What are some of the best examples of general career advice?
Matt Wyndowe, FB Product, and a bunch of startup stuff.
Votes by Jae Won Joh, Marc Bodnick, Tracy Chou, and 1939 more.
During two years of business school at Stanford, I wrote down the best advice from our professors and
lecturers. This advice is from my favorite teachers and lecturers, including Andy Rachleff, Mark Leslie, Irv
Grousbeck, Joel Peterson, Eric Schmidt, and many others.
Admittedly, a lot of this is focused on technology industry, but much is generally applicable. Thought it
might be interesting to others.

Successful people listen. You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that ratio. You learn
more when you listen than when you talk.

Pareto principle: Always look for the 80/20. 80 percent of the value is delivered by 20 percent of the
product/service. Focus on that 20 percent.

The importance of passion. When Warren Buffet finds people to run his business, his key criteria is
to find somebody who would do the job whether they would get paid or not.

Be likable. People who are liked have the wind at their backs. So be liked.

Just when you think you've got it 100% right, you can be taken down.

People who are lucky make their own luck. And you only make your own luck by staying in the
game.

Put on "the cloak" of leadership. A large part of your role is to inspire and motivate your
employees, and people will look to you for confidence. If you were on a plane with engine problems,
you don't want the pilot to say "I am exploring a number of options and hope that...", you want him to
say, "I will do whatever it takes to land this plane."

The outcome of a negotiation is largely a function of your alternatives.Know your next best
option.

You will only be as good as the people you will recruit. Media & culture celebrate individuals, but
teams succeed.

The best scientists can explain complex issues in simple terms. Pretty good scientists can
explain complex issues in complex terms.

A's hire A's. B's hire C's. Always strive to hire people better than you are.

Be a clear, fair manager. For example, when speaking to a business unit leader that isn't
succeeding, say: "I want a strategy to win in 1-page and the objectives we need to hit each quarter to
reach them."

When considering a business opportunity, look for change. What inflection point are you taking
advantage of? Without change, there is rarely opportunity.

When in doubt, just keep selling. Not a bad default strategy to communicate to your team.

Be humble. The markets are brutal to those who are arrogant.

Understand what you don't do well. Surround yourself with people and resources that can do these
things well.

Practice self-discipline. Set targets, have timetables, have clear unambiguous goals. Life passes
quickly - days, weeks, months, years, a lifetime. "Regret for the things we did, can be tempered by
time. It is regret for the things that we did not do that is inconsolable."

Be yourself. In group settings, you usually serve the group best by thoughtfully expressing exactly
what you are thinking. Not necessarily what the group wants to hear.

Learn to relax. Often overachievers are passionate about many things. Yet it's important to learn
not to always care so much. Try being indifferent to things that aren't that important.

You've got to give trust to get trust. Treat people as you would want to be treated. Sometimes
people take advantage of you. That's fine, don't do business with them again.

Shoot for the moon.To be successful, don't follow the pack. If you want to win, don't hedge.
And, here is some good final advice (from Joel Peterson):
"Appreciate the people you work with, take care of your investors, celebrate successes along the way,
communicate lavishly - good news and bad news, tell the truth, don’t try to maximize everything, and stop
to smell the roses. Life is pretty short and most of what really matters doesn’t happen at the office."
31+ Comments • Share (60) • Thank • Report • 14 Oct, 2010
177
Kartik Ayyar, here to learn.
Votes by Thomas Børstad, Anthony Frenet, Marc Bodnick, and 173 more.
I learnt a lot from my first boss and mentor, who till this day I sort of regard as my "professional parent" if
you will.
Even though he was an engineer at heart, I'm quite grateful to him for instilling attitudes in me that one
could never learn from a CS textbook or reading code.

Even when you are right, don't be "dead right"
The example he cited was that of driving in the right lane with a huge truck coming towards you in the
wrong lane. You could be right, if you stuck to your lane, but you'd also be dead.
This was when I was negotiating to get permission to get a bit in an inode for a project I was working
on, one of the holy grails of precious resources for the product I worked on. While it was technically
the right solution for the problem at hand, he correctly pointed out to me I was being overly blunt in
pointing out to the people who could give me the appropriate blessing to get that bit I wanted why
their solutions were flawed. ( In all fairness, I'm still not perfect at this, though I have gotten much
better ).

When in doubt, keep your mouth shut.
Keeping your mouth shut has tremendous value a lot of the time. Filter your communication so that
random thoughts stay in your head, and only the good ones make them out.

After writing up an email, think many times before sending it.
If in doubt, save it as a draft and sleep on it. You'll be surprised at how many drafts of "brilliant" ideas
you will accumulate ( I'm well into the hundreds with respect to my work email, and almost in triple
digits for Quora drafts ).

If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Spend time that you would have spent whining about something fixing it.

Take ownership about everything that you do.
Never do your job from the perspective of waiting for someone to assign some bug to you. Own what
you are doing and ensure you have the appropriate follow through to get everything needed to get
the job done.
Last but not the least my two favorites:

Try to learn exponentially.
My boss mentioned this to me the first day I started my first real job, and I thought he was
exaggerating and wrote it off as a joke, but it made a lot of sense in retrospect - one should leverage
what you learn to accelerate your pace of learning.

Always strive to work with surgical precision.
If you ever find your self running around with a shotgun, that is a clear cut red flag that you should
take a step back and rethink.
Share (4) • Thank • Report • 29 Mar, 2011
32
Prakash Singh, The lean and thin Sikh!!!
Votes by Fabio Carriero, Marc Bodnick, Zachary Hamed, and 28 more.
While going through a few lectures and reading a few books about how one should build a successful
career, I had made myself a list of things that I try to follow. I would share the same here.

Mistakes - the best friend: Nothing in this world will teach you better about yourself than the
mistakes you make, given you are willing to learn.

Care for the path; end will be where it deserves to be: Most of our energy is spent pondering
about the results of our actions, about whether we will get what we want and the like. The next time,
do this instead - focus on what has to be done to reach where you want to. Leave the rest to rest.

100 percent, each time: For once, vow to give a hundred percent effort in whatever you do. No
activity ever requires 200 percent or 400 percent effort. A hundred percent, that's all. Each time.

Don't hate criticism: Whatever the people say about you, they are inevitably showing you the ways
you can still improve. So why not?

Passion & Attitude: Never lose on these two elements. They determine, to a large extent, where
you stand in life and what you achieve.

Work Ethic: What qualities do you want to exhibit to the world about yourself. Optimistic, reliable,
responsible, hard working etc. etc.? Devise a work ethic accordingly.

Subjugate the self: Never let your 'self' and your 'ego' make a difference to you. Very often you can
make a greater contribution to your career by playing second fiddle. Play non-striker.

The harder you work, the luckier you get: Someone said the other day, Luck is what happens
when preparation meets opportunity. He put it perfectly.

