Career Advice from Successful People

If you want to be a professional football player, you study the best football players that have ever played the game. If you want to be a virtuoso trombonist, you take lessons, listen, and put into practice the habits of former and current professional musicians. If you want to be a great teacher, you study some of the most revered teachers of all time, learn about how they became "great teachers" and then collect ideas from those experts.

But what if you want to get a job as a welder? What if you seek a career in travel writing? How about if your dream is to become a scientist, a small business entrepreneur, an entertainer, politician, or a theologian? The same concepts apply. Research and investigate, read and listen, and watch and learn from those people.

Call them what you want, best practices, tips, suggestions, or advice, but at the very core of anyone who has reached any point in their career or personal life that they feel successful, it’s usually the result of accumulating a journey filled with experiences that got them there. However you define success, our society, via a powerful media presence and never-ending marketing strategies, put faces and people in front of us that they define as successful. Much of the time that success is accompanied by financial success, but that's not always something you hear from those people who have been labeled by others as "successful." What are the criteria for defining success?. You have your definition of success, of course, as well. But regardless of what your personal definition is, it is wise to listen to the advice of anyone that is successful, especially those who come the closest to personifying your idea of success. That does not mean you have to do everything that they do or take every bit of advice they offer. But listening to and watching other successful people should be as habitual as brushing your teeth every day. Advice, regardless of where it comes from, is simply a suggestion, food for thought that you must filter and take or leave based on what's best for you in your particular situation.

Who you choose to put through your filter is a personal choice. Here is a sample of people with advice that comes from varied backgrounds, and I hope you find some of their words and thoughts helpful.

Emily Hughes, former Olympic figure skater and CEO for Google fiber

When Emily left her life in figure skating and entered the business world, she felt lost, had no resume, and had no clue of what consulting was. She wasn't sure where to start. Her advice is to spark your entrance into new ventures by talking to a wide variety of people. Converse with people, explore what industries are out there, learn what professions are out there, and what different people do with various types of companies.

Pat Wadors, Linkedin

Know you will very likely change industries at some point in your journey and that you will also make lateral moves. Pat advises not to chase a title, but rather look for "experience and skill."

Jerry Seinfeld, Comedian

The worst advice for anyone just getting their start is any field, Seinfeld says, is to tell over-emphasize the idea that they need to do more to promote themselves. "Do your work, and you won't have to worry about anything else."

Amy Wrzesniewski, Professor at Yale School Of Management

In advising people of how to find meaning in their work, Wrzesniewski says the happiest employees make their work meaningful by doing what she calls "job crafting."  Job crafting is finding ways to add meaning to day-to-day tasks. Do not wait to be assigned a particular task or project, rather "ask yourself what can you do right now to make your work more meaningful?"

Sir Richard Branson, Investor, Entrepreneur, Business Owner (over 400)

"The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures, rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me."

Richard Branson’s mom advised Richard to “Never look back in regret.” Mrs. Branson told her son not to focus on failure, but rather to move on to whatever is next.

Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and an investor of many tech startups like Twitter, Tumblr, Medium, Uber, and Birchbox

Gary says to make a habit out of being a "reverse engineer." In other words, look back to where you come from and how you've arrived at the point you are, and figure out what the steps are that got you there. He also says that you can't just copy what other people have done, "you can only do what is right for you."

Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, American technology executive, activist, and author and founder of Leanin.org

After first receiving a job offer from Google as general unit manager, she took the advice given to her by Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. Schmidt told her not to be an idiot. Sandburg now offers this advice: "If you are offered the seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat. Just get on."

Another nugget of wisdom Sandberg offers "Bring your whole self to work." She defines that phrase by emphasizing her belief that there is no difference (or shouldn't be) between your work ethic or professionalism on a Monday compared to a Friday or any other day of the week. Be real. It is all professional, and it is all personal.

Conan O'Brien, Comedian

O'Brien says don't fear failure. In his words, he described his personal experience. "I left the cocoon of Harvard, I left the cocoon of Saturday Night Live, I left the cocoon of the Simpsons. And each time it was bruising and tumultuous. And yet every failure was free, and today I am as nostalgic for the bad as I am for the good. Fall down, make a mess, break something occasionally, know your mistakes are a unique way of getting you where you need to be, and that your story is never over. " ("Top 10 Commencement Speeches - TIME. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898670_1898671_1>. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017 <)

Robert Krulwich, Radio and TV Journalist

Don't just send resumes and wait. Don't wait to be asked, be proactive.

