The Best Career Advice You’ve Never Heard from 45 Experts (Plus Leaderboard)​

Does your career seem to be a struggle at times? Why is the world appears to be so topsy-turvy? Have you felt this way? I know I have …  many times.

It’s why I wrote my book Why Career Advice Sucks® … to share the stories of my own career success and failures and help you grow your career more quickly.

Recently, I wondered what other career advice experts would add to the conversation about what’s vital for career growth. So I asked career advice experts these 3 questions:

1. What is your number #1 tip for being successful in a career today (employee or contract worker)?
2. What is the number #1 characteristic of an employee/contract worker that hiring managers look for when hiring?
3. Any other career advice you recommend for finding the right career, goals, growth, or changing careers?

And I got 45 thoughtful, invaluable responses back which I will show you in just a few.
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But first, let’s talk about this question. Have you ever asked yourself, “What career should I choose?” whether you are just starting your career or are a veteran worker?

It would be easy for me to answer with a formulaic prescription. “If you are an INFJ on the Myers Briggs test, then you should choose from this list of careers for infj.” Now, this isn’t a bad place to start exploring if you are an INFJ, but it should’ve be viewed as the Bible.

Not to mention that this approach isn’t as reliable as it once was, and it could be misleading and/or detrimental to your career. With business cycles changing more rapidly than ever before, many jobs have been eliminated while others have been spun off at the same time.
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For example, the job function I have now, digital marketing, didn’t exist when I left college, and had I focused on other areas without adapting as my career progressed, I might’ve missed my calling in digital marketing.

Plus, no test can ever fully dictate to you exactly what you are going to love doing for a vocation. You see, that is part of the mystery of life. We are all on a journey of career growth; we never fully arrive at our destination. Everything is in flux, and we should enjoy the ride as we may change jobs, companies, and even types of work (contract work, employment, entrepreneurship, etc.).

It seems like the answer to this should be, “Yes.” But that would be succumbing to a siren song.

The truth is that there are many things that define our career success, depending on what we value:

Far too often, we look at our lives through the lens of others by comparing what we don’t have with them. The reality is that we have accomplished much that they haven’t, but we tend to forget the good in our past. Instead, we focus on all of the negatives.

Do you do this? I know I do…

So let’s stop comparing ourselves to others. Can we stop focusing on all of the things we don’t have? What do you have that you can be grateful for? Ponder those things for a few minutes.

Now, back to the 45 career advice experts…
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Read on to discover each of the 45 career advice expert’s full length answers to my 3 questions. Expert responses are listed in random order.

1. What is your number #1 tip for being successful in a career today (employee or contract worker)?
2. What is the number #1 characteristic of an employee/contract worker that hiring managers look for when hiring?
3. Any other career advice you recommend for finding the right career, goals, growth, or changing careers?

1. My #1 tip for being successful in a career today would be ongoing investment in professional development and skills development.  With the changing world of work, the new gig economy, and a shift towards a more automated workforce it is more imperative than ever to keep up with evolving work trends.  To do so, one must continually invest in the upkeep of their knowledge and skills base to stay relevant and flexible. In order to transition through career change or economy shifts, demonstrating flexibility and relevancy will be key.
2. The #1 characteristic that I believe hiring managers seek in a candidate is flexibility.  With the shifting world of work, many employers recognize that this skill set will be extremely beneficial in the workplace as companies grow and transition.  A professional with proven ability to manage change and work across diverse areas, as required, can be a great asset to an organization. A flexible employee demonstrates proficiency in a variety of areas, allowing for greater use of skills and less resistance to re-organizations, transformations, or company developments.
3. My top tip for career success is to ‘know thyself’.  It may seem obvious and assumed, but often isn’t. Many people spend a lot of their career doing their work and don’t spend necessary time reflecting or noting personal value.   Understanding who you are, what you have to offer employers, and why you should be selected as a candidate of choice is critical to career transition and success. In order to ‘win’ a new job, a promotion, or a major career change you need to know how to sell yourself – and you can’t sell something you don’t fully understand.  Identifying personal strengths and backing up

1. Start thinking about and working towards your next role as soon as you start your new job. I am referring to working on your next promotion as soon as you have started working on your new role. Too many job seekers get complacent/satisfied as soon as they get their job. Then, they start to coast until they are dissatisfied few months later. I encourage job seekers to be very proactive and start taking career management seriously. Getting a job is just the beginning.
2. Initiative. “Will this person be able to quickly ramp and start producing?” That’s the question that often comes to the mind of hiring managers. Along with soft skills and technical skills – this key skill of being proactive will put you far and ahead of all your competitors (other candidates).
3. In my experience interviewing other career professionals (from different jobs/careers) – one thing stands out over and over again. They are all self-learners and continuous learners. They take it upon themselves to pick up new skills. This puts them on a speed track to career success.