Share Knowledge: Life is a give-and-take relationship. Share your knowledge with people around
you, if ever want someone else to be generous enough to do that with you.

Live in the present: Often we are either too anxious for the future or remain absorbed thinking about
the moments of the past. The best thing to do, however is, well you read the bold heading this bullet
point.

Know everything about you profession: If you are passionate about what you are doing, go on to
make an effort to master it. All it demands is time. Loads of it. But then, this is all you ever wanted.
You have it now. Opportunities and glory will be on their way.

Stretch a little bit: "Because you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far."

Be humble: A very important virtue to have when moving ahead in life. Sometimes, we are just not
'humble' enough to receive what we want from life. And the result? We never get it.

Seek people better than you: Because by what they do, they will show you how to be one of them.
Very often would you realize just by being among them 'This is what I was missing.'

Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle Khuda khud bande se puchhe, 'Bata teri raza
kya hai?': Its an Urdu phrase. Says, raise yourself to such a level that before God scripts your fate,
he asks you, 'What do you want, my Son?'
Comment • Share (2) • Thank • Report • 30 May
101
Anuj Agarwal, Founder Feedspot.com
Votes by Harsh Jha, Olivier Beau de Lomenie, Grace Tang, and 97 more.
15 General Career Tips. These tips will also help you if you are looking for a perfect relationship.
1. Play the field - Don't be in a rush to find your passion. If you're unhappy at your company, or with your
career, that's a good thing. It's a signal to yourself that you need to find something that suits you better.
You have to experience the wrong relationship to know what you're looking for in the right one.
2. Your friends can help - Ask your most trusted friends their opinions about what you should do with
your career. Listen with an open mind. This isn't about doing what other people tell you to do, but about
trying to get some outside perspective
3. Desperation is a major turn off - Relax and be confident in your ability to find the right job. If you
don't really feel this way, start by pretending that you do. You'll be surprised how that leads to actual
confidence.
"The more desperate you are to find 'the one' more likely you are to repel it,"
4. Be prepared to walk away even if it means you'll be on your own - You will never be desperate if
you know you can make it on your own. If you can't find the perfect opportunity, you may just need to go
out and create it—starting your own business, freelancing, or getting creative in other ways.
If other people can do that, so can you.
5. Clearly ask for you what you want - The number one reason we don't get what we want in our
careers is we don't ask for it. Why? It's because we're afraid of rejection. Get over it. And then devote
your energy to what they will say yes to.
6. Put your best foot forward - Be yourself: Are you kidding?! Do you really want everyone at the office
to know your deepest personal issues? No, you don't. "Instead act like a hard worker." Find the person in
the office everyone looks up to (one level above you) and emulate her or him
7. Learn to read body language - No matter what the reason for the meeting, the body never lies. If you
can learn to read the signals, you can figure out how much he or she is into you (or isn't). That's as true
about a meeting with your boss to discuss your latest idea as it is with a client or a date.
Dilated pupils, torso and feet facing you, tilting a head toward you: All good signs. Fidgeting, no eye
contact, fast nodding indicates impatience and means that you should gracefully end the meeting
as quickly as possible and try again another way.
8. Don't talk too much - Most people spend more time with their co-workers than with their friends. Don't
confuse the two. Just like a love relationship can be killed with TMI, so can your reputation at your job.
For instance, never bad mouth your previous boss or company.
9. Never bash the competition, or yourself - You can't win the heart of a lover by insulting the
competition. You can't win the big promotion by bashing your in-house competitor, either.
Nine out of ten times you'll achieve the exact opposite of what you intended. Instead step up your own
game and be grateful for the motivation.
And whatever you do, don't downplay yourself. It doesn't make you look humble. It makes you look
insecure. You can't expect someone to love you if you don't love yourself.
10. Don't expect your company/boss/lover to change - If you've taken a job and then you discover that
the company is too uptight (or too relaxed), or your boss is a jerk, not much is going to change that. Find
a way to prosper despite it. Or get over it and move on.
11. Dress to win - Looks matter. The one who wins isn't necessarily the most gorgeous guy or gal in the
room. But a person who makes an effort to dress appropriately attractive gets noticed. So does the one
who dresses inappropriately. Most of us know enough to dress well for the big meetings, but the day-today interactions with your co-workers also matters
12. Too much self sacrifice leads to trouble - No one likes a martyr — not even the boss who expects
you to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
So if you've put your life on hold for your job, you are only hurting yourself. A healthy life outside of work
refreshes you, expands your network, sparks your creativity. Just like it's a bad idea to give up your
friends or hobbies for your love interest, it's a bad idea to give up the rest of your life for your career.
13. Know when to let go - Just because your career — or relationship — has gotten stale, doesn't mean
it's time to quit yet. First, try adding some spice to it.
Take time to enjoy a feeling of accomplishment at the tasks that you do well. See if you can power up
that feeling of loving your work again.
Add some variety to your work — take on a new project, learn a new skills and try delegating the ones
that most drain you.
14. Don't spend years in a mediocre situation - If your relationship with your company, or your career
has stalled out, its easy to be lulled into complacency.
Don't waste your life on something mediocre. Change something at your job to make it better for you and
if you can't do that, don't lie to yourself: It's time to move on.
15. Have others sing your praises - Before you put the word out that you are looking for
new opportunities within your network, "control your message". "People not only believe but will repeat
what you tell them." You want to be seen as someone "up and coming." If your network can't do this for
you, consider hiring a publicist or headhunter to help you spread the good word.
-Anuj
Founder
Feedspot.com
4 Comments • Share (14) • Thank • Report • 18 Sep, 2012
14
Charles Faraone, I Love Sunsets
Votes by Amita Kaur, Kübra Zengin, David Güera, and 10 more.
Hone and parlay your luck.
"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show
up more often."
— Brian Tracy
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 10 Sep
23
Dustin Byington, mobile app entrepreneur and Michigan ... (more)
Votes by Ahmad Abubakr, Nandeeta Seth, Jayme Self, and 19 more.
Some Quick Sage Advice for Young Employees Early in Their Careers
from 2X Entrepreneur Turned Venture Capitalist | Both Sides of The Table by Mark Suster
My wife & I have a close friend who recently entered the workforce for his first-ever job. On his first day
of work my wife was kind enough to write down words of wisdom from her years on the job.
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.c...
I don’t write about Tania very often – mostly at her request. Otherwise I’d shout from the mountain tops
how smart & capable she is. She’s a Brown undergrad, Wharton MBA, ex strategy consultant and ex
Googler. She’s worked for L’Oreal, Accenture, Virgin Mobile & BSkyB (one of the leading media
companies in the UK).
She is the disciplined, organized and detail-oriented member of the Suster household. And she’s one hell
of mom, with her super-motivational schoolwork & music completion charts with daily measurements
and appropriate rewards for hitting milestones.
You know now why I would take her advice for new employees. She’s “type A” and I’m “type ADD.”
She gave me a special one-time permission to write about her in a blog post so I could publish the advice
she gave our friend. So consider this my first-ever guest blog post. With a tiny bit of ghost writing from
me
. Cheesy stock photo mine, not hers.
Hope you enjoy.
*****************
Secrets of the real world – stuff I learned the hard way
General Advice
1. Don’t expect constructive feedback without asking directly for it. Most businesses have formal
programs in place to give you feedback. Most bosses are too busy to put in the real effort to help
you. Many just ask you to fill out the forms for them. It becomes more administrative than
constructive. If you ask for feedback in a pleasant, non-defensive way you will likely get it.
2. You won’t really have a mentor unless lightening strikes. But if you seek one out, most talented
employees would gladly become your informal mentor. This can be your most valuable career
management tool so use it. It can be a great way to build advocates that will move mountains for
you in the future.
3. People won’t communicate expectations clearly (you must ask, clarify, ask again). Knowing the
expectations of your senior employees (and peers) is invaluable to your success and asking people’s
expectations is the clearest way to get them to think about it in the first place. The easiest way to
beat expectations is for you and your boss to agree them two-ways and check on progress
periodically.
4. Constructive criticism stings, but we all need it. So seek it out, push for real feedback and be
open to hearing it whether you agree or not. If you’re defensive you’ll never get real criticism. It’s
much easier for your boss to avoid the confrontation or putting the time into thinking through what
you could do better.
5. Don’t overly rely on HR. Make your boss and her boss your primary allies. Your career is best
navigated though line managers. HR should be able to manage the sensitive information you
give them separate from your line managers but in my experience they do not so be careful. They
are not your free psychoanalysts.
6. Show up early. You may be a morning person – you may not. But nothing gets noticed more than
which employees constantly turn up late. Even if bosses say they don’t care – they do.
Nothing tarnishes your reputation more quick than being THAT person. The one always slipping in
late.
7. Be humble. Nobody cares where you went to school or how great of a student you were. Get over
yourself. Don’t be arrogant. Don’t try to act like a managing partner from day 1. It’s OK to be junior.
Nobody expects you to be managing the whole division. In fact, they’ll resent you if you try to act like
you are.
Working with Your Boss
Sit down with your boss asap and tell her you want to do an amazing job. Ask her:

