When renowned educationist and lecturer at the Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, Dr Dipo Awojide threw up a seemingly innocuous question, asking what the best career advice his Twitter followers had ever received was, nobody bargained for the rich treasure trove of time-tested gems that would be unleashed on his timeline.
From the several entries, we have distilled these 20 pieces advice that will see your career ‘catch fire’ in leaps and bounds in 2020 and beyond….
1. Always work like it’s your last day on the job and always leave a signature mark of distinction in any task you are assigned so that if someone sees it later, they’ll exclaim and say only you could have done this!
2. Make friends. Network and value relationships. Anything money can do, relationship can do and there are things relationship (networking) will do that billions of dollars will never do for you. There are doors relationship will open that money can never open.
3. Go for that 6 years course. Stop giving the excuse that you are 24 years old now. You will be 30 in 6 years’ time even if you do it or you don’t! – Akin Alabi
4. If you want to work for salary, make sure you find a very good one with career progression. Otherwise, go into business or learn a skill.
5. Say “yes” to things you don’t think you can do. Whether it’s applying for a higher-level job, taking on a new task at work or learning a difficult new skill, one of the best ways to rapidly level-up or advance your career is to say “yes” to scary stuff.
6. If you want to be good in what you do, you should practice it for at least 2 hours each day. Do not practice only until you get it right but ensure you practice until you can’t get it wrong. Then seek advice from relevant people related to your field of interest.
7. Chase excellence, not money. Acquire relevant knowledge first and wait for money to chase you thereafter because money will always follow excellence in any field.
8. Get your hands dirty in your 20’s. Try out everything you possibly can. That way you can find what satisfies and harmonizes your heart, mind and soul.
9. Invest in your career, not only in terms of finance but also spend time to develop yourself by learning valuable skills. This could end up being your greatest investment.
10. Do your work diligently and always have it at the back of your mind that there is no limits to what you can achieve.
11. Always follow your heart and do what is best for your career without sentiments. Also love your job but do not love your company more because you may never know when your company stops loving you.
12. Go beyond the job description. If you want to rise above mediocrity, it is necessary to go that extra mile which others would refuse to. Always work as if you are already at the next level and you won’t even need to ask for that promotion.
13. Coming from a humble background is never an excuse to settle for less because there is no limit to what you can actually achieve. Just put in the right energy garnished with consistency and trust me you will never stand before mere men!
14. Drop your certificates and hustle like a dropout. No matter how small, start something! Develop your talent and stay humble.
15. The best currency in your career is goodwill. Volunteering will do you a lot of good. As a graduating student, accept any job offer to boost your skills, experience and enrich your CV.
16. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. If you don’t tell them about what you do and what you can offer they won’t know what you are really made of.
17. Under promise and over deliver. Manage expectation.
18. When choosing a career go for your passion because when the days get dark (which is inevitable) the satisfaction of doing what you love will keep you going.
19. If you don’t see your job as a hobby which you enjoy… it will most likely look like torture to you.
20. Don’t allow what people say be the reason you don’t try something new. It is better you try and make mistakes than not trying at all. It’s much better to regret your decision than for someone else to make that decision for you.
Awojide is a senior lecturer in Strategy as well as Careers, Employability, SME and personal development coach. He’s the founder of @BTDTHUB and BTDTHometutors. You can also reach him at www.btdt.com, on Twitter @OgbeniDipo and on LinkedIn and Facebook.