1. There’s a ton of competition for the best jobs, so you need to find a way to stand out. Don’t follow the herd; do something different. Whether it’s recording a one-minute video to send in with a job application (just upload it as an “unlisted” video to YouTube and send them the link), or using humor in a message to a hiring manager on LinkedIn, think about ways you can stand out and be memorable.
2. Hiring managers love when a candidate is “coachable,” open to feedback, eager to improve and learn from their mistakes, and humble about their work. This attitude will get you hired quite often.
3. ​ Trust your gut and do something you actually care about. I spent the early years in my career following a path that other people thought was right for me, but it never felt right. Because of this, I didn’t give my full effort. My advice is find something you can commit 100% of your effort to, and you will succeed. Also, build a strong network and help your colleagues. When the time comes, they’ll do the same for you.

1. Always try improve yourself no matter where you work or what your position is. Learn all you can. There are no miracles in business and success is a culmination of learning and applying that knowledge to set and achieve your career goals.
2. I really don’t think there is just one – it is competence (having skills listed on the job description), willingness to listen and learn, adaptability, dependability, honesty, team work.​
3. There are several questions here so not sure which one you’d like me to focus on. Advice for changing careers might be different to advice about finding the right career or growing your career. In terms of finding the right career, research shows that it’s really hard to predict what you’ll be good at ahead of time, especially just by “going with your gut”, and it turns out career tests don’t work either. Instead, the best way to find the right career for you is to go investigate – learn about and try out your options, looking outwards rather than inwards. After an initial cut-down of your options, learn more and then try them out. Do informational interviews with people who do the jobs you’re interested in, try to get some additional work experience. Even if you’re working for a company but you’re interested in moving to a different part of the business – see if you can help them with some projects. Keep adapting your plan over time as well. The times of having one job for a long time are long gone, so while it’s good to have some plan and direction, it’s good to be adaptable.

1. Remember who the boss is: your client. You may be the boss of you, but your client is in charge of your revenue, and ultimately the health of your business. Choose wisely when you pick a job, make sure it’s something you want to do and involves people you want to work with.​ Make sure you show up happy to be there, eager to contribute. If you aren’t, you will not be successful ultimately. If they aren’t paying you enough to walk through that door with a smile on your face, or the job doesn’t motivate you enough to be eager about the work, you’re in the wrong job. Find something else to do.
2. ​Attitude. Anyone can be taught and anyone can learn with the right attitude. A famous chef once told me, “I’d rather hire an 18 year old with zero knowledge and a great attitude than a culinary grad know-it-all.” That works in corporate jobs as well. A good attitude and a desire to work are everything.​​
3. You are the expert on you. What you like, what motivates you, what fires you up. Be honest with yourself about what you want to do and you can’t help but succeed.

1. Build Networks within your specific “career” field!
2. First, a prospective employer would not be talking with a candidate if they first did not demonstrate on their resume that they had the skills and experience for the “opportunity”.  That said, the determining factor is “culture fit!”
3. ​ Never chase money!!  Chase an “opportunity!” that aligns with your values and  provides “opportunity” within your network! The money will come over time, I assure you!

1. To be successful in a career today, work to your strengths and natural aptitudes/talents. When you do that, work feels a lot less like work.
2. The #1 characteristic of an employee/contract worker is the ability to work independently and without close supervision while also being a team player.
3. The #1 challenge of every job seeker/career changer is figuring out what you want to do next. Most people know what they DON’T want to do anymore, but they rarely know right away what they DO want in their next career. They just want a change. The first step toward success is doing the internal work that helps you understand what you were meant to do. Assess yourself and your strengths. Then look for careers that play to those.

