Advice from successful professionals could be the key to landing that dream job. In this article, we take advice from a CEO on how to stand out from the crowd and get to the top. Contrary to what job-hunting blogs suggest, the following tips may surprise you.
Follow Your Passion Wisely
While pursuing your passion can bring fulfillment, doing what you love may not necessarily lead to a successful career. A job that offers personal fulfillment may not always correspond to a financially rewarding role. The CEO advises investing in skills that will lead to managing money and growing it. Becoming financially savvy will open doors to better-paying jobs with higher ceilings.
Embrace Continuous Growth
As you progress in your chosen career, you will grow along with it. The things that piqued your interest when you were younger may come to bore you over time. Focus on building intellectual and self-satisfying passions that fuel your drive beyond emotions and peers’ opinions.
Invest in Yourself
Turning yourself into a marketable professional requires consistent effort, diligence, and discipline. The CEO advises paying your dues by volunteering, self-study, and working with mentors. Keep your eyes on your goals and do everything necessary to get there. Know who you are and your capabilities to make yourself an attractive candidate for better job positions.
Document Your Achievements
It pays to ensure you celebrate all your career milestones, work achievements, and successes. Keep a record of all your accomplishments and maintain a portfolio of your projects. Your intellectual property will become an asset to you in the future. Building organizational structures, developing marketing plans, and designing employee handbooks will validate your brand to a potential employer.
Be Vulnerable
Presenting yourself as a candidate who listens, takes feedback, and engages in discussions is a bonus when job-hunting. Don’t focus on impressing your interviewer with rehearsed elevator speeches. Instead, be eager to learn and grow from advice from successful professionals.
Personal Branding Is Key
Building your personal brand should begin in college, even before your executive career starts. It would be best to work on your image and sharpen your skills to fit into top executive roles such as a director or CEO. Hence, working with a recruiter is essential as they help you build your executive career path and market your brand.
Think Big
Becoming a manager is good, but working towards becoming an executive like a General manager, Director, or Chief Executive Officer puts no limit on your aspirations. Put in the effort to keep growing and leverage your portfolio to get to the top.
The CEO’s advice may seem daunting, but committing yourself to mental and intellectual growth will help you stay on track. With these tips, you can get one step closer to actualizing your job aspirations.
