5 Rules for Starting Your Career

I meet young people all the time who ask me for advice on starting their career. I remember the combination of excitement and stress that is often present in those early years, when each decision feels like it has enormous consequences for your future path.

That anxiety may be especially present today given the disruption we are facing, but those early in their career should not be discouraged. The road ahead may be difficult, but it will also offer a chance to gain experiences, learn lessons, and seize opportunities that weren’t available before.

I’ve picked 5 of my ‘25 Rules for Work and Life’ that capture some of the key lessons I often share with people in this position.

1. Take a job that provides you with a steep learning curve and strong training. First jobs are foundational. Don’t take a job just because it seems prestigious.

Look for environments or employers who will provide you with opportunities to learn by doing and help you develop foundational skills for your field. Don’t be intimidated if you have a lot to learn. A steep learning curve is a good thing as long as you also receive adequate support and training.

My first assignment at Lehman Brothers was to prepare an analysis of the price paid for a company in an earlier transaction. Today, gathering the data for this kind of report involves calculations using computers and databases. In the early 1970s, it meant spending days in Lehman’s basement archives going through back issues of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times to collect historic stock prices. I’d come up after hours, covered with newsprint ink, only to get to work with my slide rule making the calculations. It was mind-numbing work, but it was essential to learning my craft.

2. When presenting yourself, remember that impressions matter. Be on time. Be authentic. Be prepared.

I arrived for my first interview on Wall Street an hour early. I then sat at a coffee shop, nursing the only cup of coffee I could afford and checking my watch every couple of minutes until it was time for me to go in.

That may have been a little extreme, but I’ve always felt that first impressions matter. Punctuality is the first indicator of how much thought and preparation you have put into an interview. Do your homework so that you are in a position to describe what draws you to a company, but remember to be comfortable, natural and true to yourself. Interviews are not one sided – they are about finding a mutual fit.

3. Never deviate from your sense of right and wrong. Your integrity must be unquestionable.

Reputation is everything and establishing a good one is a long-term endeavor. Make it a rule from day one of your career to always do what you say you will and never mislead anyone for your own advantage.

4. Write or call the people you admire. You may end up learning something important or form a connection you can leverage the rest of your life.

At the end of my senior year of college, I was looking for ideas about what to do next. On a lark, I wrote a letter to Averell Harriman, one of the “Wise Men” of American diplomacy and former governor of New York, asking for advice.

To my surprise, Harriman wrote back, inviting me to his home for lunch. We sat together and he shared stories of his life and great advice that has benefitted me in my career. If you admire someone, don’t be afraid to reach out to them. You never know who might agree to speak with you, and what you might learn as a result.

5. Never get complacent. Nothing is forever. Competition will defeat you if you are not consistently seeking ways to reinvent or improve yourself.

No business, however well-established, is safe from competitors or disruption impacting their industry. The same is true for people. If you’re feeling comfortable, it probably means it’s time to take on a new challenge or commit to learning a new skill. Use the early days of your career to learn as much as you can and make a habit out of always considering how you might improve yourself and the teams around you.