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

1. Run your career like an independent contractor, even when you’re not. A contractor is in charge of her own skills and professional development. Become an expert and keep the saw sharp – always be looking for ways to expand your knowledge, experience and command of your craft. You can be entrepreneurial, even within a salaried job, by taking on projects and becoming a trusted advisor to others. You’ll build confidence, and that’s much more powerful than the (often mistaken) sense of job security.
2. Intellectual curiosity. I look for someone who thinks learning new things and solving problems IS the job (not just a distraction.) I value an employee who is interested in all aspects of the work at hand and stimulated by new challenges. People in love with learning never feel stupid – or bored. I look for people who say “I’ve never done that before” with a smile. I can teach them skills, but I can’t teach them how to enjoy taking on new things.
3. Here’s my best advice on what’s next: you don’t need a job. You need three jobs.

• First, you need a job to pay the bills. Make some money, get financially stable, develop discipline.
• Your second job should be one that challenges you and builds your skills. Find work that keeps you sharp and keeps you in a learning mode. It can be a part-time gig, a consulting project, or a sideline that might turn into a startup. This work is focused on your future – your stretch goals for your career. Make it count.
• Finally, you need a job that gives you chills. One that feeds your creative side, connects you with people you love or work that changes the world. If you can find something that pays – good for you.  You’ll be way ahead of 99 percent of the workforce. But don’t worry about pay for this work – volunteer if you must. This is for you, to remind you what it feels like to connect what you do with who you are.
• This is the new model: pay the bills, build your skills, and do something that gives you chills. Build a career, but don’t forget to build a life, too.

I have one main tip that covers all the bases, and I’ve been writing about it over the past couple of months.

It is this: Know your story. People are woefully unprepared to tell the story that connects their background and skills with what they do/are looking to do in their career. Developing a great narrative and practicing it until it becomes natural is the best way to get hired, to stay hired and to relate to those who can help you in your career and your life.

1. My number one tip for having a successful career today – managing to make it a successful career – is to balance your values with the company values where you work and want to stay or with a company you want to move to.   Companies have their own value system (not necessarily the people heading it, but for the organisation) and they are profit/target driven mainly – not necessarily providing what their employees want for their own fulfilment.   Make sure you can work within those whilst still maintaining your own personal values too – ethical working, doing a job well not just fast enough, using your skills to meet their needs, on their terms!
2. The main characteristic of an employee/contractor that managers will want to hire is experience – whatever field, the want someone to hit the floor running, having a variety of experience and able to adapt to whatever might be thrown their way to keep pace with the company needs in the marketplace – even as they change. Flexibility can be found through experience and awareness in other roles and responsibilities = transferable skills.
3. Making sure your online profiles are up to date, impressive and reflect the needs of the new employer.   Linkedin profiles are likely the first port of call – keeping your online history up to date with what is happening now, not just when you are looking for something new; showing your varied experience and adaptability perhaps; managing the public ‘social’ with the online ‘business’ persona even when no-ones looking!  Engaging on social media is the way forward, so people see you and know you exist before even considering you for future roles and your reviews.

1. Know why you are in that career. Is it because of the money, is it because of the company or is it because it’s your passion. Once you know why, the what to do to become successful and how to be successful will follow.
2. More than the skills and experience, it’s flexibility. The ability of the worker to notice that if something doesn’t work, stop, adjust and try again.
3. Many of us are driven by the financial gain we get from working 8 to who knows how long, but it’s your ability to know whether work is just for the money or is it you leaving a legacy, helping people or you pursuing your passion. If you know why you come to work (or not) everyday, then it’s just a matter of focusing what needs to be done for you to find the right career, goals, change and growth.

1. My #1 rule will always be go for No…
2. Number one characteristic I look for in a employee would be energized.
3. Thirdly I believe that by going for the no on a regular basis it leads to more yes’s. Even though you may get 20 or more no’s in a row eventually you will get a yes and sometimes more than one in a row. Go For The No and win in all areas of life…

1. Along with the usual requisite skills, it is always helpful to have a growth and positive mindset which means high self awareness of your strengths and weaknesses and coming to work making the atmosphere and your team better! You come to contribute and learn and grow.
2. See above plus a caring attitude about contributing to making it both a warm and productive atmosphere. A well known leader, Steve Schroeder, only hires people he believes are caring as he knew they would look out for one another and want to help the customers too as that is part of being caring and taking care of others.
3. No longer will we stay in one job for a long duration, in fact, we have to more flexible, so we need to continually network, learn and grow our skills as industries are changing at a rapid pace as are the job requirements. Also, seek to do your job well, pay it forward with helping others do theirs well and helping others find new jobs. It’s important to be willing to go outside your comfort zone and learn a new skill at all times. Always be aware of your blind spots by getting assessments and working on your weaknesses. It’s an honor to grow and learn. Seize it!  Expect to be moving many times in your career so don’t burn bridges and always lend a hand. Become a better listener than a talker. Learn from others and continually ask how you can do and be better. I love this question from Solutions Focused Coaching – “How May I be helpful to you?” The best leaders lead with confidence but also humility. We all play a part in success so share in others’ achievements not just your own.