What could I do to exceed your expectations? What have past employees done that made your life
much easier? What tips would you pass along from the most successful employees who have had
this job?

What is the worst thing I could do in this job that you want me to avoid?

Whom should I emulate? Who is great in this role that I should learn from?

How can I best help you?

Where is the best bar around here? [Kidding, that's Mark ad-libbing. don't ask that!]
What to do in Your First Weeks

Interview your peers, people in your role/team: set up a meeting and ask them same questions as
above, plus:

How can I best work with my boss, what does she love/hate?

What mistakes did you make that I can avoid?
What is Your Job, Really?

Your job is to make your boss’s job easier – to help your boss succeed. Always have that in mind
even if it’s not in your immediate job description

NEVER bring your boss a problem without bringing him a few potential solutions (I wrote about this
here “Bring Me Solutions, Not Problems”). Be associated with problem solving, not problems, it
creates a positive halo around you

Say “yes” to work even when don’t want to. Everybody loves employees who take on projects with
enthusiasm. The world is filled with people who sigh when assigned work.

BUT if you do become overwhelmed with work it’s ok to say “I need your help prioritizing my tasks
because I have too much on my plate.” Make it a positive thing. The worst thing is to take on too
much work and under-deliver.
Other Notes

Schedule in your calendar and in your bosses calendar a few check in meetings and ask for
feedback and make it a formal conversation. Prepare them in advance by providing a list of the
things you’re working on developing and tell them you’d love feedback on how to improve at those
things. You might want to preface with ”I want to learn how I’m doing so I can improve, please give
me constructive criticism!” Mostly you don’t want them to feel like these meetings are obligations,
reasons for hours of preparations or ways for you to be defensive about your job.

So take the feedback on and don’t get defensive. The more you get positive measurement on your
work the more likely your boss will be aware of it at the annual review time. Make sure to thank you
for his time (he is likely busier than you are, after all!)

After you feel stable in your role and with your relationship with your boss – make sure to get to
know your boss’s boss. Don’t let your boss love you but his boss not know who you are! This WILL
come in handy in your career but you have to manage this cautiously.
Welcome to the rest of your life, I know you will do great!
Comment • Share (1) • Thank • Report • 10 Jan
39
Jae Won Joh, sleepy medical dork
Votes by Tracy Chou, Marc Bodnick, Najeeb Tarazi, and 35 more.
Every morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Is what I'm going to do today going to make me
happy?"
If the answer's "No" for more than a week, either change your attitude or change what you're doing,
because one of those two is wrong.
Share • Thank • Report • 31 May, 2010
13
Ivan Chan, debating drupal /django to build my n... (more)
Votes by Damien Chee, Samuel Henry, Charles Faraone, and 9 more.
I recently came across this list and it looks to be very popular. It is called 21 Suggestions For
Success by H. Jackson Brown Jr. No copyright infringement intended. This is more about success in
one's own personal life but I believe success in your life will transfer well into your career.
http://www.21suggestions.com/
1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with
people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more
than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.
1 Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
11
Jay Jamison, Venture Capitalist at BlueRun Ventures
Votes by Adam Hardiman, Pierre Meytadier, Yize Li, and 7 more.
Think long-term...
Often when I have discussions with people around career management, the person seeking advice is
seeking input on one of two issues. Either they want advice on how to climb the ladder and get a more
senior sounding title. Or they don't like the person that they're working for, and they want advice on how
or where to move. While both are certainly issues to think through, they are both very tactical.
My advice is take a step back and think more deeply about what you're trying to achieve and accomplish
over a longer time horizon-- 5 years minimum, more likely 10 years. Then think about, seek advice on,
and understand what skills you need to gain in your toolkit in order to achieve those 10 year milestones.
Once you have some inkling of what those longer term milestones and skill sets you need to build out,
then its a relatively straightforward process to work backwards to the present day and set more short-term
and intermediate goals and milestones. You then have a rough path to navigate and you can be much
more informed and directed as you pursue those goals.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 9 Oct, 2012
5
Tim Scott, Software Developer, Entrepreneur
Votes by Adam Rapp, Nickolas D'Agostino, Aziz Yusupov, and David Güera.
The following idea dramatically changed my career:
Decide what you are worth, then demand it.
Let me be clear. I am not saying, charge in your boss's office tomorrow, slam your fist down on the desk,
and demand some princely sum. You are, in fact, not entitled to a high compensation just for being that
special snowflake that is you.
Let me elaborate. First, a few basic insights led me to this idea:

Most bosses are very happy to pay you less than you're worth and ask less of you than you're
capable. Most bosses fill positions to meet specific needs. If the need is being met under budget, all
is well.

