Wisdom Cheat Sheet

Want to wait until you’re in a wheelchair before you learn how to do your job properly? Nope, I didn’t think so.

Sometimes if only we knew something earlier, we would have acted differently. Our priorities change as we gain experience and our values attune to what really matters.

We’ve compiled a list of career lessons from those who have made it out the other end:

SUCCESS DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT

Everyone was a rookie in their profession at one point. Don’t expect to be CFO straight away. Working your way up the career ladder is necessary.

TEAMWORK IS KEY

You can only achieve so much on your own. But your colleagues, your family and friends and your wider network are super important to go the extra mile.

BE YOURSELF

You may aspire to be like certain people, and that’s great! You may look up to someone at your work or a global leader. It’s good to cherry pick traits to improve yourself but don’t replicate them word-for-word.

NO TO THE YES-MAN

It’s tempting to say yes to everything and everyone to please them and add to your credibility. But this can lead to burnout or doing things half-assed. Saying ‘no’ (where appropriate) is just as important.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, HONEY

Especially in the early years of your career, it’s tempting to think it’s all about the moolah. Yes, it’s important, but not at the expense of other things such as health and happiness.

DREAMS DON’T AGE

As we work and live longer, it’s more common to have more than one career. Maybe you’re in a successful city role but you really want to set up a cafe or become a surf instructor. It’s never too late, and many people ‘find themselves’ by changing careers midway through their working life.

THE ROAD HAS MANY POTHOLES

Failures can be the best and fastest way to learn and improve. When you make mistakes, you’ll improve if you take the learnings and apply it to your situation.

GOALS, GOALS, GOALS

It’s easier to achieve stuff when you make goals and write them down. Sounds simple, but people who feel regret when they look back at what they’ve achieved often point to a lack of goal setting as a culprit. You may have heard of the acronym SMART –  goals that are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based.

Learnt enough lessons at your current job and ready for a new challenge? Then check out our latest and greatest jobs today!