1. Firstly, define success? It will be different for everyone. Success may be more freedom, less stress, more income, professional recognition. Each person will have their own idea of what success is composed of. A successful career will be carved through iterations of experience. Be able to recognise learning curves and achievements and to know when to move on and when to dig in and make the most of an opportunity.
2. Congruence. Very often, people have no idea how their language and body movements make them look incongruent and unauthentic. Everything about you has to be in line with the person you want to be.
3. Patience. Defer gratification. Ask for help, seek advice. In talking to others you should listen to your own language. Don’t confuse determination with selfishness – one of them is kinder than the other.  You have more time to be kind with your evolving network than you imagine.

1. Authenticity is one of the most underrated keys to success.  Present who you are, and what you have to offer in the most honest  way you can, it reads uniquely, and boldly to the people around you.
2. I look for  confidence and humility together in the people I work with, It’s a rare combination that sets people apart.
3. Be kind to people…always, it’s a guarantee it will come back in ways you never imagined.

1. Keeping your professional network active and engaged. Being a resource for your network. When you stay active in engaging with those in your network and expanding it to new people the opportunities find you.
2. Their ability to stay ahead of trends and be technology savvy and direct in their communication, the strength of their emotional intelligence.
3. Live in the place of what you are creating. Job search is a creative process and it is important that you stay focused on how you will feel when you land what you desire. Your feelings are what attract in opportunities. Don’t focus on one opportunity, keep your funnel full and let go of expectations knowing you will land what you desire at the right time. Trust your gut and what gives you energy and follow those actions. If you need support hire a career coach.

1. Success comes from insight into 2 things:
   a.  What you are great at – Knowing the excellent value that you can provide (knowing this means knowing yourself – self discovery is crucial) – What are your values, interests, strengths, skills and motivations and how do they blend together to create a value proposition for someone else?​ ​  b.  Who are you serving and what do they need? True value is added when you serve a need.
2. Adaptability – to be adaptable you need to possess the power of perception. The ability to look at any situation from the perspectives of all stakeholders is a powerful trait and informs your actions to suit the needs of those you serve.
3. Careers move in phases or chapters. Nothing is forever and life has a habit of changing around us. Treat your career like a novel. Make each chapter interesting and suitable for the phase you are in but don’t lose sight of the end. Where are you headed ultimately and when you look back from the end, what do you want to see?

1. The number one thing I look for is perseverance. A never give up never quit attitude. If there’s a will there’s a way.
2. ​I look for a serving others characteristic. Someone who wants to make a difference. I believe you do this by helping others. Integrity and a sense of humor. If there is one thing I would share to help others. It is I have learned there are no mistakes in life. Just lessons. Learn the lesson and move on. Don’t stay in the guilt and shame beating yourself up.
3. Henry Ford said it best (you can, or you can’t) either way you’re right.

1. Choose a career that aligns with your values. It’s so important to feel happy and satisfied with your career rather than just thinking about what pays the most. To be truly successful in your career you need to make decisions that connect with who you are as a person. Without this, there’s a good chance you’ll reach a crossroads during the middle phase of life and want to make a substantial change.
2. Flexibility and solutions focused. Being able to think outside the box is so important. Potential to contribute more widely to an organisation beyond the job description is highly desirable.
3. Think about what you want from your life as a whole when deciding on your career. Decisions you make about your career will have a massive impact on other parts of your life, such as family life, leisure time and where you live. Understand what you want from life as a whole and then choose a career that enable you to make this a reality.

1. Customer service
2. Accountability
3. Do what you love/what makes you happy.  Follow your heart which is where you’ll discover your passion.