We're lazy and risk averse. You're probably clinging to some comfort zone that gives off that warm
feeling of mastery. It's hard to step out and demand more of yourself.

Roles that offer higher rewards and greater challenges are not equitably handed out based on
merit. They go to those who demand them.

We're deluded about negotiation. You probably think that compensation is dispensed equitably based
on the rational system that your employer has constructed. It's a fraud designed to make you settle
for less.
Don't misunderstand. I'm not urging to become some money-chasing-super-climber. Follow your
passions, make a difference, and always say "no" to golden handcuffs.
But don't get caught in the adequacy trap. When I say, "demand it" I mean first demand it of
yourself. Someone once said, eagles don't chase mosquitos. Setting your price is one way to keep
yourself honest and make sure you are challenging yourself to contribute at the level that you know you
can.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
11
Hector Diaz, Bueno.
Votes by Marc Bodnick, Phil Calvin, Victor Liew Jia Hao, and 7 more.
Some thoughts on ladder climbing and corporate culture...
Understand that your manager:
1. Doesn't think about your career and ascension nearly as often as you might think he/she does. So
assume that you have to create your own strategy - it won't just be handed to you on a platter.
2. Remembers but a few brief interactions to judge your worth/value. So be absolutely 100% intentional
when you speak or act around your boss. In fact, plan out those interactions in advance by asking
yourself what you want to accomplish.
3. Does not consider themselves an enabler of your success.. if fact, they think that relationship is
flipped. Remember that it is YOUR job to make your his or her life easier - and your job description is
to do whatever they need done.
4. Likes people who do a great job without adding excess drama. Managers love it when subordinates
only come by to say that something is complete. Employees who complicate their manager's lives
with requests and issues are foolish. Don't put trash in their bag.
5. Is above you on the food chain, and likely more experienced and knowledgeable than you. You may
think you can do a better job than they can, but disrespecting or taking a boss for granted is a very
dangerous game...
And I echo the earlier comment: Be liked. Only a select few can pull of the hard-nosed, results-driven,
prick persona. That's a career strategy that can work well - but can also backfire badly. Having
relationships based on trust and admiration is always a good career strategy.
2 Comments • Share • Thank • Report • 31 May, 2011
4
Karen Gutierrez, Social media director at a bank in th... (more)
Votes by Didem Altop, Jon Perera, and Brad Hall.
Run to a job, not away from one.
Also, I enjoyed Fast Company's recent Lessons for 2013 feature:
http://m.fastcompany.com/?m=fast...
This one particularly resonated for me. I think it's worth reading the rest of what he said on this topic - it's
under section 4 after you get to the page.
"Focus your career around the thing you're good at, not the thing you're trying to get better at." - David
Tisch, Managing Partner, Box Group; Cofounder, Techstars N.Y.C. @davetisch
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 21 Sep, 2012
6
Andrew Choi, quarter way through.
Votes by Jeremy Muir, Satvik Beri, Thomas Kwon, and 2 more.
Build up career capital. You will only be rewarded with rare, valuable job if you have rare, valuable skills
to offer in return.
For more: So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love:
Cal Newport: 9781455509126: Amazon.com: Books
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 21 Feb
5
Jeff Flower, tool & die maker, graphic designer
Votes by David Güera, Benjamin Wong, Rupert Baines, and Saurav Sharma.
No one likes a know-it-all.
In a negotiation, when you get what you want - stop talking.
Learn to appreciate awkward silence. Say what you have to say, and wait.... Don't keep repeating the
same message simply to fill the void.
Listen like your life depends on it.
Watch the dynamic of other people and how they interact. Get a sense of their strengths and
weaknesses.
Learn as much as you can for the immediate and for the long range.
Stay out of the gossip circles and make sure people know you can be trusted.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
6
John Daly, Pharma Exec
Votes by Charles Faraone, Rupert Baines, Olivier Beau de Lomenie, and 2 more.
1) In leadership it is critical to put your people first.
2) Pay the "price of admission"! Before you start directing and coaching people - Learn what makes each
person a great asset to the organization, team and you. 3) Your people are going to see and learn who
you really are, so be real from the start, it is only a matter of time!
Comment • Share (1) • Thank • Report • Tue
5
Hari Won Suggest Bio
Votes by Jon Schlossberg, Ali Abbas, Thomas Kwon, and Helen Anne.
Two things:
1. People usually don't remember how amazing you were at something, but they always remember the
smallest mistake you made.
2. Be humble.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 26 Sep, 2012
8
Owen Jones Suggest Bio
Votes by Charles Faraone, Ashwini Meena, Andrei David, and 4 more.
Mohammed Ali was asked whjat he would have been had he not become a boxer and he replied:
'I don't know, maybe a road sweeper... but I would have been the best damn road sweeper in the world'.
I often think of that interview on Parkinson thirty years ago.
1 Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Wed
5
Pratikshit Pandey, Foodie. Crooner. Fatty!
Votes by Alex Thompson, Robyn McIntyre, David Güera, and Saurav Sharma.
Just 4 months since I have started working! This post is more of a self-evaluation/self-reminder than
having to share any wisdom. Such brilliant answers have already done that.
1. Throughout college, I was never good at exams. But all my projects, I did everything I could. I did my
best. And so I believed I can handle projects, which is what matters in actual jobs. First project with
my first company - Boom goes the bubble. So now I know am good at nothing. So now am improving
everyday.
2. At the end of that first project I was completely down and felt out. As I came back to work, I was half
hoping to get a strong rebuke and scathing reviews. My mentor sat down with me, and patted me for
whatever little I was able to accomplish. His way of managing is something I have greatly come to
admire, and I will certainly remember when I am in a similar situation.
3. Since then, I have my plate full. Am trying to juggle between 4-5 mini projects. I am smiling in office. I
am trying my best to get work done. And though I am nowhere close to being a good employee (in
terms of ROI for the company!), I know am getting better. So does everyone else around me.
4. I am not afraid to make mistakes. I do not spend millions of seconds before hitting "Send" on that
mail. That is because 1. I understand my work better, and 2. I understand people are tolerant to
minor mistakes. And nobody has come back with a scathing reply to my mails yet. So am assuming
am doing something right.
5. As time passes, I have started liking my workplace. And all I want to do is add to it. A friend once
said, "Its not only about how much value the company adds to us, its mostly about how much value
we can add to the company".
I hope you will find this useful. I have a long career ahead of me. I just want to keep getting better.
Comment • Share (1) • Thank • Report • Tue
3
Nithya Prabu, Entrepreneur, Founder, Monkey Baba
Votes by Thomas Kwon and Dharav Solanki.
Before pursuing any objective, I'd ask myself the following questions: 1. How important is it to me? 2.
What would I lose: financially & emotionally: if it turns out to be a failure? 3. Finally, will I forgive myself if I
don't pursue it? My mentors and people I have worked with have taught me the following: always be
curious, be willing to learn, work on things you are passionate about, love what you do and above all be
prepared for the outcome - could be either ways.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 27 Sep, 2012
6
Michael Loescher, Psychologist
Votes by Marc Bodnick, Kavi Chokshi, Diệu Học Huỳnh, and 2 more.
While the number is debated, it is believed that we change careers (not jobs) around 7 times in our lives. I