James Clear, Author, Entrepreneur, and Global Photographer

Leaving a job? Starting a business? Building up the courage to ask for a raise? James advises not to wait until you feel "ready." Start now. So many successful people begin before they are ready

Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and former Editor In Chief

Huffington Media Group

Learn and use meditation techniques regularly.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google

"Everyone needs a coach." A board member told once told a skeptical Schmidt he needed a coach. He did. And he encourages everyone to do so as well.

James Altucher, American hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, bestselling author, venture capitalist, and podcaster

Altucher has founded or cofounded more than twenty companies, including Reset Inc. and StockPickr. He says he failed at 17 of them.

So what is Altucher's advice? To get some perspective, think about the habits of highly effective mediocre people, and don't copy them.

Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, Senator, and First Lady

Take criticism seriously, not personally.

Madeleine Albright, first female Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright received some bold advice when she was still just a child. That advice was, "Strike it." The two-word message was a way of succinctly saying believe in yourself and go for it.

David Axelrod, former Senior Advisor to President Barrack Obama

Ignore the conventional wisdom.

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize-winning Holocaust survivor

Elie Weisel told George W. Bush, "You have a moral obligation to act against evil." Those words deeply affected President Bush’s decision to intervene in Iraq, and turned out to be one of the earmarks of his political career.

Ted Kennedy, former U.S. Senator

Jon Kennedy, Ted's brother, offered him this advice regarding the Supreme Court building and the White House. Jon said to his younger brother who was just twelve-years-old at the time, "Take an interest in what happens inside these buildings for the rest of your life." He did.

Taylor Swift, Singer-Songwriter

Lack of self-awareness was her personal downfall, Swift shared. That was always the cause for a feeling of irrelevance and a weak ambition that ultimately she interpreted as a loss of great art. Her advice is that above everything else, "know who you are".

Michael Jordan, NBA Basketball Player

"Play your game and let everyone else adjust to you."

Terri Brunch, former Mrs. California, Mrs. USA, Regional Executive Director for the Miss United States pageant and founder of the Miss Greater Southern California Pageant, and current Mrs. Global Earth International

"One of the most important aspects of being a business owner is to keep your ego separate. If your ego and identity are too intertwined in your business, you will not be open to listening to others because it will feel like criticism. See your business as a separate entity from yourself. At the same time, branding is essential. You must know what it is that you represent and what your image is within your industry. Create a mission statement that is the essence of what your business and brand are. Stay true to that but be willing to look at trends and juxtapose your journey to match market changes."

Mike Krzyzewski's Mom (Mike was coach of the Duke basketball team)

Krzyzewski's mom said, "Make sure you only let good people on your bus."

She told Mike to surround himself with the best people and only follow those who will take him somewhere great.

Jim Sinegal, [G594] Costco co-founder and CEO [G595]

"Show, don't tell."

Tyra Banks, Model, CEO of Bankable Enterprises (her company)

Tyra's mom told taught her that every project comes to an end and you should always have a plan in mind for what comes next. Tyra says, "Plan for the end at the beginning."

Howard Schulz, founder and chairman of Starbucks

"Leave your ego at the door."

Richard Simmons, Fitness Expert

"Always be yourself."

Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church and Author

"There's a difference between effectiveness and efficiency."

Know the difference between doing things right and doing the right thing.

Jane Goodall's Mom (Dr. Jane Goodall was a world-renown authority on Chimpanzees)

"You will find a way!"

Those were the words of advice given to Dr. Goodall by her mom regarding how to respond to those who said she'd never be able to go to Africa to live with wild animals.

She added, "Work hard and make use of your opportunities, and never, ever give up."

Antony Flew, The world's "most notorious atheist"

"Follow the argument where it leads."

Flew advised this after changing his opinion about the existence of God by following these words written centuries ago by Socrates

Ryan Serhant, Realtor, TV Star of Million Dollar Listing New York

"I would rather regret the things I did than the things I never tried"

"Only person who is going to promote me better than anyone else is me, because no one else cares!"

I hope these quotes inspire you and gives you some perspectives on what to do next in life!