1. For your own business – imagination and dedication.  In someone else’s employment – commit to best practice in whatever you do.
2. Team worker….they need to hit the floor running so they have to be able to ask questions of the team; also they need to be able to fit in very quickly.  Also – see above…
3. I’m a Life Coach so I have any number of ideas on this!  Depends what you want and where you want to go. Generally? in every case I would say :  follow your bliss. No matter how ‘out there’ your goal might seem, if it’s what you really want then you can get there. And the journey may surprise you.  Also when people are contemplating change – follow the thing that sets your heart singing (your bliss). We only get one life – live it the way that means the most to you. You can always pick up training or qualifications on the way to what you want, so don’t be put off completely changing your direction, the main thing is to remember to do what makes you light up inside! your purpose in life! your bliss!

1. Develop a Growth Mindset. In a world that’s constantly changing and in flux, it’s important to cultivate a mindset that will work for you! The needs, problems and issues of employers and clients are always going to shift and change. To be successful today means you have to keep evolving, growing and adding to your knowledge base. A growth mindset enables people to learn effectively and tackle new challenges with a powerful and positive perspective.
2. Resilience. I look for clues on how a person will handle rough times and how much mental strength and perseverance they have. Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies – In order to truly succeed, they will most likely experience difficulties and need to push past difficult challenges. I want to hire people who can weather the storms in order to enjoy the rainbows.
3. Know thyself! Exploring who you are, what you truly want and how you define fulfillment creates your personal path to success.

1. I want to highlight “today” as being essential here because of the Global Workforce keeps changing rapidly.  So the #1 tip is to treat others with the highest positive regard; be very mindful of others; focus on cohesiveness; fine-tune your self-awareness; and finally, have an open mind for fusing new ideas as solutions to complex problems. Doing all that will speak volumes about your Personal Brand. Each of those criteria works to fuel each other positively.  When one, or all of those things are out of balance with each other, everything you worked so hard to establish will end quickly and rapidly. Work with a Coach early on so you can unlearn bad habits and develop a more positive professional presence.
2. Does the person have strong oral and written skills?  Communicating effectively is critical and sometimes needs to be done in a rapid timespan.  Can you be sharp and to the point with your messages to maintain high productivity and efficiency.
3. If you are stuck reach out to a Career Coach if you are not a Student at a College or Grad Student at a College there are Career Centers at Colleges that can help the Student Body.  Outside of a College, some private Coaches are Career Coaches who can supply the similar services to their Clients. Reach out for help when you are stuck, and research which Coach will be the right fit your needs.

1. Applying the principle of the Compound effect / doing simple & often mundane tasks daily will yield you the results you desire. Pick one or two things & do them consistently.  These actions will create the habits of a successful individual
2. Skill set is great, I would rather have someone who brings enthusiasm to the table. I can always teach people the ‘How’.  I can’t implant desire & enthusiasm.
3. Find & follow your passion.  Work becomes enjoyable when you are doing what you love.

1. ​Number 1 tip for being successful in your career? Find a career that will fulfill you. If you could do what you do for a living for FREE then you know you are in the right place. Having said that, I don’t suggest that we should all volunteer or work for free but if you really want to be successful you must spend a little time before applying to find out what really fulfills you and what  feeds your soul. Life is too short to spend 8 or more hours every day in a job that that you are not passionate about.
2. ​I work for myself and I am not in the position to hire however if I was looking for someone I would make sure that their values,  ethos and culture were aligned with those I represent as then we could achieve great things. Needless to say that it is broad subject which I can’t cover here,however I would say that if your values are respected then you will feel appreciated and therefore be happier. Happy employee equals productive employee.
3. ​First of all find and understand your purpose. Why are you here? What is it that excites you? What are you so good at that you could teach others? If you know the answers then everything is “cosmetic” work which include great CV and covering letter. But first of all know yourself- how? That is a different topic and there are various techniques that can be applied but one thing is certain- coaching can help people discover these answers. When clients do, it is great to witness their transformations.

1. Stay in demand. Most people disengage once they find a job until they’re frustrated or disenchanted with their current job. Most people you network with are much more respondent of people who are working than those who are unemployed. So if you want the best opportunities, do what successful job seekers do: They stay in demand and keep a constant stream of jobs regardless of the economy.
2. The number #1 characteristic of an employee/contract worker that hiring managers look for when hiring is someone who can demonstrate and communicate value. It’s all about what the company needs and if the candidate has value intelligence, he/she has unearthed and surfaced what the company desires.
3. Networking is your most powerful and valued asset. It’s one of the main activities and tools to keep apprised of industry trends and to find out how others (your competition) are getting hired.