recommend exceeding that number. There is great joy and meaning in the pursuit of mastery while 'being
great' at something doesn't give you as much of a return as you would think. There is something very
fulfilling in having the 'beginners mind' and starting again on the low branch of the tree. So go forth, pick a
tree, love it, then have the courage to leave it and find another.
1 Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 21 Sep, 2012
3
Richard Ward Suggest Bio
Votes by Samuel Henry and LiBing Gavin.
Subscribing to the premises in Rudyard Kipling's "If" has served me well:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
7
Anu Sharma Suggest Bio
Votes by Abhimanyu Sanghi, Deepak Jois, Surendran Mahendiran, and 3 more.
I've marked and reflected on the advice from the same set of teachers and lecturers that Matt references
above, and have found that in the end only two things matter:
1. The team you choose to work with. Make sure you trust and respect your team members. Don't be
lazy about thinking why you trust/respect them, and don't shy away from confronting these questions for
fear of what you'll find out about them.
2. The passion you have for the work you choose to do. Make sure you love what you do. That is the
only way you'll spend hours learning and enjoying the art and science behind your profession.
Nothing else matters, no matter what anyone tells you. In fact, Matt alludes to both these points in his
theoretical listing above, but ignores his own advice on the Pareto principle.
Comment • Share (1) • Thank • Report • 24 Aug
3
Alexandra Acker Lyons, progressive political hack
Votes by Cojocaru Vlad and Gayle Laakmann McDowell.
Network, network, network! Your contacts (and your ability to organize and call on them) are your destiny.
More at The Political Ladder: Insider Tips on Getting a Job in Politics. But yes, very generally applicable.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 29 Jul
8
Young Kim Suggest Bio
Votes by Bassam Al-Bassam, Thomas Kwon, Kelun Zhang, and 4 more.
recently a board of directors member told me that the most frequent career advice he dispenses to others
is to do work you find interesting and not just because it's a stepping stone to something else. the reasons
for this are two-fold. you're more likely to work harder and be more successful if you're doing something
you're genuinely interested in. however, if you don't like what you're doing and happen to succeed
anyway, chances are you're going to get more of that kind of work coming your way, and so the cycle
continues.
he also said not to worry about other people's perceptions about the job or career you choose, because
the reality is that people really aren't thinking about you that much.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 29 Dec, 2012
3
Satya Iluri Suggest Bio
Votes by Raj Reddy and David Güera.
1. Focus on your craft and the career will follow
2. Focus on what you learn and the earnings will follow
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
6
Alex Corrado Suggest Bio
Votes by Freeman Lewin, Amira M'Rad, Ezra Bridgman, and 2 more.
There's also a great website called the Jobbook Wiki that offers great insight on your career/profession of
choice. It displays fun facts, famous people, job titles, relevant skills and so much more! All of which can
be very helpful to either start or advance your career!
Jobbook Blog
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 24 May
3
Jorge Zapata, Co-founder, Dealradar.com & LocalOffe... (more)
Votes by Luke Middendorf and Prayag Upd.
To get the job you want, don't ask for a promotion or complain that "I could do that". Just start doing that
job, even if it's after you accomplish your regular responsibilities and duties for your current job. Stay at
work later, and start to do that job and help out that group (for free).
When there is an opening, they'll think of you first. Otherwise, you'll now have experience to do that job
elsewhere.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 8 Oct, 2012
9
Aco Strkalj, Technologist/Businessman
Votes by Majster Klepka, Rupert Baines, Ronald Elkins, and 5 more.
After reading some of the advice posted here (cynical MBA textbook references) such as 'Be likable.'
(really?) I have to throw in my word because most of this is garbage.
When people don't put up a show and refuse to kiss some ass, they find their place in life. Think of it as a
misplaced cog. All the advice in the world can't change the strength, size, and type of cog. That's given to
you by the designer.
A lot of your character comes from your genetics. Most predestined. Willpower is your only way to
deviate from the path laid before you.
My way of giving people advice is to point them in the direction I think their character fits best. What you
look for is self-discipline and work ethic from a person with talent. Kind of a investor over workhorse
view. That said here is some advice and things to look for:
- Discipline. Is the person fat and lazy or a workhorse? This is a huge hint because there are so many
things out there we don't want to do.
- Demeanor. How does the person react/behave in extreme situations (life/death). Also get an idea of
their past behavior to X events as past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior.
- Obsession/Passion/Focus. The subject has to be there. All the time. This naturally gives the person
full understanding of the subject.
- Talents. Is the person a super geek or artist or what? Do they have good taste and sense of style? Or
are they just the grease hair type solving np-completes? Where would this person fit best?
- Ego. I want to see huge ego. But ego that doesn't derive from bullshit. Ego that's born from raw
talent/skill. One that can say this is crap and one-up it and actually get away with it. With a track record.
- Jack of all traits and master of none. This is obvious. You want a person that's more of a index than a
substance. The substance you hire. The best. The index stitches it all together creating a macro whole.
- Keep it real. Don't be an Indian. If something's crap and don't like it, always speak your mind. This goes
back to the kissing ass part. No one intelligent and worthwhile wants you kissing their ass.
- Complacency. This will destroy you. Either you play to win without a blink or you don't play at all.
Become complacent and you'll look as stupid as RIM and MSFT.
- Avoid toxic people. Watch out whom you surround yourself with. Those you interact with will become
an influence. And it can change your views and thinking without you noticing. Some will just suck you dry
of energy.
- Lastly, learn how to leverage the DOJ/FBI and attorneys strategically to defend yourself as well as apply
it in a competitive environment. This becomes necessary when lots of money is involved.
In the end all the advice in the world can't fix incompetence. I think it all boils down to you finding a
hobby, growing with it, and discovering your talents. In a way you discover the type of cog you are and
you move your ass to the right position to inject life into harmonious, systematic whole.
3+ Comments • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
3
Ruchi Kaushal, Brand Manager+Explorer+Trendwatcher. ... (more)
Votes by Ahmad Abubakr and Jason Chaw.
One simple advice - no one is able to make a big difference in first 90 days of their new role.. Most of the
people are however able to screw it up easily in first 90 days. So keep calm and learn first.. No matter
how old you are!
1 Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 5 Dec, 2012
7
Steven Holmes, world class nuisance
Votes by Jason Chaw, Nickolas D'Agostino, David Wallace, and 3 more.
You do not find your career; it finds you. I know that from over 20 years of advising people and handholding them through their job search and applications. It's called destiny and the skill is to take the
chances when they come but not waste your time on idle dreams that will embitter you.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 24 Feb
2
Anonymous
Vote by Ayman Yosry.
Start by thinking clearly about your long-term career goal. for example, someday I would like to do X, or
someday I would like to be X. If you work hard and plan and work smart someday you will reach that
career goal. Just as certainly, someday you will die, your body will be dead. So, if you live for someday,
