NYT Bestselling Author of The 5 Types of Wealth
I recently got asked about career advice I wish I had received when I was starting out. Here are 8 pieces of advice I know at 32 I wish I knew at 22: 1. Build a reputation for reliability. Reliability is one of the most important traits in your career. You can get pretty damn far by just being someone that people can count on to show up and do the work. Being reliable is entirely free and doesn't require any talent or luck. 2. Be the person who just figures it out. Early on, you'll be given a lot of tasks you have no idea how to complete. There's nothing more valuable than someone who can just figure it out. Do some work, ask the key questions, get it done. People will fight over you. 3. Swallow the Frog for your boss. This is one of the greatest "hacks" to get ahead early in your career. Observe your boss, figure out what they hate doing, learn to do it, and take it off their plate. Easy win. 4. Build storytelling skills. World-changing CEOs aren't the smartest or most talented in their organizations. They are exceptional at: (1) Aggregating data and (2) Communicating it simply & effectively. Data in, story out. Build that skill and you'll always be valuable. 5. Work hard first (and smart later). It's in vogue to say that working smart is all that matters. Wrong. If you want to accomplish anything significant, you have to work hard. Build a reputation for hard work—take pride in it. Then you can start to build leverage to work smart. 6. Do the "old fashioned" things well. There are simple things that still stand out. Look people in the eye, do what you say you'll do, be early, practice good posture, have a confident handshake. It sounds silly, but these things are all free and will never go out of style. 7. Show up early, stay late. Showing up early and staying late is a free way to materially increase your luck surface area. The most interesting side conversations come up before meetings start or after they end. When you're in the room, you're more likely to get pulled into a follow-up call, coffee, or discussion. Being in the room pays off handsomely in the long run. 8. Dive through cracked doors. I recently had an experience that brings this advice to life: These two young guys were trying to work with me on a project but my schedule was tough for a call. They said they had to be in NY for a meeting the next day and offered to meet in person. I said ok. We met, hit it off, and are working together. They later told me they didn’t need to be in NY at all and booked flights after I said yes. I'd always bet on people with that kind of energy. If someone cracks open a door that may present an opportunity, dive through it. Embrace those 8 pieces of advice and you'll stand out and be on the right track. If you enjoyed this or learned something, follow me Sahil Bloom for more in the future!