The Best Career Advice I Ever Received
Simply Hired Staff
More Millennials, those born after 1980, now power the US workforce than any other generation. And they bring a lot to the table. Their diversity, technological fluidity and their generational values are changing how work coexists with the rest of life.
A community-minded generation, Millennials value family, professional creativity, authenticity and quality of life. They have weathered difficult economic times, and they share a commitment to making the world healthier and more harmonious.
Millennials have helped to shape a new American dream that sees work and life integrated to duly advance workers’ professional and personal character and skills. In their vision, employees power their ambitions with their passion and their reward is more than just financial. They find genuine fulfillment and harmony that they can use to enhance their community.
This generation brings innovation, community awareness, and hope. These are some voices that stand out among Millennials, sharing their reflections about the career advice that inspired and instructed them along their paths.
Finding your niche
“I know it’s clichéd, but my mom always said, ‘If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ It’s so important to think long and hard about what you love doing. Once you’re clear on that, you can set out to find a fulfilling career.”
– Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO, LearnVest.com
Recognizing victories
“Take a moment to celebrate victories. I really enjoy what I do, and sometimes it can be hard to stop and appreciate what we’ve accomplished.”
– Anthony Casalena, founder and CEO, Squarespace
Cultivating vision
“Strong leadership cannot happen if people do not follow and believe in the common mission you lay out and cultivate. From my military service, I learned people need to see and visualize the end game in order to walk the lengthy path, and laying a vision is critical.”
– Amit Y. Kleinberger, CEO, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Heirloom advice
“‘Tracht Gut Ven Zein Gut’ is a Yiddish phrase that means ‘Think Good and It will Be Good’ this is the motto I live by and it has been passed down over the generations in the Hasidic community that I belong to.”
– Zalmi Duchman, founder, The Fresh Diet
Advice from professional leaders
David Gorodyansky, co-founder and CEO, AnchorFree
“Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, once told me over a cigar that nobody really knows what they are talking about. Everyone is just winging it. Second, I attended a dinner at the U.S. Supreme Court where Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg mentioned a couple of things that I absorbed. 1: The concept of trying the door — if you try to open a door but don’t have success, keep trying different ways until you get through. Never give up. 2: Learn to listen, because most people don’t know how.”
– David Gorodyansky, co-founder and CEO, AnchorFree
Knowing your value
“‘You are your own best advocate, and no one will care as much about you as you do. No one will fight for you like you will.’ A mentor, Ed Goines, said this to me . . . He reminded me that I know my work better than anyone else, I know what I’m capable of more than anyone else, and that I care about my growth and progression more than anyone else. All of those together means that I’m my own best advocate, and that I shouldn’t be afraid of talking about my accomplishments and knowing my worth. If I discount and devalue myself, so will others. Knowing your worth teaches people how to treat you.”
– Bari A. Williams, Counsel, Global Infrastructure & Operations at Facebook Inc.
Committing to a cause
“We were taught early on to take care of our planet, so working in sustainability was important to us. Added to that, our commitment to global human rights issues—another lesson handed down by our “Baby-Boomer” parents–informed our desire to elevate products crafted by people who are treated well, and who work in safe conditions.”
– Maxine Bédat and Soraya Darabi, co-founders of Zady.com