1. Trust yourself. You’ve been hired to bring your strengths, expertise and gifts to the table. Bring them, don’t underestimate yourself as your contribution matters. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork.
2. Being solution focused. Someone who is aware of the big picture and the role they play in that and a willingness to do what needs done to get the job done is priceless.
3. Embrace happenstance. You don’t need to have a career plan set in stone and spend your life working that plan like a dog! Get to know yourself, stop taking it all so seriously,  press pause regularly to reflect and recalibrate and say yes more than no as the doors yes’s will open will take you further than you realise.

1. Learn to remove distractions. Maintain a discipline and focus on your priorities. Don’t do the easy things first. Prioritise the commitments that provide the highest return.
2. The place of and type of work we do is changing and evolving day by day. Employers want to hire adaptable professionals who can change with it. This may mean someone who can follow directions one day and figure out his or her own direction the next. Or perhaps someone who can spend some days behind their desk and other days in the field, equally productive in both environments.
3. Continually assess how happy you are in your current role. Always keep up with emerging trends and technologies in your specific sector. This will keep you competitive and relevant. Set career goals and understand salary benchmarks. Are these in line with your expectations? Consider working with a career coach to assess your goals and aspirations against potential in your current path. They will help you realise your strengths and achievements and guide you in your career development and realisation.

1. Knowing your strength and having a big picture goal of at least 2-3 years down the line. The “what do you want to achieve in 10 years” question is no longer valid. People are increasingly realizing that we are multi-potential and have many skills and strengths that we can turn into careers. So, knowing what your strengths are and what to do with them to turn them into viable careers in the 2-3 years timeline is more important than ever in today’s workforce.
2. Increasingly, hiring managers want to hire people for who they are, and not what they are. In the knowledge workspace, many things can be learned and sometimes even learned quickly and easily. Working experience and educational background are still important, but not as important as whether you come across as a team player, people person, someone who can be empathetic and bring the team together.
3. Never stop learning. I personally try to read at least 2-3 business books a month. Some of the ones I highly recommend that will help you figure out what your goals & purpose are in your career are: Build Your Dream Network by J. Kelly Hoey, Entrepreneurial You by Dorie Clark, and Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

1. To be a success today you have to Soul Search, Research and Job Search to align your work with your core genius.  We each possess a unique package of skills, abilities, talents, life experiences and preferences – i.e. your core genius. When your work requires you to use your genius it’s not only more fun but you’ll naturally be motivated to deliver great work, you’ll naturally continue to evolve and grow and innovate, and you’’ll naturally be of service and find others are seeking you out for greater opportunities.
2. Self-assuredness.  When you Soul Search, Research and Job Search, you know what job you are here to do and at which company(s).  It is convincing and powerful when you have perfect clarity on where you are a fit -at what job and which employer fit you.
3. It’s very important in career success to maintain the proper attitude or mindset.  Our thoughts become words which become actions. By seeing yourself as capable, by believing in yourself and by acknowledging your genius, you set yourself up for things to work out in your favor.

1. The #1 tip for being successful in a career today in my opinion is loving what you do or at least some aspects.  When you enjoy what you do, the people you work with and understand your “why”(why you do what you do – why is it important to you), it makes a huge difference.
2. Enthusiasm.  Having a worker that is enthusiastic, wants to learn and has similar values is ideal.
3. I truly believe that it is important to follow your heart.  Your intuition or inner guidance will lead you to the right career, goals, and help you grow.  Taking your own path, rather than following along with society’s expectations, takes courage, but will bring much more fulfillment, joy, and abundance in all areas.

1. Confidence is root of success. We spend lots of time working on improving our functional or behavioural skills. However, often the root of the issues that trip us up, is confidence. Lack of confidence impacts how we communicate, how we value ourselves, how we treat others, what we go after and how we deal with failure.  Confidence is the #1, must have for everyone’s development plans.
2. Emotional Intelligence.  More and more hiring managers want to look for people who will fit and work well with others over experience.  Particularly at more junior positions. However, it’s also the MOST CRITICAL skill in senior management and leadership positions.
3. When looking to change careers, or set your growth targets, it’s critical to understand yourself first.  Start with understanding what makes you tick. What are your values? What role does your career play in your life? What type of environment do you want to work in? You have the chance to pick an ideal environment and career path that will allow you to thrive.  Take It!

