17 Career Tips for College Business Grads and Executives Too

17 Career Tips for College Business Grads and Executives Too

1. Be prepared to show the boss the chip on your shoulder.  Why are you worth investing my effort in you?  Be different.
2. Don’t underestimate the importance of influencing and leading people.  Be approachable, understated, humble, and willing to listen.
3. Learn time & self-management skills before you report to work.
4. Practice your stand-up skills and how you can effectively communicate.  This is much more important than you realize.
5. Clearly written, succinct, error free, emails and notes are very important, and is a fundamental way you will be judged.
6. You must understand the operating statement, the balance sheet, and cash-flow statement regardless of your job.
7. Successful communication is best done in person.  Don’t rely on emails, letters, memos, texts. Video conferences are better than emails.
8. Planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling is what you will be paid to do, but your leadership skills will determine how far you go.
9. Take control and ownership for your own training and development.  You must be tenacious and aggressive.  Nobody will care more than you do.
10. Always write down good ideas and input.  You won’t remember the good stuff without it, and the act helps you sort out your own thoughts.
11. Never take credit for successes… only the failures and the lessons.
12. Avoid all office politics and anything that makes you look good at the expense of others.  Understand the game, but don’t play it.
13. Be willing to change companies.  Don’t get locked into believing that one firm will nurture and do the best for you over a long time period.
14. Be extraordinarily passionate about your role or do something else.  Fast.
15. Relocate to the biggest city you can stand.  Be adventurous while you are young.  Pay your dues and earn your “chops” early.
16. Be willing to relocate in the future.  Those that do, get the bigger jobs and the bigger salaries.  Don’t kid yourself about this.

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Dave Schoenbeck

Dave Schoenbeck is a professional business and executive coach who translates complex business methods, processes, and strategies into actionable plans to dramatically improve financial results.

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