you are dead already. Lets say achieving your "career goal" takes 15 years. Then another 15 years, or
maybe another 30, or even 45 if you are extremely unusual, you will be in a coffin or in a crematorium,
dead. Because that is an absolute outcome, completely predictable.
You can live in the moment, right now, in which case you are a success right now, in this moment, doing
exactly what you are doing. Or you can try to think of life as a sequence of finite achievements, in which
case the only certain achievement is to die. You will achieve that. And it will be the only lasting
achievement. Why?
Think forward 100 years, or 200 years, or 1000 years. That's not long at all. By then, everything you've
ever done will have disappeared, even any record of your name or your family or your thoughts will be
gone forever. Now, if you wrote a really good book perhaps that might be 2000 years, or 4000 years, but
at some point, a very short time from now in cosmic sense, your existence will have been erased by
entropy. The fact of your existence, and all that you've ever "achieved" will be gone into something that is
un-knowable and means nothing to any surviving people.
My career advice is if you have a job, do your job. And live your life, now. Do your job in a humble
fashion, expecting nothing, wishing for nothing, just help people and do some good work and get along
with people because it feels good to do that. Do your job. Stop scheming or planning. You are just
hastening death to yourself. It comes quickly, quickly, quickly enough. Savor this moment, today. There
is nothing to win - no one gets out of here alive. Slow down, its a job, not a career.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
5
Oded Kahana, System Analyst
Votes by Suzi Black, Aditya Marawar, Cojocaru Vlad, and Nalin Savara.
Some short advises:
1. Love what you do.
2. Be an expert at what you do
3. Constantly broaden you personal and professional horizons
4. Be the one who people will turn to an answer because are are good and no less important - likable and
pleasant to work with
5. Respect others in the organization regardless of their position
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 23 Jul
2
Derek Kosnak Suggest Bio
Vote by David Güera.
Buy a nice suit. This simple advice was given to me when I graduated from college by my then girlfriend's
father. I wore that suit to many interviews and am a big believer in dressing for success. First
impressions are critical and it pays to give a good impression. Someday I'll track him down and thank him
for that advice.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
2
Paul Reid, proud dad & husband
Vote by David Güera.
If you can't find what you love, find a way to love what you do
1+ Comments • Share • Thank • Report • 18 Sep, 2012
2
Robyn McIntyre, author, digital flaneuse
Vote by Charles Faraone.
Some really great advice in this conversation. My general advice is to realize that some of your bosses
will be crazy. Particularly in family-run businesses, start-ups, and very small companies or nonprofits. I
had a Chairman of the Board once who was so incensed that a computer vendor rep parked in his
unmarked parking space that he threatened to pull every one of the products from the company. I had
another who routinely insulted new employees to see if they would stand up to him. And another who
made all employees attend a morning prayer circle. You'll be surprised the first time this kind of nuttiness
happens, but the first time will probably not be the last time. Use these occurrences to check your course
and ask yourself if you still want to stay aboard for the ride, and if so, why. Then make your plans
accordingly.
1+ Comments • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
3
Sangeeta Narayan, Go with your gut! [email protected]... (more)
Votes by Spencer Thompson and Ravi Jadhav.
Pursue a career where you are having fun everyday! If you enjoy your work, you will excel at it and
become successful.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 11 May, 2010
4
Gaurav Gupta, www.gauravgupta.in
Votes by Ali Abbas, Paul Reid, and Jon Schlossberg.
Find something interesting to do. Then do it better than anyone else.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 29 Oct, 2010
3
Sonjala Williams, Career Services Professional
Votes by Suzi Black and Kyle McDonald.
A formula I gleaned from an article is perfect for this. T+P+E*V. T stands for Talent, figure out what skills
you are good at and enjoy. P stands for Passion, What excites you and you might do for any amount of
money, what brings you joy? E stand for Environment with leads to personality/environment fit, Figure
out your career personality type and how it plays out in your career choice. Finally, V stands for Vision of
Life or Values. How does your career choice fit in with how you envision your life? Does it fit with your
most strongly held values? if not you most likely will not be happy, a key to success. So if all of these
things are in line T+P+E*V = :) you should find your self being happier, more successful and excelling in
your career. Take the time to do the math!
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 27 Sep, 2012
3
Raghavan Srinivasan Suggest Bio
Votes by David Güera and Muthu Raman.
Instead of answering I chose to learn from what others say.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Wed
1
Anonymous
This blog from PayScale has a lot of career advice: Career News such as this
post: http://www.payscale.com/career-n...
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 1 Aug
1
Doug Puchalski, Hands-on Technology Entrepreneur
It's hard to get the job you really want. Instead, get the job that will prepare you for it.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Wed
6
Donna Lail, Wife, Mother, MBA, CLU, CFP.
Votes by Bassam Al-Bassam, David Güera, Dakota Lim, and 2 more.
My college law professor said when you graduate take the highest paying job offer you get regardless of
what it is because when you find the one you want, they will reference your previous salary.
3 Comments • Share • Thank • Report • 28 Dec, 2012
1
Ronald Elkins Suggest Bio
I had a mentor share that you need to think two levels up from where you are. That is, learn what your
boss's boss wants from your boss and then work to make it happen. It is interesting how your mind
begins to absorb a larger perspective of your own work.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
1
Anna Chodzko, Coach
Do what you love! and give you satisfaction!
I believed it and changed my live :) :)
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Project: Next Job
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 20 May
1
Kåre Lohse, About half way done with life
No matter what you finally decide to do, there is one very important thing you need to do:
Search yourself, and find out what you are REALLY interested in. What makes you feel happy, useful,
making a difference?
(If you are REALLY interested in sleeping - you might find it difficult to follow that as a career.)
People with most happiness and success are not those who end their lives with the most toys and money,
but those who spent their life, doing what was meaningful to them.
If you can turn your favourite hobby into your profession - then you never have to "work" again.
Fast forward to the end of your life, and imagine your own funeral: What would you like people to say, in
memory of you? Then reverse back to your present - you now have a clear cut goal.
Should you ever lose sight of your goal, imagine your funeral once again.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 1 Apr
1
Binny Mathews, Co-founder at DeZyre.com - Online cou... (more)
1. Always have a plan - It doesn't matter if the plan changes every quarter or every week, but without the
focus a plan provides, your career/business will just drift with the wind. (one of my current angel investors
gave me this advise)
2. Have Bias for Action - Ready, Fire, Aim!
Keep moving, keep performing tasks even when you have nothing concrete to do. As you perform a
multitude of seemingly pointless tasks, insights and relationships start emerging. (learnt through my years
in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse)
3. Get Smart Consciously train your mind to get analytically smart. You will save so much time and wasted effort if you
have the skill to quickly grasp a situation, analyze it, generate hypothesis and gather data quickly.