1. It is important to identify what success means to you personally. Then you can make a plan to get there. Remember that you are ultimately in charge of your career, and you need to choose a career path that works for you.
2. This generally has to do with soft skills, things the organization can’t teach you like leadership skills, the ability to work effectively with a team, time management and follow through, being persistent. Hiring managers want to make sure that the employee will be a good fit with company culture.
3. It’s important to know what fulfills you. This will allow you to make the right career choice and set more meaningful goals.

1. Love what you do! If you enjoy your work, you’ll be more productive, more motivated and a better team player.
2. Skills are a given; they either have them or can learn. Enthusiasm is what you need to look for. “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice.” – Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of Business Networking International
3. Work with a career coach to get clear on what you love to do, so you’re not investing decades of your life on something you don’t enjoy.

1. Be coachable.  Be able to receive and give constructive feedback.
2. Natural curiosity and a love for what they do.
3. Figure out what you love and then connect yourself with the people and resources that can help you make a living doing it.

1. Make sure the fit is right. When you get the opportunity to do what you do best i.e. use your strengths, and you agree with the culture and values of the organisation, you will be thrive – you will be happier and perform better.
2. I would say commitment – show they can do the job, will do the job and are better than any of the other candidates.
3. Before wasting time applying for lots of different things, spend some time finding out what the right fit job/environment is for you. Ask yourself, what makes you most proud at work? What motivates you? What are your strengths and can you use them? What are your weaknesses – make sure you don’t have to constantly use them. What type of organisation/charity/working environment/working arrangement do you need? If learning or CPD is important to you, will you get the chance to do that on a regular basis? When you know this about yourself, you just need to wait or pursue the right opportunity and submit one application well. It saves a lot of time and heartache in the long run.

1. Communication Skills: Think about ways to challenge yourself and tweak how you write an email or behave in a meeting. Ideas are express in communication, Presentation of any product requires clear explanation or even most of the times the work done by you requires its presentation to the office colleagues.
2. Being a Team Player: Hiring Managers are looking for individuals that are easy to work with and individuals that can play well with others. There are situations where individuals have to communicate with customers and/or internal colleagues. There are variety of personalities in the workplace, it’s easy to teach people technical skills, but people skills are valuable and harder to teach.
3. If you want to try a new career, take a class in that industry, meet up with someone who does that job right now, get to know what it is you want to do and then find a way to break into that career path. Research the certifications or degrees that you can get to make you excel in that career. Also look for volunteer opportunities. If you don’t have the experience, then education will come in handy. If one day you choose to change the path, congratulate yourself on your efforts, the added experience and knowledge and move on your next adventure.

1. Employers want but never say this but they want an employee who will take initiative to solve problems and see the things that need to be done without being told.  That also includes going beyond the immediate scope of the job because whatever your job description is will be only the minimum for what they want you to do. If that is all you do, you won’t be excelling, you will be “getting by”.
2. Employers want to like the people they hire if we assume everything else like skills is the same.  Most of the time, when candidates are being interviewed, they all pretty much have similar skills so the stand-out person is the one they connect with personally.  Building the “know-like-trust” during an interview is THE most important thing a person can do
3. Most people lack a plan and a direction for their career.  As a result, they allow the winds of fate take over and the result is usually a big problem.  The concept of “finding something” suggests the individual has no idea what they are pursuing.  Figure out where you’re going, what you need to make yourself a seriously competitive candidate for that goal and how you will get there.

1. Find a way to leverage your natural talents and gifts *(the talents you LOVE to use not the skills that are a drudge) in the work you do, and tap into as much passion and meaning in your work as possible. When you do that, you’ll be inspired every day to work through the challenges (because there are always some big ones to overcome), and you’ll feel motivated to push through the low points to bring your best to the work so you can continually learn and grow.
2. For me there are three: excitement for the work, responsiveness (to clients, customers and the team), and an authentic feeling communicated from them that this work will light them up and teach them skills and information and give them great experience they are longing to gain.
3. Follow these five steps:

• #1: Step Back for an empowered perspective of who you are and what you’re capable of
• #2: Let Go of the thinking, patterns and behaviors that are keeping you stuck
• #3: Say YES! to your most compelling visions of the future, and start planting those seeds today
• #4: Try On the most exciting new directions so you can understand more about professional realities of those directions
• #5: Create it S.M.A.R.T. – Build a career change plan, with juicy goals, and proven structure, and built-in accountability that will keep you moving towards your goals