Monday, December 10, 2012

The Two Best Pieces of Career Advice I've Ever Received

I've received lots of career advice over the course of my life. Two items stand out, and I pass them along to you.

1. Identify individuals who've achieved professionally what you want to do and connect with them, using your network (and the networks of trusted friends and colleagues) to make personal contact. You'll want to learn why they did what they did, the lessons they learned, and glean any advice they can offer. The key point to understand here is that there's inevitably some person (and often more than one) who has walked the same path (or one very similar) to the one you want to walk, so you'd be wise to tap into their experience and the insight and wisdom they gained along the way.

2. Identify organizations you're interested in working for, based on their mission as well as any other criteria that's important to you (e.g., sector, industry, location). Begin to reach out to people in your network (and the networks of trusted friends and colleagues) to connect with individuals at these organizations. You'll want to arrange informational interviews to learn more about their work and discern opportunities for you to apply your skills and pursue interests at the organization.

What's the best career advice that you've received?