Comment • Share (1) • Thank • Report • 27 Jul
1
Lacey Rae Trebaol, Engineer, Yogi, & wannabe Writer
A poster given to me:
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. -Einstein
Basically, things aren't all that different... :)
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 31 May, 2010
1
Marcus Ronaldi Suggest Bio
When writing your resume and cover e-mail, think backwards from the job description.
Clearly map how your experience matches the requirements.
Do not assume that the person doing the searching and initial screening is an expert in your field.
The best format for a cover e-mail is the T Letter where you build a table with the requirements and how
your experience matches the requirements on the other side.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Tue
1
David Wallace, Careers Manager, UK
Some advice for someone in work looking to change or improve their situation: It takes time, but
is worth it.
The bottom line is; if you do more of the things you enjoy and are good at; the better your life will
feel.
1) Make a list over 2 weeks of everything you do. It's a pain, but every night; update that diary - line by
line. EVERYTHING you have done that day.
2) Now strip out the wording that is specific to your particular role and rewrite each line underneath as:
I ............, because,......... and the result is..........
3) Rank these new lines - maybe create a top 20
4) You should now have a view of what your job is without it being clouded by the company specifics.
5) Do you enjoy doing those things? Can you do more of the top 5 in the current job? If not; time for a
change.
6) If it's time for a change you have a list of your transferable skills - get them in your CV and start
networking.
Example (from my ex-life in Investment Banking in London):
1) Alarm goes off at 5.10am to be at work by 7.00am to find out what happened in the Far East Markets
before Tokyo/HK goes home, to update customers with Far East developments.
changes to:
2) I get to work early becasue I want to be ahead of the competition and the result is my customers are
better informed.
Example 2 has no mention of the job: but who wouldn't want to employ someone with that
commitment/ethos in an account management role?
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 8 May
1
Ken Larson, Founder, "Smalltofeds
Follow your value system.
Our existence and our mental universe are driven by factors that we as individuals inherit through the
gene pool, as enhanced by our experiences in life.
In short, we are most at peace when we are in sync with the personal value system that has evolved as a
result of the above factors and when we are permitted to pursue our values in our personal and
professional endeavors. If we cannot achieve that harmony we will seek change.
Human intellect is an ever restless endeavor and we struggle to evolve in other aspects fast enough to
adapt to our technology. The human physiology has not evolved to match the pace at which we live
today. We are prone to overweight, mental disorders, and many other weaknesses as a result.
We are sensitive and vulnerable creatures, designed in a complex and vastly varying ways. The pace of
life these days requires cultivation of expectation management and everyone must evolve their own
unique form of that art.
Edit
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 20 May
2
Rohit Sehgal, Founder & CEO of www.mapmytalent.in, ... (more)
Vote by Nickolas D'Agostino.
I believe that the best general career advice would be to First correctly figuring out ones' "Inherent
Strength Profile" and then picking up a career or job where one can best utilize these "Inherent
Strengths".
Many would say, "Easier than done, how does one find ones' Strengths?"
Well, we can find our Inherent Strengths, but important to know What Strengths are we talking over here.
The Strengths that we are talking over here are our "Inherent Inborn Talents", yes those talents that are
hard wired in us since the time of our birth and that this wiring is different for different people.
Psychologists call these as APTITUDES. They are nothing but our inherent capabilities to learn or do
certain tasks. In addition to Aptitudes, we must check our PERSONALITY, i.e., what type of a person am I
... whether Out - Going or Self - Reserved, whether Tough - Minded or the one to give-in easily during
emotional situations. This unique combination of our Aptitudes and Personality should help define our
Area of work. It is indeed true that once you start operating our of your "Strengths", you will start
experiencing more and more joyous moments at work-place and your productivity would automatically
rise above others and no matter which field or area you are operating in, once you start out-performing
others, you get recognized and start getting rewarded handsomely.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 12 Mar
1
Michelle Chen, Co-founder, RedHoop.com
It is all about happenchance. Keep on doing stuff and things will happen. Learned from from Prof
Krumboltz, who taught Career and Life Counseling for over 50 years at Stanford. Recently reconnected
with him and he said his teaching now is focusing even more on doing stuff. Take a look at his book, Luck
is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career: John D Krumholtz, Al S Levin:
9781886230033: Amazon.com: Books
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 8 Jun
1
Salman Farooqui, Blogger Templates Designer
Believe that if you work hard you are going to be no.1, then just work hard.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 16 Oct, 2012
1
Adam Merrill, Founder of Find a Job Online
There are lots of tips and career advice on my website, Find a Job Online | How to Find a Job | Jobs
Online.
Cheers.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 21 Apr
6
Jack Clark Suggest Bio
Votes by Will Kivinski, Kübra Zengin, Davidson Hepburn, and 2 more.
1. Try everything for one year. Drop it if you were not successful then
2. Be multilingual: English, German, French, Spanish (Arab, Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Chinese are
too time taking)
3. Don't be afraid
4. Learn how to speak in public
5. Learn how to typewrite
6. Don't change your job or career too often
7. Don't talk too much in a new job while in your first year
8. Don't talk bad about your colleagues; be friendly to subordinates, doormen, cleaners etc. and show
your boss from time to time what you do (what you do anyway, not extra work necessarily)
9. Avoid talking about your personal life and separate private life from your job
10. Don't drink or don't drink much at meetings
11. Don't put your heart or feelings into your job, you might be hurt. Just do things without thinking
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • Mon
1
Ali Abbas, In search of who I am
Learn to adapt - You should be able to adapt quickly, over the course of your career you will come
across several people, work environments, clients and challenges. It is vital that you are good at adapting
to new situations otherwise you will be treated as a misfit.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 7 Mar, 2012
1
Nitesh Prakash, IIT Bombay ; MyCareerCoach.org ; Entr... (more)
These are personal thoughts that I walk through my career .
1. Visibility - it's important both in personal and professional life. One need to show efforts and results to
the right people at the right time . You wouldn't realize that in matter of time somebody will do the
same job and present in the perfect style.
2. Surprise yourself - always strive for something you won't believe you can achieve in real life.
3. hire and fire - Most difficult tasks you will see when you actually do it. I learnt my own style. Bid
goodbye with motivation and welcome with quick win task
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 27 Mar
1
Thomas Greig Suggest Bio
HOW DO YOU FIND A JOB IS THAT IS NOT ADVERTISED?
I have written a post on this subject before (where to get a Job from) which whilst I feel is not entirely
accurate it does give you an idea of how all the jobs that come onto the market are filled. As expressed in
the post, a massive 41% of jobs are filled internally which begs the question – How do you find a job that
is not advertised!!!
With the current market as it is, companies are cutting back on their recruitment budgets for things like
