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If you could time travel and speak to yourself , what would you tell your former self before reaching this point in your career to ensure your experience was easier or more accurate?

#advice #prepare #fashiondesigner # management #businesswoman #college #career

advice fashiondesigner businesswoman prepare
Thank you comment icon I don't have anything to add but I have to say that is an awesome question. It really made me think on this for a bit. Raymond Shreve
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Grace’s Answer

I love this question and actually think about it quite often. I would tell myself to pick the major I cared about learning most and not the one that I thought would give me more money. The money comes organically over time as you gain experience. Finding a career that makes you want to wake up every day is priceless. College helps you network so you can ultimately get to your end goal. Ensuring you are in the right networking circle is key!
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Queen’s Answer

Looking back I would have told myself to be more confident and to trust the process. When I was younger I had mixed feelings about my career choice I went to a vo-tech high school where I majored in fashion design, however ended up going to school for accounting because I believed it would bring me financial stability, which it has. I would tell my younger self to get a good mentor(s), someone who worked in the careers that I was interested in so that I did not have to figure out many things on my own. Also, a mentor that you trust is good to have so that you can bounce off different career goals and ideas. The last thing I would tell myself is that your life does not stop at a career. You can have a well-rounded life and can do things you enjoy outside of work, as well as take some of your interests and merge them into your work-life. Hopefully this helps, Good luck!
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Nicoya’s Answer

Similar to another response, I'd tell myself to trust the process and that changes throughout my career are not indicative of failure. I'd say that these changes were gateways to invaluable experiences/exposure and allowed me to acquire many transferrable skills overtime. These things can push us into opportunities we never imagined for ourselves! I'd also tell myself to establish the perfect mix of challenging myself and giving myself grace, especially when things don't go as I've had hoped. Also, that my job title/salary does not equal my worth and to network!
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Scott’s Answer

I can't speak directly for fashion management, but I think I can offer some general advice. My career path has been somewhat unusual - I started as a petroleum engineer working at an oil refinery for about four years before I realized that it wasn't something that it was not what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. I decided to make a change and attended a coding bootcamp so that I could switch into a career in software engineering. This was a super scary thing to do! I was leaving a stable job that paid well in hopes of finding a job that made me happier in the long term. I can happily say that I was able to make the switch and I've been working as a software engineer for a few years now.
I think I learned two lessons from this. First - don't be afraid to make a change if you're unhappy with where you're currently at. We have one life, might as well make the best of it! I considered switching into software engineering during my time in college, but didn't make the switch because I was afraid it would slow me down. Looking back now, it clearly would have been the right choice. Second, fully invest yourself in making the change. In order to make the switch, I spent 3 months working 12 hours a day to learn software engineering as quickly as possible. Ultimately I think the dedication was a big factor in being successful in making a change.
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Kim’s Answer

Well,

About life in general, don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy youth. From 22 to 82 is 60 years of being a responsible functioning, productive member of society (paying bills).

Confront your weaknesses head-on. Shying away from public speaking seriously limited my career development.

Learn how to socialize. I never did. Never went to parties, etc. It's part of the workplace expectations, and, by not participating, I was seen as standoffish.

lots more, but, that's the basics, for me.
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Myisha’s Answer

Great question! If I could go back in time I would tell myself that I can bring my unique skills and passions into my job. I thought that I needed to know everything about a job and be perfect to get the best job. The reality is that you have a range of talents that only you can bring to the industry! Don’t be afraid to follow your passions and combine them with your career. I found that my creative passions are actually things that make me better at my job!
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Jason’s Answer

Great question. I will always tell myself that I should have picked a major on a topic that I am passionate in, and not just because of a high paying entry level job.

Do what you love ... I cannot emphasize it any harder :)
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Safwan’s Answer

Hi Dejah!

I would definitely advise my younger self to treat school as a marathon not a sprint. I would always compare myself to other students around me who would stay up super late and leave things to the last minute, but still get it all done with flying colors. Except, it's so much better to plan ahead, schedule things out far ahead in advance and to put in effort over time rather than all at once. Just like a marathon, preparation should be done a little bit a day rather than sprinting to the finish.
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Brandon’s Answer

Take your time to reach your goals. Do what you want to do, and not what people tell you to do. Take your team to enjoy the scenery and don't rush to reach a goal. Try to make new connections and friends.
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Alex’s Answer

This is a very wise question to ask. If I were going to speak to my past self, the first thing I would share is that every job opportunity that you're granted will provide value to your career growth.

I think back to when I was in college, I started my own business and worked at the school's newspaper selling advertising. Through this experience, I developed skills that I still use today like management, intrinsic motivation, relationship building, etc. By working at the school newspaper, I met editors of publications and was offered my first job out of school where I learned how to work in an office environment and hit quotas. I then moved to a new city and I pivoted from print advertising sales to software sales. Part of the reason I got that job is because I had some sales experience. I quickly progressed up the ladder into management after leaders saw my ability to work with others, build relationships, coach, and more.

I share all of this to say that I've learned new skills and grown existing skills through every opportunity in my career. All of these experiences have led me to where I am today. So my advice would be to truly take full advantage of every opportunity that you're granted - even if you don't know how it builds into the long term vision you see for yourself. Take full advantage by always being open to learning, build and maintain professional relationships, and find joy in the work that you do.
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Livia’s Answer

Hi Dejah,

The advice I would give myself would be this:

First, it is okay to change your mind about your career path. When you start college, if you decide your major is no longer for you than switch. To avoid getting to that point, research extensively your career choice, shadow people who are in the career, find people in the career to get advice about a day in their career is like. Also, ask them what the worst part is for their career to get a practical sense of whether the bad outweighs the good for you. It is completely subjective!

Second, go with the flow and let life happen. Don't over think your decision or let outside influences like family or friends pressure you into making decisions that don't necessarily make you happy.

Third, life is a marathon not a sprint. Slow down and enjoy your life.
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Cheri’s Answer

I would start with my college decision. I went to a large Division I school not because it was my dream school but it was because my friends were going there. If I could do it all over again, I would have chosen a much smaller school. At the large school I felt I was just a number. Next I would be more selective in my area of study and find things I was passionate about not things that paid well. Lastly, I would learn to advocate for myself. I grew up in a household where you didn't brag on yourself. We were taught if you worked hard your work will get noticed and you will advance. Although that may be very altruistic, it isn't necessarily the way the world works.

Cheri recommends the following next steps:

Find your passion
Try a lot of different things to see what you are good at and enjoy.
Don't be afraid to try something new or different.
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Matty’s Answer

I would tell myself to take a gap year before going to college.

One of the things I regret not doing is taking a gap year. I spent the majority of my time in college trying to figure out what I wanted to study. I think if I took some time to travel and explore I would have figured that out earlier before wasting my first two years. If you have the ability to, take a break before college starts and really learn about yourself!
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SHONIKA’s Answer

Hi Dejah - "Would you do this for free?" That's the first question that came to mind and the second statement afterwards was, "Trust the process." Career building and finding your passion for what you'd like to do as a professional won't always come easy. I've always kept the mind set of continuous learning and if I get bored, try something that will challenge my skills. It's all a process of learning and putting those learnings into practice. Good luck with wherever you land!
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