The Best Career Advice

This post is a collection of the best career advice I have read/received over the years. I will try to update this post regularly as and when I get better career advice.

Common career mistakes

• Don’t assume that the career trajectory is linear. Our learnings and skills need to grow exponentially over time. We must focus on accelerating our learning curve. We must always be learning and be ready as if we are to change jobs soon. When uncertainty strikes, we are not surprised. We are ready.

• Don’t prioritize money over learning. Money is an essential factor in any job—no doubt about that. But learning takes precedence over money. If the opportunity we are in can accelerate our learning, settle for slightly less and do it.

• Instead of choosing just a job, we need to focus on industries - 1 or 2, where we can learn in depth. Optimize for an industry and develop a personal moat of industry knowledge.

• Sometimes, we have a false sense of pride, which stops us from reaching out and asking for help. Let go and reach out. It is an asymmetric bet. The worst we can get is silence.

• We are sometimes influenced by incredible-looking titles and land in that job, which later turns out to be the wrong move. We shouldn't get distracted by titles; go deeper and commit to the job only if we see a proper fit.

• The skills that helped us cross the Nile cannot help us get to the promised land. For (career) growth, we need to adapt and decide on the right skills to learn carefully.

Career Traps

• We try to work at a place/project that is cool, as opposed to the one where we get the maximum impact and learning.

• When we look for a new opportunity, we only think about our skills - good or bad and what we wish to learn. It is also essential to evaluate the environment well.

• We only think of the next project and job, while the ideal way to think through here is to think longer. Instead of a project, we need to think of a career trajectory.

• We get lots of advice. But at the end of the day, we must take a call with our own framework. A role perceived as bad based on peers' advice might turn out to be a great one. Get an independent perspective to separate truth and perception.

• Don’t optimize your decisions for the next job. Think of the next next job.

  • What new skills do I need for my next next job?

  • Is there a new network of people that would help me?

  • Are there experiences that I need to demonstrate to land the next next job?

  • Which mentors do I need, and how would I meet them?

  • How do I get exposed to the ideas that might inspire me in the future?

Look for signs of mediocrity and run away from mediocrity.

Best career advice from Harvard class of 1963

Harvard Business School - 1963 Batch was asked at their 50th reunion advice for their younger generation. Some of their thoughts on fulfilling careers which resonated with me:

• Choose work that brings joy and benefits others. Wealth is a byproduct of service well-rendered.

• Continuous self-education is key in a fast-evolving world. Stay adaptable, stay relevant. Keep learning adjacent skills. Marketing -> Psychology

• Seize learning opportunities, even if it means stepping into the unknown. Comfort zones often limit growth.

• Adopt a modest lifestyle. Financial freedom enables choices aligned with your values, not your bills.

• To truly thrive, find what ignites your passion/hobby outside of work. For me, it is writing dramas.

• You want to start up: and the vision is clear, but your plan is not. Then, work for an admired entity in your field to gain experience. It’s a strategic stepping stone.

Career Framing

• Career journeys unfold in "acts." The first act is exploratory, where you experiment and identify your strengths. The second act is about leadership and leveraging those strengths. This phase, lasting 10 to 15 years, marks the peak of your influence and earning potential.

• Consider your career from a future employer's perspective. Reflect on whether your current actions will resonate with your aspirations and prepare you for what lies ahead.

• Dedicate 30 minutes weekly to engage with your network. You'll click with some, not as much with others. Inquire about their projects, experiences, successes, and challenges with pointed questions.

• Find your superpower quickly and double down on it.

Shadow Career vs Real Career

Added it on 14 Dec 2024: A great way to think about our calling.

• True calling: This is what you're truly meant to do, the thing that deeply excites and fulfills you. It's often scary to pursue because it requires taking risks and being vulnerable.

• Shadow calling: This is something that resembles your true calling, but it's safer and less demanding. It allows you to stay in your comfort zone and avoid the risks associated with your true calling.

The metaphor: The shadow calling is like a shadow of your true calling. It has a similar shape and outline, but it lacks substance and depth. Just like a shadow, it's not the real thing.

Examples:

• Instead of writing your own plays (true calling), you study the plays of others (shadow calling).

• Instead of composing music (true calling), you indulge in the rock-and-roll lifestyle (shadow calling).

• Instead of starting your own business (true calling), you work for someone else's (shadow calling).

The key takeaway: If you're feeling unfulfilled, it might be because you're pursuing a shadow calling instead of your true calling. To find your true calling, ask yourself what your current life is a metaphor for. What deeper desire is it masking?

In simpler terms: Imagine you want to be a painter, but you're afraid to fail. So instead of painting your own pictures, you become an art critic. You're still involved in the art world, but you're not truly expressing yourself. That's a shadow calling.

References and additional reading