What is one strategy for building a successful career?
To help you build a successful career, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best insights. From keeping your eye on your finances to pursuing your goals with clarity, there are several pieces of advice that may help shape your strategies in building a successful career.
Here are 11 strategies for building a successful career:
- Keep Your Eye On Your Finances
- Change the Way You Think by Practicing Mindfulness
- Follow Steve Job’s Advice to Stay Hungry and Foolish
- Stay Highly Active On Social Media
- Have a Positive Perspective on Your Mistakes
- Choose a Career that Lights You Up
- Focus On Gaining Experience and The Rest Will Follow
- Have References to Look Up to in Your Career
- Keep Pushing Forward
- Be Aware of Your Strengths
- Pursue Your Goals With Clarity
Keep Your Eye On Your Finances
Successful careers have experienced crippling failures when they haven't properly monitored their finances and tax obligations. In a world where the gig economy is spreading, more and more people are needing answers for how to deal with new tax exemptions, and how they should set funds aside to prepare for inevitable payments. Being prepared is the first step, so be sure to consult with a professional to get on the right track.
- Carrie McKeegan, Greenback Expat Tax Services
Change the Way You Think by Practicing Mindfulness
Building a successful career is not just about what you do but how you think, and using mindfulness can be an effective way to change your perspective. Many of us have a habit of projecting into the future, and when we do so, will often foresee a negative outcome, even though there is no evidence to suggest that this will be the result.
Mindfulness, or living in the moment, keeps us grounded in the present, allowing us to assess where we are while providing us the clarity to see the opportunities, instead of negative outcomes. In practicing mindfulness daily, you can improve the performance at your current job, eliminate negative outlooks, and keep your mind open to new possibilities so that you can act upon them.
- Greg Gillman, MuteSix
Follow Steve Job’s Advice to Stay Hungry and Foolish
One of the ways to build a successful career is always to challenge ourselves and look for creative solutions to grow as a professional. My inspiration when making different career and life decisions is Steve Jobs’s commencement speech at Stanford University. He advises us to never surrender in looking for our passion and always: “stay hungry, stay foolish.” This simple phrase shows me that I need to constantly look for things that inspire me and help me become the best version of myself. It also reminds me that we should never settle and keep looking for fulfillment in our lives despite the obstacles that stand in our way.
We tend to make career choices that make sense and are simply the right thing to do. However, these are often things we think we should rather than genuinely want. Only by listening to our inner voice can we find what truly brings us joy and fulfillment and follow our path rather than copy what others do.
- Dorota Lysienia, LiveCareer
Stay Highly Active On Social Media
Networking used to be about connections made through events and other business settings but now with social media they are 24/7, and being highly active on it is a strategy that will help build a successful career. Making connections is a proactive activity, requiring you to reach out and be noticed, but many make the mistake of taking a more passive approach to their social media platforms, and in doing so, find they will generally yield poor results.
Creating dynamic profiles, updating your status, posting industry articles of interest, engaging with others on their posts, and doing this all frequently, will keep you at the forefront and more likely to be noticed. By maintaining a highly active presence on all of your social media outlets, you will keep your name on other’s minds and will always be ready to act and move quickly when opportunities present themselves.
- Anthony Puopolo, Rex MD
Have a Positive Perspective on Your Mistakes
While mistakes or failures can be seen as major roadblocks in an entrepreneur’s career, the truth of the matter is that they’re unavoidable. You will invariably make a wrong move or two and there’s no good that can come out of letting it discourage you. What is seemingly bad at the moment holds more lessons than any achievement can. If an entrepreneur can learn to capitalize on his mistakes and learn from them, he is undoubtedly on the road to success.
- Igal Rubinshtein, Home Essentials Direct
Choose a Career That Lights You Up
You need to be passionate about your career. If you are having trouble finding what career makes you passionate, one thing that can help is envisioning the life that would make you happy and fulfilled. Where would you live? How much would you work? What qualities would you enjoy about your work? Practicing this exercise can help you narrow down your choices when unsure what career to pick. It would help if you chose something that lights you up; otherwise, you may not feel as motivated, which will not help you succeed. The more excited you feel about what you do, the more likely you will find success.
- Miles Beckett, Flossy
Focus on Gaining Experience and The Rest Will Follow
Even if you have all the educational qualifications for the job you want, employers will still value experience over everything else. That’s why it’s so important to get as much experience as you can in your field. One of the best ways to do this is through internships and mentorship programs. Not only do you get the chance to learn about your field and gain valuable skills and knowledge but it also urges you to build a network that can be beneficial for your future career. If you’re having trouble finding an internship, try reaching out to companies or organizations you’re interested in working for.
- Peter Lucas, Relocate to Andorra
Have References to Look Up to in Your Career
Achieving a successful career is everyone's goal when entering the job market. And this is achieved not only through technical improvement - which can contribute a lot, but also with good planning with your professional goals. The truth is that more than wishing, having references in your professional career is fundamental. This way, building something solid and safe is possible - the chances of success increase considerably. Whatever your career choice, it is essential to have one or more people as your role models. You can rely on a mentor to help you on your path to success. You can also take as a reference a person who has reached the position you want to be one day and try to follow in their footsteps, of course, always being careful not to disrespect your own profile and the scenario in front of you.
- Ricardo von Groll, Talentify
Keep Pushing Forward
As an entrepreneur, unabashed determination has always been a key factor in my business endeavors. I never stopped believing in my own ideas, even as a kid, when I sold bundles of mistletoe gathered from my grandfather's ranch for $10 each. When I was a high-school running back, I edited highlight reels for my teammates’ parents at $250 per video. My wife and I started a company, but the pandemic squashed it after three years of hard work. But we didn’t let that stop us: We pushed on and embarked upon another dream. My best advice on building a career is to stay driven and commit to achieve your goals. Not all of them will be accomplished right away, but great things will happen if you simply stick with it.
- Alex Carroll, Caliber Games
Be Aware of Your Strengths
Awareness is a fundamental key to self-improvement. By being aware of your strengths, weaknesses, desires, and inner thoughts, you can adapt your career to whatever circumstances you are going through. You can use these sentiments to your benefit to best prepare you for future success. Regardless of your strengths and weaknesses, you need to react wisely to best leverage your traits and qualities in the workplace. Make the most of what you bring to the table, and be resourceful to sharpen your skills and seek improvement when necessary.
- Natalia Morozova, Cohen, Tucker & Ades P.C.
Pursue Your Goals With Clarity
Being clear about your goals is underrated. If you lack clarity, you will accept everything you're offered, including roles, projects, and practices you dislike or that inhibit your career progress. The more clarity you have, the easier it is to know what new skills to learn, what networks to form, what events to attend, and what tough, flexible, and strategic decisions to make today to progress toward your career peak tomorrow. Periodic reviews will also help you know when you’ve stagnated and need some fire under your belly to move out of your comfort zone.
- Jon Torres, Jon Torres
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