Single best piece of career advice you ever received?

[Anonymous]

Ones here I agree with and a few others:

- Always be positive and friendly. Being someone people like to work with will get you FAR.
- If you offer up a problem, at least suggest a way to get to a solution.
- ALWAYS ask for more money.
- Make everyone else look good (not just your boss, but people who report to you - call them out in email - "I just want to thank Jane for her hard work, this project would have been much more difficult without her")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MBA classes they often said "Don't ask a question at work unless you already know the answer". And if you don't know the answer, work and research more until you do. Easier said than done, but the best advice anyone ever gave me.

Maybe it's different in business but I'm in law and this is terrible advice. The people who refuse to ask problems and who try to pretend like they have all the answers do not get nearly as far as the people who are willing to ask questions.

Yes, but there can be such a thing as a stupid question (or at least a decent question asked of the wrong person or at the wrong time) that reflects poorly on you. You have to read the room. Take notes of what you have questions on, and if you can't figure them out on your own, approach the next person up the ladder.

[Anonymous]

-Mentors are great. Essential, even. But they'll never *truly* be as vested in your career as you are in your own. And if they're your boss, they have their own agenda for you that might not be your best path.

-No one wants a reputation as someone who thinks anything is "beneath" them. So don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and volunteer to pick up slack when necessary. But don't let yourself become a doormat, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Job hop. Loyalty is overrated.

I took the blame for an error that the management made

Big mistake
Do not think you need to make your boss look good. Bosses are idiots. If you loose respect for them, don't stay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:-Mentors are great. Essential, even. But they'll never *truly* be as vested in your career as you are in your own. And if they're your boss, they have their own agenda for you that might not be your best path.

-No one wants a reputation as someone who thinks anything is "beneath" them. So don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and volunteer to pick up slack when necessary. But don't let yourself become a doormat, either.

Do speak up
Don't take responsibility for something if you do not also have the authority to carry out the tasks
No bark without the bite

Instead of just cleaning up others mistake, ask to be in charge of the whole process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't blindside your boss.

This x100. A subordinate of mine did this to me recently, and received some tough feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a boss tell me he wanted an executive summary short enough to read on the crapper. Yuck but years later I still get kudos for writing succinct summaries.

Yeah, I learned that every executive had removed their Page Down button...

Correct

[Anonymous]

I worked for a non-profit one summer during law school. The lawyer there was super blunt. She told me that she spent the bulk of her career somewhere she could make money. She worked hard, saved up, made good financial decisions, etc. She volunteered a lot on the side, and did what she could to support her community. But because she was realistic at the beginning of her career and because she made smart choices, she then had the luxury of spending the last 10 years of her career working for the people she was passionate about helping.

This advice really helped me to recognize the difference between making a career choice and pursuing my passion. At that point, a lot of people were telling me to "pursue your passion", etc. But the truth is, that doesn't always fit with a career that will support your other life goals- a family, a home, travel, etc. You might not be able to have it all at the same time. But her advice gave me hope. It helped me understand that making a conscious choice now did not have to mean giving up completely. Her advice helped me see the big picture, the long game, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perception is often more important than reality.

This is SO SO SO SO true.

Agree and this is what I tell new employees. I mistakenly thought being a team player and producing quality work was important, but advocating for yourself and projecting confidence is what will get you promoted. Don’t do the grunt work, you won’t be rewarded for that.

I don't know what to make of advice like this. What field are you in? I imagine fields like marketing and sales being full of big personalities, but isn't it better to do your job to the best of your ability ad=nd be a team player in most jobs?

[Anonymous]

Keep IT on your good side. Always reboot your computer and try to solve issues yourself before you contact them. They also like snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s generally about fit, connections, and pedigree, rarely about merit or skill.

Most of us won’t live the American dream and move up a class from our parents without some extraordinary good fortune — just not a thing for the average striver.

This is so true, unfortunately.

I generally agree, but would add luck/timing as well, and caveat that you don't need all four at once. I have zero pedigree, pretty good connections that I developed (no family connections), pretty good fit (I know how to get along with most people but also don't suffer fools), but have been extrmely lucky/had good timing.

[Anonymous]

Showing up is half the battle (sad but true).
Listen not just with your ears.
Be independent and try to figure it out first before asking.
Do it once, do it right. When the instructions are unclear, clarify before doing it wrong and needing to redo it.
Proofread.
You have to prove yourself. If you can’t correctly/competently complete the simple task, why would I give you something more complex?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perception is often more important than reality.

This is SO SO SO SO true.

Agree and this is what I tell new employees. I mistakenly thought being a team player and producing quality work was important, but advocating for yourself and projecting confidence is what will get you promoted. Don’t do the grunt work, you won’t be rewarded for that.

I don't know what to make of advice like this. What field are you in? I imagine fields like marketing and sales being full of big personalities, but isn't it better to do your job to the best of your ability ad=nd be a team player in most jobs?

No. DP.

[Anonymous]

I'm the person who responded yes to Perception being more important than reality.

I work for a large organization that is full of office politics. In that environment, being competent and doing your job well is table stakes. What matters most for promotions is being the favorite of the senior executives and politics. There are all kinds of calculations that go into what that entails, but it's not about how hard you work or a meritocracy at all.

Just be aware that you can be a good, hard worker but if you aren't the SVPs's best buddy or seen as a cool person (let's face it, guy most of the time), it is challenging to succeed.

For women, the grunt work often turns into being saddled with all the "unpromotable tasks".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Showing up is half the battle (sad but true).
Listen not just with your ears.
Be independent and try to figure it out first before asking.
Do it once, do it right. When the instructions are unclear, clarify before doing it wrong and needing to redo it.
Proofread.
You have to prove yourself. If you can’t correctly/competently complete the simple task, why would I give you something more complex?

Agree with all of these. I would add, Know your audience.
Figure out what is important to them, will help you manage up and across.