Susie WEE's Top 10 Career Tips
Get from http://wee.stanford.edu/SusieWeeTop10.php
WEE Lunch Meeting - April 14th 2005
(Note: Start now with little acts, even during grad school.)
(Disclaimer: Learning is personal. Some aspects might mean something to you now, others might kick in later.)
(Credits: This list was improved with more than a little help from my friends.)
(Disclaimer: This list is still under construction.)
- Get really good at something useful. Become synonymous with it.
- Useful innovations are all that matter. Being synonymous with something useless will lead to bitterness, obscurity, and frustration.
- Produce sustainable artifacts at work.
- Be able to communicate what you did and how you did it.
- Blaze a trail. Leave a trail behind you.
- Grow your portfolio. Define your career.
- Each project you do grows your portfolio. Your portfolio defines who you are.
- Stay outwardly employable, even if you stay in the same place.
- Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.
- There are no rules. You define your career.
- Be strategic. Be opportunistic.
- May seem like a paradox, but you need both.
- TV commercial, industry collaborations
- Ability to multitask is a skill. Keep your focus and balance.
- Be prepared for unsolicited competition. Compete only with yourself.
- High school math tests.
- Rumors on my weekly meetings with Carly.
- Don't worry about people who don't like you.
- Don't create enemies, but sometimes this is beyond your immediate control.
- Be aware of them and find opportunities to improve it.
- If you have true intentions, they will discover that later on.
- It's great to be respected and liked, but if you can only have one, strive to be respected.
- Learn to understand yourself. Learn to understand others. Improve yourself and your interpersonal skills.
- Leadership is a journey into self-discovery.
- Take the attitude that you're always under construction.
- Learn your strengths and weaknesses and those of your co-workers.
- Help others by complementing their weaknesses with your strengths.
- Learn interpersonal skills & communication skills. Reflect on every interaction you have with other people.
- Secret: All the big guys learn & talk about this stuff.
- Play a team sport. Make your career a team sport.
- Play on a team where you're the best/worst/average. Make a contribution to all of them.
- Teamwork is key to having greater impact.
- My hiring manager liked that I was a team captain.
- Sharing knowledge is better than hoarding knowledge.
- The more you share, the more you get.
- Build your team throughout your career. Start now!
- Be yourself. Define who you are. Use your personality at work.
- You don't have to look/act like everyone else. Add your own flavor.
- When it's appropriate, make a small personal connection.
- Start/join projects you enjoy with people you like.
- Share your passions.
- Align your work with your passions and strengths. Define your career accordingly.
- "Why is my weekend me different from my work week me?" Discover your "weekend strengths" by talking to your friends.
- What do you do on your weekends? What do you like about it? Chances are it uses your natural talents.
- Make your passions and natural talents part of your job.
- Going from good to great is 1000 times faster when you're aligned.
- (Bonus!) Get in shape, eat right, sleep, and exercise.