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Anonymous
06/04/19 at 12:34PM UTC
in
Career

If you could give advice to your 20 year old self about careers what would it be?

I would tell myself to push through the negative and always look for the positive. To keep her head up and know that she’ll get that job and it’s okay if she doesn’t know what it is yet

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Crystal Rhineberger
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2.29k
professional rofl nevermind lets just wing it
06/12/19 at 6:14PM UTC
Get yourself into that jewelry career sooner!
Heather Neal
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741
Remote Strategist + Mom to Rack Kitty!
06/06/19 at 7:34PM UTC
Trust yourself and be thankful now for what's coming tomorrow.
Katie Malone
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1.28k
Social Media Manager + Mother to two daughter
06/06/19 at 10:30AM UTC
Learn as much as possible. Don’t just stick to what you know... Challenge your managers in every capacity to TEACH you & grow you. If the job feels stifling or the situation feels toxic — get out!! (Had some pretty toxic bosses in the past) You have soo much more potential than you realize!
Lady Pele
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3.96k
Retired Project Manager
06/05/19 at 1:56PM UTC
I would teach my younger self how to be not only tactful, but to seriously think before speaking. A stanza from "A Fool's Prayer" by Edward Rowland Sill says: "The ill-timed truth we might have kept— Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The word we had not sense to say— Who knows how grandly it had rung?"
HILYEDUCATED
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285
I AM A GOOD WOMAN
06/05/19 at 12:39PM UTC
Like the Cher states," If I could go back in time", I would tell myself at 20yrs old, 1) you are smart, 2) go with your gut first 3) don't be afraid to ask any questions regardless of the relationship with supervisor, it will show more positive on your side than theirs. 4) be friendly with everyone, 5) most importantly, stay out of office politics!
Anonymous
06/06/19 at 11:47AM UTC
Love Cher!
Helen Hanison
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436
Helen Hanison's Leadership Coaching
06/05/19 at 11:07AM UTC
I would say this. Stop striving for what you think you want. Take a minute to become the architect of your choices first. My own early ambitions were guided by my appetite for the career success I thought defined me. I didn't understand until much later that my motivations needed to come from within me. And that was also who mattered more - my self. My advice to shortcut the traumatic identity-reconstruction experienced to differing degrees when I was made redundant, became a mother, moved countries... is this. Sharpen your focus on your inner compass. Work to understand what values are most self-central for you. But don’t get stuck in the territory of thinking deeply - that will only take you so far. It's why, despite being an executive coach, I will not join others in saying 'find' your passion. When you feel more self-expert but notice you feel stuck again, the key is to do some experimenting with how best to express that value set so you are actively striving to do work you love and live the life you want. It's an agile career mindset that will serve you better than defining as a 21 year old what you will work towards in your next several decades, if it's not built first around this pivotal values piece. And gives you permission to respond to what you notice as you along ever after - what feels just right, what needs a tweak to emphasise a specific area that lights you up. I call it the Test and Tweak. But if you read Marti Konstant's wonderful book you'll see she talks to Agile Careers. I end wanting to wish you luck. But that's a bit passive given my firm belief that you're in charge here! So instead I say, enjoy driving towards what makes you feel alive and aligned... Warmly, Helen
Georgene Huang
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5.22k
CEO & Co-founder of Fairygodboss
06/06/19 at 11:47AM UTC
I love this, Helen. I would add that the idea of sharpening your focus to your inner compass is something that is particularly challenging when you are in your early 20's (or at least I found it to be because it was a time of exploration). But exploration can be what your inner compass tells you to do and that's a totally legitimate / important phase of life/career as well.
Deanna Cabrillas
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162
Word Ninja
06/05/19 at 3:51AM UTC
I would tell myself to follow my dream of writing and not give up, no matter how difficult. I allowed myself to get so sidetracked and tied up with the every day grind that I lost track of what was important.
Helen Hanison
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436
Helen Hanison's Leadership Coaching
06/05/19 at 11:08AM UTC
You're just 'above' me and feel compelled to say...it's never too late to be who you're meant to be... are you 'back' I wonder? H x
Deanna Cabrillas
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162
Word Ninja
06/12/19 at 2:36AM UTC
Thank you! You words are so inspiring! As I was reading your post below mine I found myself nodding my head in agreement. It took until I was in my late thirties for me to realize these things and to be, as you say, agile. I have a firm grasp on what matters most to me. Learning to stand my ground while also being open has allowed me to embrace who I am meant to be.
Anonymous
06/04/19 at 3:46PM UTC
I would tell myself to not feel so pressured about my career so early o: travel more, stress less, enjoy myself. I would also tell myself to be more open to change and to explore more opportunities and try things out. Sometimes we think we know what we want, but it's not what we want at all!
Helen Hanison
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436
Helen Hanison's Leadership Coaching
06/05/19 at 11:09AM UTC
Love this. Speaks to the Agile Career I reference below...so common we feel we must stick to what our young Self chose for us!
Jenny Travens
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219
Writer & Blogger, Superfoodsliving/Otr-reviews
06/04/19 at 3:46PM UTC
Follow your passion. You are more likely to get your dream job!

You're invited.

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