Career Advice from an Old F*rt!!!
By Scott Simmonds
Nah, I'm not that old. But I have been around a bit. I've seen what works and what doesn’t. The rules that follow don’t guarantee success. Violating the advice also doesn’t guarantee failure. All I know is that those who follow the guidance I outline here seem to do better than those who don’t.
Write Your Obituary
Pretend it’s twenty years from now. Pretend you're dying and writing your obituary. Write about the wonderful things you’ve done. Tell your readers of the jobs you have had, the people in you life and your accomplishments. The completed obituary is a blueprint for your next twenty years. Redo the document every year, adjusting your plan for your current values and objectives. Write it then live it!
You’ll Have Many Jobs and Several Careers
I have had more jobs than my father and grandfather combined. You will too. Accept it and plan on it. Every job you have, from now on, is temporary. It may last six months or twenty years. It won’t last for fifty! That’s how long you will be working - fifty years.
You’re Paid Based On the Value You Provide
The work of those people who make $5 an hour is worth $5 an hour. Provide $120 of value every hour and you'll be worth that much. Skills, training, and education are what make you more valuable. Build the value you provide and your income will grow. In a free market you get paid what you are worth. Unhappy with your pay? Build your value.
You’ll Retire When You're Through Providing Value
The idea of retiring when you hit 65 is a leftover from the day when our great-grandfathers roamed the earth. Most of us will live ten years longer than our grandfathers did. Build your skills and knowledge so you can contribute just as long as you want to. Maybe you'll never retire! Maybe you’ll be 50.
Give Every Job 110%
Work to exceed what everyone expects of you. Build value by being valuable, punctual, and trustworthy. Your boss and your boss’s boss are your customers. Quality is a matter of meeting their expectations.
Learn Everything You Can From Every Boss
You should be learning from everyone you work with. From great people you can learn great skills. From lousy bosses you can learn what not to do. Get inside the heads of people you admire. Act like they act. Learn to think like they think. Then put your own spin on the ideas. Add your own flourish.
Build a List of Friends and Contacts.
Use your computer. Build a database that includes everyone you meet. Learn what they like and what they don't like. Learn their hobbies and interests. Cultivate the relationships you have. Do people favors. Help them out if you can. Relationships are like having money in the bank.
Take Advantage of Every Educational Opportunity
Take every class you can in your field and related topics. Many employers will pay for classes. Build your knowledge and skills with education. Nobody can ever take what you learn away from you.
Build a "Blow It Out Your Ear" Fund
That’s not really what I call it. It will do, however, for polite company. Ten percent of all your income should go into savings. Pay yourself right off the top. Pay yourself first before you pay the light bill or the rent. Having money in the bank is security. It gives you the freedom to weather a slowdown, layoff, or vile boss. Having money in the bank will give you the freedom to stick to your principles in an ethical crisis too.
Learn Everything You Can About Computers and Technology
If you can’t type 75 words a minute, learn. You should be proficient in all the Microsoft office software programs. Know the basics of how the computer works. Every job you have will almost certainly require you to use the computer. Do it.
Buy Nice Clothes and Learn How to Dress
How you look determines how people treat you. Dress like a slob and you will be treated poorer than someone who is neat and well dressed. You are what you are perceived to be.
Learn Manners
“Please” and “thank you” is expected in your conversations with customers and clients. (Remember that your boss is a customer.) Speak clearly in proper English. If your table manners are poor, your chances of advancement are reduced. Again, you are what you are perceived to be. People who look like pigs will be treated like pigs.
Be True To Your Values
High ethical and moral standards will move you ahead. Many people follow the Four Way Test promoted by Rotary Clubs around the world. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Surround Yourself with Positive People
We are all affected by our environment. Our friends, acquaintances, and family are a part of that environment. Don’t live in a polluted environment. Realize that everyone is a positive, a negative, or a neutral in your life. Dump the negatives. Reconsider the neutrals and add to the positives.
Scott Simmonds works as a mentor and a consultant. He can be reached at 207-284-0085 or emailed at Scott@icofmaine.com.
Copyright 2005 Scott Simmonds, All Rights Reserved.
