ATD Blog
Listen Up! Memorable Career Advice
Wed Sep 19 2012
“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on.” —Oscar Wilde
Since July, ASTD has been collecting stories from members about career moves they’ve made. Fifty-two respondents logged on and shared answers to the following question: What’s the best career advice anyone ever gave you?
They generously passed along the wisdom that they had gathered over the years to create a summary of some best practice themes for others who want a successful and happy career.
CATEGORY | # | % |
Take responsibility for your career | 7 | 15% |
Do what you are good at | 5 | 11% |
Do what you enjoy and believe in | 5 | 11% |
Have faith in yourself | 5 | 11% |
Maintain positive business relationships | 4 | 8% |
Concentrate only on what you have control over and be proactive | 4 | 8% |
Network with others | 3 | 6% |
Educate yourself and stay current | 3 | 6% |
Keep your priorities straight and a sense of proportion | 3 | 6% |
Be assertive | 3 | 6% |
Don’t avoid taking risks | 2 | 4% |
Balance work and family | 1 | 2% |
Be committed | 1 | 2% |
Learn from others | 1 | 2% |
Pursue jobs with good benefits | 1 | 2% |
TOTAL | 48 | 100% |
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Topping the list is the advice that everyone must take responsibility for their own careers. And we couldn’t agree more. Each employee owns his or her own career. The organization and your supervisor have a role to play, but you’re in charge of orchestrating the resources you need to realize your personal definition of success.
Much of the advice also focuses on the human side of the business. Technical expertise is the price of admission when it comes to career development. Maintaining positive relationships and networking effectively with others is the key to developing greater self-awareness and accessing opportunities for growth.
The nature of the work to pursue is another theme in the advice. Many of those who responded to the survey received memorable advice about choosing work that they would enjoy, be good at, and believe in. It makes so much sense: If you’re going to spend 40 - 60 - 80 hours of your life each week on something, make sure it nourishes your mind and soul.
One final and powerful theme in the "best advice received" category revolves around having faith in one’s self. Related to the idea of owning one’s own career, we need to trust our instincts, judgment, and fundamental capacity. We need to stay centered and not be confused by the countless messages and ‘noise’ around us. But it’s sometimes a lot easier to do that when someone you trust reminds you that ‘you can do it!’
So, what do you think? What else do you see in the data? What other great career advice have you received?
This guest blog post celebrates the launch of the authors' book, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want.