5 essential pieces of career advice that most people ignore

Not everyone is ready to receive advice on building a successful career. That’s because it often requires extra energy, time, planning and determination. Also, not everyone wants to be successful in their current career. But, if you do, don’t be like the rest of the crowd. Take the time to carefully read the following advice and apply it to your career in your own unique way.

1. Invest time and energy in non-work projects 

People who are successful in their lives and career do much more than their daily job. If I look around at people in my network, the people who shine through are the ones who run communities, start their own networks or write blogs or books on the topics that they are passionate about. So, what can you do? You can start publishing articles on LinkedIn on topics you are passionate about. LinkedIn is a powerful and free publicity tool to showcase your talents to many people.

You can also start a community or network of people who share your interests. Present yourself as a leader and expert on the topics that interest you. This will give you a great advantage.

2. Rather than family and friends, listen to your intuition 

Should I change my career? Should I quit my job? Should I accept this promotion? Most of the time, you know what you should do, deep inside of you, and yet you still ask others for their advice.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with asking, as long as you know what you really want. Don’t get me wrong, your family and friends might have your best interests in mind, but don’t forget that their advice is based on their own reality, beliefs and fears. So, whatever their advice is, you need to see it through this filter.

Trusting yourself might be a scary thing to do, but at the same time, you’ll have a bigger chance of doing something that makes you happy.

3. Work on building relationships 

Relationships are everything. Whether you want to move up in your career, are looking for a new job or want to launch a new business, you need others to support you. Building relationships takes time. It is about attention, trust and respect. 

Look for the right people to surround yourself with. The blessing of the current times is that you can easily find them online. Be genuine and authentic when you approach them. And be prepared that it might not always go the way you want it to.

Also, look for mentors and role models to follow. These are people that you want to take as an example, make time to connect with them and ask for their help.

4. Give before asking

In my career, I have been extremely lucky, as I have met a lot of people, both in my previous corporate career as well as when I started my coaching business, who were willing to help me. Some of them knew me before, others didn’t know me personally – but knew of my existence through my writing, and others were just helpful souls.

The simple act of genuinely helping someone is the most beautiful thing in the world. It builds a foundation for a long-lasting relationship, but also creates a willingness to pay it forward.

I don’t mean that you should help everyone constantly and forget about yourself, you do need to establish healthy boundaries. Trust your intuition that the balance is healthy but keep on challenging yourself. Have I given enough, have I asked enough?

5. Ask for help when you need it

I am actually a typical example of a person who is quicker to help others than to ask for help myself. But I am getting better and better at it. We are not all "Wonderwomen" or "Supermen"; we need others to progress in our careers and lives. We cannot be truly successful in what we do if we carry the entire burden on our own shoulders. If we do we will collapse and our career and business with it.

I think the hesitation to ask for help often stems from falsely believing the sayings: “Strong people manage it all by themselves” and “You are weak if you ask for help”. I think it is actually the opposite. Challenge your own beliefs and ask for help when you need it. If you help others become successful, the chances are high someone else (maybe not the same person) will pay it back.

What other advice do you have to share? What has been the most helpful to you when it comes to building your career? Please share in the comments below.