advertising as its both expensive and actually does not always work. According to my previous post, only
10% of all jobs are filled using job boards and this figure is reducing. Companies are cutting back as they
either have all the CV’s they need or do not have the manpower to go through all the CV’s that are
sent. In tough times, with an high percentage of people out of work or looking for a new job, often
candidates will apply for roles whether they have the right qualifications or not. This means that roles
placed onto a job board collect huge numbers of CV’s. A recent role that I placed on ……….. collected
nearly 1,500 Resumes in only 3 days. I still have not really made a dent in looking at all the CV’s that
have been sent to me.
Finding a job that is not advertised is worth investing your time into as it will almost certainly pay off given
that fewer people will be applying for the role, however how do you do it? Below you will find my top tips
for finding a job that is not advertised for.
Its Not always what you know but who you know
Networking is the key and you should make sure that all your friends, family, former colleagues, former
bosses and any business acquaintances that you know or have met along your career know that you are
looking for a new job. A reference from your former boss that you are a great candidate for a role will go
along way. If a candidate is passed to me as a recruiter by one of my clients, I will always meet the
candidate as I can guarantee that I will not be wasting my time. If I look at all the candidates that I have
found new jobs for over the past 10 years, a high percentage have come from references.
Be Prepared to Pick up the Telephone
Contacting HR for the most part is not worth it as Internal Recruiters are usually very busy looking for
candidates for the job that they currently have. Unless your CV fits directly into a role that they have,
most likely your CV will end up in the bin. If you send your CV too the hiring manager, they will have a
look as to see if you are useful to them. If you have a look at the company website or LinkedIn you can
usually identify who will be best person to speak with. If your looking for a new job in sales, then send
you Cover Letter and Resume to the Head of Sales Directly and make sure you tailor the application letter
to each company that you send to. There is a great post about sending Speculative Resumes here
Right Place Right Time
Getting the right job is as much about being prepared for an interview as it is as being in the right place at
the right time. Recruitment is a nightmare for the candidate and the hiring manager given that you have
to make a decision if a candidate is going to work in a short period of time. Working as a Temp means
that an employer can see you work for a much longer period of time and therefore reducing the risk that
you are not going to work out for them. Once in a company, you are also more likely to be successful
with any in-house roles, given that a hiring manager can have first-hand experience of your work.
Social Media
According to JobVite in the USA, a massive 87% of companies use Linkedin.comfor their recruitment and
two out of three said they use another social media platform for recruitment. with facebook, and twitter
being the next 2 highest percentages.
You need to make you that you are part of this and you have a well presentedLinkedIn.com profile that is
both factual and recruiter friendly. Make sure that you use plenty of keywords and phrases that match
your specific experience and skill set and therefore ensure that when a recruiter runs a search for specific
keywords, you profile is returned. If I cannot find a candidate for one of my searches, the first place I turn
to is linkedin.com. You also need to join groups within LinkedIn. Lets say I am looking for a CFO, the
first place I will go within LinkedIn is to a CFO group and have a look if any candidates are looking for a
new job. If I see your profile, chances are I will connect.
Twitter so I have heard is also becoming a great place to look for candidates, I whilst I do not currently
use it, I know many people who do.
Get Job Alerts Straight to your Email Box
Make sure that you sign up for both specific jobs within job boards to ensure that if a new job is created,
you are one of the very first to reply to it. You are much more likely to get a reply to a job advert if your
CV has been sent in the first 24 hours.
Thinking outside of the box, you could also use Google alerts to get regular emails with events that might
lead to a new job. For example, “Company X” is planning a hiring spree and then you could make sure
that your resume ends up on the right table.
Trade Fairs and Conferences
You can find where and when these are on the internet and they are a great place to find lots of potential
employers all in one place. All you have to do is walk around the room and network as the hiring
managers are all sat in front of you.
Be different
Think about ways to stand out from the crowd when contacting companies. Everyone sends their
CV/Resumes and a Cover letter. Can you think of something different that will make a difference and
actually get some to spend some time on your CV. As an example at Easter you could send your CV with
an Easter Egg, or you could prepare a business plan on a new idea that would use their existing business
to make new money.
Source
If You like what you have read, there is more here.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 8 Jun
1
Robert Meyer, Community Manager, Simply Hired
Just a quick Google search of phrases like “job hunting tips” or “job search advice” will give you an infinite
amount of results to comb through. Some of these web sites, articles, and blogs may provide you with
great advice that will help you land a job. Others, however, will give you advice that may end up being
counterproductive to your career search. How do you know what pieces of advice to follow and which
articles to skip altogether?
Here are the 5 worst pieces of job hunting advice that you may come across:
1. Resumes are dead
In today’s digital age, you sometimes hear or read that companies do not value resumes nearly as highly
as they once did. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In essence, resumes may be even more valuable
than ever before with the increased frequency of job seekers applying for jobs through company websites
and job posting sites. Because of this, if your resume does not stand out and trumpet your skills in the
best possible way, you may never even get a chance to wow them in person. That’s why you should
make sure your resume is in tip top shape. If you need help with it, try using a reputable online resume
builder.
2. Companies hate when you follow up
If you have sent your resume to apply for a job you are interested in, but have not heard back, you should
definitely follow up with a phone call or email. You will not be bothering them. In fact, you will be showing
them that you are eager and interested. The same is true after you have interviewed for a position. Send
a thank you letter to remind the person who you are. Keep your name on their mind in a polite way, and
you will increase your chances of landing the position.
3. Apply everywhere
If you are in need of a job, casting out a wide net may seem logical. But in reality, doing this is
counterproductive. You are much better off using your time researching companies in the niche you are
interested in, and then using that valuable information to create targeted job applications that are way
more likely to get positive attention than a generic application sent out to every company you can think of.
Read more on the Simply Hired Blog: 5 Worst Pieces of Job Hunting Advice - Simply Hired Blog
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 25 Jul
1
Paul Ollinger, Grizzled internet veteran. Wannabe co... (more)
Keep your dick in your pants.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 16 Jan
1
Hassel Lee, IT Professionalist
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
Comment • Share • Thank • Report • 5 Jun
1
Sumit Arora, at www.thecareertools.com
Example :
I am a Finance Professional My objective is to make a money management firm
likewww.fisherinvestments.com (As of 2010, Fisher’s firm manages $41.3 billion in 38,521 customer
accounts and has been called the largest wealth manager in the United States)