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What is one thing you wish you knew before starting your career?

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Douglas’s Answer

Interesting question. I do not have an answer to what I wished I knew. But, the one thing I did know is that I did not ever want to quit. If I chose to do something, I would carry it to completion. I did not always do "great", but I always finished.
Thank you comment icon I'm excited to put your great advice to good use! Samuel
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your insight! Mireia
Thank you comment icon I wish I knew not to take things I couldn’t control personal. That includes customer situations that caused our customers to be upset. I wish I knew just to smile show empathy and do all I could to fix it. 20 years ago I would take the frustration personal causing myself more issues on the back end Billie Page Walker
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Kim’s Answer

Hi again Mireia!

I love your questions!

I work helping people to find jobs. What I wish I knew is how focused the social services are on "measurements."
1. How many customers did you help today?
2. How many job referrals did you give?
etc etc etc

Unfortunately, it is more important to give out a bunch of job referrals than it is to make sure the client has a good resume or is able to hold their own in an interview. That is because whoever funds us desires "accountability" so everything has to be measured. It's not possible to measure the effect of talking with someone for 20 minutes and boosting their self-esteem, or helping them develop a resume that will get them to the next step. I love what I do, and get a lot of positive feedback from my customers. I could do without the statistics!

Kim
Thank you comment icon Thanks for the help. Samuel
Thank you comment icon Thank you for your insight and I'm sorry to hear about that. Just remember that in the eyes of those you are helping you are not just a statistic and thanks to you, they don't feel like one either. Mireia
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Alwyn’s Answer

Having insight into how humans interact with computational devices and what triggers them to action. In effect, I would have wanted to study behavioral psychology and human factors - each with skills that would have enhanced my expertise.
Thank you comment icon Loved reading this, thanks! Samuel
Thank you comment icon Thank you for sharing! Mireia
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Jasanpreet Kaur’s Answer

To know which career to opt for. The one in which you can thrive, be successful combine with sense of satisfaction and happiness.

career careerplanning
Thank you comment icon You rock! This advice is very helpful. Samuel
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Dr. Ray’s Answer

Dear Mirela,


Your question really made me stop and think. I had very little idea of what it meant to work as a psychologist on a day to day basis. I originally wanted to teach at a university level but couln't get a job there. However, in retrospect I am glad i didn't go this route. Academic positions as a rule don't pay well and the politics and infighting among faculty members can be really vicious. After working in several mental health centers I went into private practice, which was immensely rewarding. However I wish I had known more about running a business. In addition to working with my clients I had to think about marketing, billing, paying taxes, etc., none of which was ever addressed in my training.


One of my professors told me "a degree is as good as your first job." Even if you are well prepared in a given field there will be many things you never thought of and have to learn once you start working, but this can be fun and needn't be unpleasant.
Thank you comment icon I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question. Samuel
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for sharing! Mireia
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Kelly’s Answer

It would have been helpful to know that your path does not need to be linear and life is long! You will have more than enough time to try different things, affirm your interests and grow your skills. It doesn't need to be a race to get to the prestigious title or salary first - especially if that just gets you to a role or place that isn't fulfilling or sustainable in the long run!
Thank you comment icon I appreciate your support, Kelly Samuel
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Heather’s Answer

The importance of connections and building and maintaining your network throughout your career. This starts from the beginning and I think the more you get to know and put yourself in front of a diverse group of people and experiences from the beginning, the better off you are in the long run.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Heather for the advice. Samuel
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Annie’s Answer

I wish I would have taken a class in negotiation because I think it would have helped me realize a higher earning potential earlier in my career. Just starting out after college, I was just happy to have a job and took what I was offered. As I got farther in my career, I became more aware of salary bands and the realities of how companies determine how much they pay individual employees. (I've always worked in very large, publicly owned corporations so it may be different at smaller businesses). I took a negotiations class as part of an MBA program several years after starting my career, and one of our role play assignments was negotiating salary and job benefits. I found the techniques I learned in that class really helped me push for larger salary increases during annual review periods or when I took on a new job or promotion.
Thank you comment icon Thank you for sharing your perspective. Samuel
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Ronald’s Answer

This is a great question, that honestly just leads to more *questions.
What is important to you, what makes you fulfilled, does this job satiate that?
What type of work do I want to do?
What sort of impact do I want to have?
Am I a morning person?
Am I a team player or an individual contributor?
Do I want to work inside all day?
Do I want to be my own boss, what are the pros and cons to you?
What does work-life balance mean to me?
What sort of lifestyle do I want?
What sort of schooling is needed for this career?
What is my career path?
Do I want to be public-facing or behind the scenes?
How do I budget, what is a budget?
Where do I want to live?

* There are no right or wrong answers, these are things that you will need to discover as you start your career.*
Thank you comment icon Thank you for taking the time to help. Samuel
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Jason’s Answer

It's very hard to make good $ and it's also hard to find doing work you love. Doing what you love & making a lot of $ is extremely difficult. Make it a priority early in your career, changing later is almost impossible. Chase what you love early.
Thank you comment icon I appreciate this, thank you for the advice. Samuel
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Victoria’s Answer

Hi Mireira, I love your question and wish more people would ask these type of questions before starting their careers! Though many answers come to mind, to me the number one thing I wish I knew before starting my career was to have fun and travel a little before starting my full-time career.

It's important to work hard in college, work to obtain internships to gain experience, and work hard to develop your personal brand, but I wish I had taken some time to explore the world after college. You have the rest of your life to work, so don't wait until retirement to take time to get to know yourself outside of the college "bubble"!

Good Luck!

Victoria recommends the following next steps:

Get advice from trusted advisors and mentors about their experience.
Spend time thinking about the career you want to enter into and see how much work/life balance they provide.
Set personal goals and work hard to achieve them, along with your career goals!
Thank you comment icon You rock! This advice is very helpful. Samuel
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Joey’s Answer

Really great question! I would say that being risk averse or overly cautious when making decisions can sometimes hold you back as opposed to help you accelerate your career growth and it's something I would of done sooner If I could have. Particularly as a leader or manager in a business, you have to take risks sometimes. Trust yourself and learn from the challenges you encounter along the way!
Thank you comment icon I will use this advice as I prepare for my career. Samuel
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Sunil’s Answer

I dont have the exact answer even after completing 13 years. one advice is always follow your interest, and dont worry if you dont know what you want to do at the start of the career. Majority of the people dont know this so you are not alone. On the job experience, signing up for new opportunities & keep exploring will eventually lead to the path where you wanted to go at the start. Its important that you follow your interest, but this journey of finding it is also very much important and helps a lot.

Thanks
Sunil
Thank you comment icon Thank you for taking the time to help. Samuel
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Lucie’s Answer

Hi Mireia!

I wish I knew what is my job interest like at the moment of defining my university major. With school background it helps you better understand the field itself. But I was still undecided "child" at that moment. Anyway it is great to keep yourself educated also while working so new options new challenges and new direction makes you more perfect. ;)

But there is one more thing... I know it is very attracting to start your work career, to become independent and to drive your life from that moment but I wish I could take a few months break, relax, travel with friends after I graduated. Enjoy your free time now because once you start working you will not have that many chances anymore. Your personal time will become as the most valuable asset...

Hope this helps! Good luck in your career!
Thank you comment icon You rock! This advice is very helpful. Samuel
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