Golden Rules of Career Success

WORKING as a business consultant all over the world, I have discovered some basic career-related rules that everyone should know but many don’t. - By a well known person.



 Business is made up of ambiguous victories and nebulous defeats. Claim them all as victories.
 Keep track of what you do; someone is sure to ask.
 Be comfortable around senior managers, or learn to fake it.
 Never bring your boss a problem without some solution.
 You are getting paid to think, not to whine.
 Long hours don’t mean anything; results count, not effort.
 Write down ideas; they get lost, like good pens.
 Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your boss.
 Help other people network for jobs. You never know when your turn will come.
 Don’t take days off sick unless you are.
 Assume no one can / will keep a secret.
 Know when you do your best morning, night, under pressure, relaxed; schedule and prioritize your work accordingly.
 Treat everyone who works in the organization with respect and dignity, whether it be the cleaner or the managing director. Don’t ever be patronizing.
 Never appear stressed in front of a client, a customer or your boss. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: In the course of human events, how important is this?
 If you get the entrepreneurial urge, visit someone who has his own business. It may cure you.
 Acknowledging someone else’s contribution will repay you doubly.
 Career planning is an oxymoron. The most exciting opportunities tend to be unplanned.
 Always choose to do what you’ll remember ten years from now.
 The size of your office is not as important as the size of your pay cheque.
 Understand what finished work looks like and deliver your work only when it is finished.
 The person who spends all of his or her time is not hard-working; he or she is boring.
 Know how to write business letters including thank-you notes as well as proposals.
 Never confuse a memo with reality. Most memos from the top are political fantasy.
 Eliminate guilt. Don’t fiddle expenses, taxes or benefits, and don’t cheat colleagues.
 Reorganizations mean that someone will lose his or her job. Get on the committee that will make the recommendations.
 Job security does not exist.
 Always has an answer to the question, what would I do if I lost my job tomorrow.
 Go to the company Christmas party. Don’t get drunk at the company Christmas party.
 Avoid working at weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.
 The most successful people in business are interesting.
 Sometimes you’ll be on a winning streak and everything will click take maximum advantage. When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.
 Never in your life say, it’s not my job
 Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself.
 Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Use them whenever you have an opportunity.
 People remember the end of the project. As they say in boxing, Always finish stronger than you start.



Regards
DMR