1. Positive can do attitude. .. being prepared for change!
2. Passion…any employee can learn a new skill..but with no passion it will be short lived.
3. I’m a strong believer that our gifts in life determine where we are best placed to work..finding that perfect fit for a job will be natural for the individual concerned…

1. Being passionate and obsess about what you are doing in your career. If you are doing something you are not enjoying, you need to review it and really think why you are in that job.
   1. Most people will give up when they fail or things are not going there way. Successful people will keep going, learn from your mistakes (that mean write it down, write what went wrong, how and what you will do next time).
   2. Mindset, eat healthy and stay fit, these are important to successful people why because if they get ill they cannot work. Personal development mean getting out of your comfort zone and doing things that maybe scare you.
   3. Successful people will have confidence in themselves and what they are doing. If you don’t have confidence we have to look why this might be and how you can overcome it. Top tip here would be practice make perfect so if you not good at something just keep going as you will become better with time.
2. Managers today are looking for people who can do the job and passionate about their work. Managers want happy employees because they will work hard. Managers are wanting people who can improve themselves and this goes back to personal development.
3. Goals and Right Career – What is your passion? I had a career in social care for 20 years working with people with autism and learning disabilities. The reason I chose that career was because I wanted to help people and it wasn’t for the money. I done caring from age 18 to 35 years old but I am still passionate about helping people why I am coach now.
   1. What skills do you have right now?
   2. What skills do you need?
   3. How can you get these skills you need?
   4. Choosing the right career is up to you but do something you enjoy doing is my advice.
   5. Goal setting, if it to do with your career we need to look at what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will get there. Do you have experience and if not how can you get that experience?
   6. Volunteering – is a great way to get experience in your field. You also see if it is for you.
   7. Some people want to have a career that make them a lot of money but are unhappy in many other ways. Try volunteering if you want to find out what it is like to work in your chosen field if you can.
   8. Growth/personal/self development is key here. All successful people will do self development. How you do this is very easy:
      1. Read Books
      2. Watch Videos
      3. Go to workshops/courses
         1. All three above can be done but the most important lesson with all of these is that you must implement them. Many people read self help or personal development books or go on courses but never put it into practice. You need to put it into practice right away.
   9. Changing career: Top tip for changing career is choose something you want to do and if you don’t know why not hire a coach. A career coach can help you in many ways and your outcome will depend on you.

1. Keep working on honing your skills, expanding your perspectives, deepening your own self awareness and personal growth.
2. Conscientiousness and persistence.  It shows you can overcome challenges, follow through on tasks, and achieve goals.
3. Align who you are and what’s important to you with the career choice you make.

1. Unfortunately, if people are searching for a quick answer to this question they will be disappointed because to be successful in a job or career involves many factors and doing any one of these in isolation will not enable you to be successful. Each job is different as the job requirements, work culture and personalities of those involved are never the same.  One essential key is to be very clear on your job expectations and if you can, try to not only meet them but exceed them.
2. If they are a competent-the hiring manager will look for a match between the job requirements and the skill set and experience of the applicant. Increasingly, hiring managers are using Applicant Tracking Systems to screen resumes to look for a match between the keywords in the job description and the skill set text on the applicant’s resume. You must make sure that you format your resume for the ATS system and give specific behavioral answers; examples of when you used the skills needed for the job.
3. People should consider coaching so they have an opportunity to explore all their options using various career testing instruments, and be able to create a short and long-term career plan. This includes personality assessments; examining what interests, challenges and fulfills them, what standard of living they desire, and what skill set or experience they might need to acquire to progress in their career. A career coach also allows people to establish a timeline that can motivate them and allows them to feel they are working toward something.  Too many people just pick a job or career without thinking it through. They come to a coach sometimes years later because they feel stuck, or that they aimed too low, and are wasting time that could be used to advance in their career make a higher salary.

1. Two words that go together … adaptability and flexibility. If you find a way to build adaptable skills that can be flexed to different industries or department functions (marketing to engineering for example), then you have the recipe for success. With technological and social changes happening more frequently and upending entire industries and jobs, it is vital to build skills that can be used elsewhere.
2. Culture fit. Now, it is true that employees need basic aptitude for the particular job they are going to perform. But I would err on the side of finding a person of quality character that is teachable and will otherwise fit the company culture I’m trying to promote. I would take that any day of the week over a candidate with a perfectly aligned skill set, precise number of years of experience, and specific job title previously.
3. Take responsibility for your own career. It’s not the responsibility of your boss or company to give you professional and industry education. It’s not their responsibility to help you earn more money or climb the corporate ladder. It isn’t the responsibility of colleges to tell us everything we need to be successful in our career; university is only a starting point. It is our own, and we must own that.

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In addition, you can check out my book, Why Career Advice Sucks® which offers a lot of perspective and advice on the topic.