of pursuing the American dream of working hard, getting promoted, and acquiring lots of stuff, she realized that she wasnt happy. At age 45, she walked away from her executive job, sold her home, and started a freelance career. She splits her time between apartment rentals around the world and roaming the US in an Airstream trailer, working from wherever she can connect to the Internet.

The Best Books for Professional Development and Success

The Best Books for Professional Development and SuccessThe Best Books for Professional Development and SuccessThe Best Books for Professional Development and SuccessNo need to pay for classes to invest in professional growth, just grab one of these great career development booksWhether you are just departureing out in your career or youre a veteran of 20 years, one of the most helpful things you can do for your career is to stop and get a fresh perspective. Classes, conferences, and keynote speakers can really help to provide new insight and to recharge your enthusiasm for work. However, if youre looking for a simple, affordable way to continue your professional growth and maximize your success, grab one of these great career development books.Anyone could find inspiring nuggets of inspiration from any of these career development books, but they really hit the mark for certain groups. Find the category that best suits you and get readingThe classicsWho Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Lifeby Spencer JohnsonThis book is listed first simply because every person should read it. It doesnt matter if you are a CEO, waiter, teacher, or mechanic. It is a short, simple book with a powerful lesson that will help you succeed and be much happier in life.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Powerful Lessons in Personal Changeby Stephen R. CoveyAre you looking to become more efficient in both your personal and your professional life? This book is a tried and true guide to help you formulate the mindset and the habits you need to do just that.How to Win Friends Influence Peopleby Dale CarnegieOriginally published in 1937, this book isnt about teaching you how to manipulate people and bend them to your will. Sorry. Still relevant today, this career development book will teach you how to express ideas and inspire people on an everyday basis. Warren Buffett swears by it.Think and Grow Richby Napoleon HillLooking for a motivational kick in the pants? This is it. Hills book looks at some of the most inspiring leaders in modern history and helps you tap into the mindset that made them successful (and rich).For millennialsWhat Color Is Your Parachute? 2016 A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changersby Richard N. BollesAnother classic, Parachute continues to get yearly revisions and is the first book people should grab if theyre looking to start a career or find a new one. With tips on how to find a job, which careers are hot right now, and how to discover what really matters to you, it is especially effective for those who are just starting out in their professional lives. The perfect graduation gift for the soon-to-be grad in your life.StrengthsFinder 2.0by Tom RathYou may think you know what you want to do professionally, but do you really know what your true strengths are? This career development book (with an online assessment test) can help you uncover the skills you might not even realize that yo u have.The Power of Habit Why We Do What We Do in Life and Businessby Charles DuhiggWe all have habits that, when were really honest with ourselves, we know are detrimental to our personal and professional growth. This books helps you recognize, and take small steps that help you change the mindset that leads to these habits. Like most disciplines, you stand the most to gain by reading this book and implementing these strategies while youre still young.Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Cant Stop Talkingby Susan CainDo you find yourself on the introverted side of the spectrum? Cains career development book can help you understand your own tendencies and how to make little changes that can help out big time in social situations and help you land the interview of your dreams.For womenLean In Women, Work, and the Will to Leadby Sheryl SandbergSandberg, the COO of Facebook, tells you why women have not competed successfully in top-level professions with men over the last half -decade and how to take charge and change that. Tired of the status quo? This is your playbook for change.Nice Girls Dont Get the Corner Office Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careersby Lois P. FrankelIf youre a woman, you may not even realize how many things you were taught as a child that have thrived in your subconscious. This career development book helps you identify, and change, those little tendencies that could be holding you back.The Confidence Code The Science and Art of Self-Assurance-What Women Should Knowby Katty KayYou probably know that confidence leads to success. But that doesnt mean its easy to do. The Confidence Code gives insight with anecdotes and scientific studies that can teach you how to break out of your shell and present yourself with confidence on a daily basis.For the sports fanLeading with the Heart Coach Ks Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Lifeby Mike KrzyzewskiCoach K is one of college basketballs most loved and most successful coaches. In his book, he reaches beyond personal development to the basic principles of leadership that can help your career, and your business, thrive. You wont have to be a sports fan to love this one.I Cant Accept Not Trying Michael Jordan on the Pursuit of Excellenceby Michael JordanMichael Jordan may be the best basketball player to ever step on the court and the king of personal branding. After being left off the varsity team as a high-school sophomore, he pledged to himself that he would chase his dreams with everything he had. His career development book details how he pursued all of his dreams, both on and off the hardwood, and how you can too.What It Takes to Be 1 Vince Lombardi on Leadershipby Vince Lombardi Jr.Vince Lombardi is football. His strategies to create a winning atmosphere in Green Bay went far beyond the players on the field. Get valuable insights on how to create success personally, and for your organization, from arguably the greatest coach i n NFL history.Developing yourself personally and professionally is a lifelong endeavor. Discover some of your favorite career development books that teach, motivate, and focus your life and keep that bookshelf handy at all times. behauptung are just a few of the many titles out there.Ready to write the next chapter of your career? Hire a TopResume writer today

5 ways to survive the holiday office party in 2018

5 ways to survive the holiday office festivitt in 20185 ways to survive the holiday office party in 2018There is elendhing quite like the office holiday party. Alcohol, anxiety and awkwardness fill the air as your drink suspect rum punch and mingle with people from accounts while eating a defrosted prawn ring. But, while the holiday party is there to be enjoyed, its also wise to be mindful.There are ways that you can survive the office holiday party and come out with your dignity, reputation and career intact.Most of Top Life CoachCarole Ann Riceswork focuses on making people be the best versions of themselves. Here, she shares withYCBthe 5 ways to survive the office holiday party 1. Be preparedWhile this may be a social occasion, its also happening in your place of work, so its important that you treat it as a professional environment. Limit yourself to a set amount of drinks and make sure that you know how youre getting home.2. Be respectfulWe spend a lot of our day at work and wit h the people in our office, so try not to make any enemies while at the holiday party. If you do hear people gossiping about one of your colleagues, stay out of the conversation or change the subject. By the same token, dont act uncooperative, start swearing or telling inappropriate jokes, its not going to go down well with management and you could end up ostracizing yourself.3. Dress professionallyIt may be a night out, but its best to tone it down when it comes to your outfit for the evening. Wearing revealing dresses, short skirts or trashy clothing will send out the wrong message to your managers and colleagues. Remember, you want your superiors to remember you for professional skills and not your fishnets.4. Keep away from romanceIf you do find yourself taking an interest in someone in the office, dont let on and, even more importantly, do not act on it Some companies operate a strict no-fraternization policy and you dont want to end up on costing yourself your career for a kis s.5. NetworkFor all the perils that come with an office Christmas party, they also offer a great avenue for networking and making new friends. By introducing yourself to people from other departments, you can make new acquaintances and gain insider information that may give you a competitive edge when it comes to going for a new role.This article was originally posted on YourCoffeeBreak.