As you start your career

My niece started her career this month. And here is my uninvited free advice to her :-).

My dear M.,

Hearty congratulations on launching your career. I am quite proud of the lady you've become. Time flies. I am still coming to terms with the fact that someone I've seen grow up right under my nose, has now entered the workforce and will be shaping the future. I wish you well on your journey. Here are some insights from my experience - 21 of them to be precise. Check them out. