Career advice for the next generation
I recently got a approached by a 21-year-old student asking for career advice.
Career advice is a topic that I have always found interesting and which I have offered publicly since the pandemic. Most of the time, the advice I've given revolved around specific questions such as job loss, the dilemma of quitting a job, decisions on re-education, staying true to one's values versus yielding to corporate norms, and so forth. It was about making decisions.
This one is different. It is a request for general advice, not for making a decision.
I took this as a challenge. Because it sounds easy, but it is not. The weight of responsibility here is immense.
Think about it.
How do you give career advice to someone who has at least 45 years of his work life in front of him (think of the world 45 years ago. Computers at work wasn’t even a thing.)? How do you give advice in a world that is turning upside down every few years?
So I sat down and synthesized the advice. The main goal I want to achieve is for him to get his fair share of the future.
The 7 pieces of career advice I gave him:
Master Timeless Basics
Befriend The Ugly Stuff
Set The Stage For Brilliance
Craft Compelling Narratives
Build A Reputation for Figuring It Out
Get Great At Being Lucky
Don’t Listen To Advice.
I think some of this is also true for adults.
(1) Master Timeless Basics
Simple actions stand out in a complex world. In a world that has lost sight of the basics, there are simple things that still stand out.
In my first job I was insecure. I was surrounded by super professionals, by people, who moved quickly, knew exactly what to do. Most of them were bursting with self-confidence.
My boss at the time did not push me to do the work, he gave me what I consider the most important piece of advice I have ever received: Master timeless basics. Everything else will grow from that.
He was right. And he still is.
Some examples of what he told me:
Have a confident handshake
Look people in the eye
Keep your promises
Be on time (or early!)
Hold the door
Smile
Be kind (never gossip!)
It may sound silly, but these things are all free, entirely within your control, and will never go out of style. And they will boost you with confidence.
In a digital world this means that you are present and focused in front of digital sccreens. Be undistracted. You become great at crafting a digital message that communicates with precision and clarity in a world flooded with information. Spend time to keep it short. Curate your online presence as a mirror of your character. Shine through simplicity and personality.
(Ah yes… and close your laptop during physical meetings.)
By mastering these basics, you are not just engaging in simple gestures; you are building a strong foundation for genuine connections and lasting impressions.
(2) Befriend the ugly stuff
You will always have tasks to do, that you hate to do. Do them first. Whether this it is baked-in with your job or a task handed to you. Attack the stuff you hate head-on. It will free your mind for the great stuff.
Be the one who doesn't shy away, but tackles the tough issues others avoid. Shape this mindset.
Mahatma Gandhi, a visionary of the Indian independence movement. Visionary people are not great at getting the details right. Knowing that, he practiced self-discipline to 'befriend the ugly stuff.' He dedicated time each day to tasks he found less enjoyable, like writing letters and organizing his thoughts. By prioritizing these tasks, Gandhi maintained mental clarity and ensured that his efforts aligned with his mission to free India from the British occupation.
Attack the stuff you hate head-on. This can be crunching numbers, answering a delicate email, conflict resolution. Get them out of the way to clear your mind for the good stuff.
By taking ownership of your and your team's challenges, you not only become a problem-solver but a valued asset—a catalyst for growth and transformation of your company.
Tackling challenges isn't just about completing tasks; it is nurturing your resilience and demonstrating your commitment to growth.
(3) Set the stage for brilliance
If you want to accomplish anything meaningful, you have to start with working hard. This is how you immerse with your learning curve.
Over the last several years, it has become popular to say that hard work is overrated. That balance is all that matters. I'm a big believer in balance. But I’m an even bigger believer that hard work sets the stage for brilliance.
Brilliance needs learning. But the best learning doesn’t happen in school. It happens right on the job. So the more you get your hands dirty, the more you will learn.
In his book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of hard practice to achieve mastery.
It is even said that it takes 10000 hours of relentless hard work to master the craft of making the perfect sushi rice and become brilliant at it. This prolonged practice refines the chef's skills, leading to a deep understanding of ingredient proportions, precise timing, and consistent quality.
This rule aligns with the Japanese principle of "Man Jikan," which demands dedicated practice and continuous learning and to attain excellence.
Learning is a life-long journey. So start early. The early years of your career are the perfect time to do hard work and nurture your skills tirelessly. You have the energy and the independence to do so.
Your hard work isn't just about late nights and early mornings; hard work is the amount of dedication and passion you put in.
While formal education provides a foundation, it's the real-world experiences that shape you into a versatile professional. These experiences are your classrooms, your laboratories for brilliance.
(4) Craft compelling narratives
In a world drowning in data, simplicity is the lifeline.
I had the privilege to spend time with some of the most brilliant and world-changing people. They have one thing in common.
They are all great in these three things:
Aggregating data and rational arguments and decomplexing it
Communicating it simply & effectively
Customising narratives to their audience
So the rule is: data in, story out. No matter if it is the annual performance, weekly reports or the companies vision, embrace this principle. Don’t hide behind Powerpoint and dashboards. Simplify to inspire. Reduce complexity by crafting stories from data that cut through confusion.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in which he set forth the ambitious goal of sending an American astronaut to the moon and bringing them back safely before the end of the decade. This speech is often referred to as the "Moon Speech”.
He said:
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving a goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and bring him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.
By framing the mission as a grand adventure, JFK transformed the moon landing from a technical challenge into a captivating narrative of exploration, courage, and human achievement.
Imagine he said this:
“I come before you today to address a monumental undertaking, one that poses exceptional technical challenges. The objective is clear: to engineer a successful lunar landing mission within this decade and safely returning the astronaut back to earth. This pursuit will require meticulous advancements in rocket propulsion, celestial navigation, life support systems, and material science.”
If you can build strong storytelling skills, your value becomes timeless. Your ability to translate complexity into clear insights will drive decisions and inspire action.
This is true mastery.
(5) Build a reputation for figuring it out
At every step of your career, you will be given tasks you have no idea how to complete. This is not because they are unfair; not knowing is simply a very normal thing in our complex world.
Imposter syndrome will inevitably set in and you will wonder how you can possibly be expected to do this thing that you've never done before (let alone do it well!).
Remember: you are a tireless learner. So instead of hesitating, you step forward with a sense of curiosity and the conviction that solutions lie just around the corner. Even if they don’t.
In the 19th century, hospitals were plagued by high mortality rates from infectious diseases. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis found out why just by looking at the problem differently. He noticed that doctors' lack of hand hygiene contributed to the spread of diseases. Despite skepticism from his colleagues and the medicine elite, he introduced handwashing, drastically reducing mortality rates. His pioneering approach reshaped healthcare forever. Semmelweis’s lesson: Challenging norms can save lives and transform industries.
This is the heart of being a problem solver—someone who thrives amid ambiguity, who doesn't merely find answers but illuminates paths forward.
Learn to spark this attitude with diverse teams - each member bringing a unique perspective to the table. As you face challenges together, the collective intelligence shines, guiding you toward fresh solutions.
If you do that, you are the guiding light that transforms roadblocks into stepping stones. People will fight over you.
(6) Get great at being lucky
A big chunk of building a great career or creating a great business is luck. Being lucky may be the most undervalued ingredient to success. Bumping into the right people at the right time, have life changing idea right under the shower, getting support from people you did not expect, witnessing conversations you did not plan to attend or stumble into locations you did not plan to.
In the early 1960s, Bob Dylan arrived in Greenwich Village. He was drawn to the Village's bohemian atmosphere, hoping to find an audience for his music.
The Café Wha? stood as a beacon for artists seeking to share their craft in an intimate setting. With its open mic nights and inclusive spirit, the café gave musicians, poets, and performers a platform to present their art in an intimate setting.
One night, a performer scheduled to take the stage failed to appear and the café’s manager needed to fill the gap. A young unknown singer with his guitar got the stage: Bob Dylan. Among the listeners was John Hammond, a music producer known for his ability to recognize talent. The rest is history.
Sometimes, the most life changing moments are born from the least expected circumstances. Find ways to provoke luck.
Here are some ideas.
Be early, stay late. In my experience, the most interesting side conversations and opportunities came up before meetings started or after they ended.
Don’t work from home. When you isolate yourself and jump from one screen to another, luck has no chance of finding you. Go out, secure a seat in the front row.
Keep moving. Avoid stagnation. Luck favours the active, the curious, and the persistent.
If possible, travel. New environments can trigger innovative thinking and connections.
Show random acts of kindness. Help others genuinely without expecting anything in return. Good karma often finds its way back to you.
Don’t be afraid of bosses and famous figures. Even the highest ones. They are good people (mostly). Reach out, ask for time, for advice, critique, for an open door.
Collaborate generously. Share your insights and skills with others. Collaboration can lead to unexpected partnerships and ventures.
If luck becomes more than chance, it becomes a strategy.
(7) Don’t listen to advice
Be careful with taking advice. Even, forget all advices I gave you. Yes, you heard me right—not in the literal sense, of course. What I mean is this: while advice is a guiding light, your path is your masterpiece.
Ferruccio Lamborghini, a successful tractor producer, had a passion for luxury cars.
When he sought advice from Enzo Ferrari about improving the performance of his own Ferrari car, Ferrari reportedly dismissed him, suggesting that he doesn’t risk his successful tractor business by building a race car without any knowledge or expertise.
Ferruccio Lamborghini ignored the advice from his idol Enzo Ferrari. You know the rest of the story.
We are bombarded by stories of overnight successes and so called “proven formulas” for triumph. LinkedIn and the book shelves are full of it. But there is no rulebook to success and happiness. I promise.
Always remember that the road to success and fulfilment isn't about following a prescribed route; it's about carving your own way. Take advice as a resource, not as a rigid rulebook.
This is how, one day, you will give valuable advice to others. When they will be 21 years old.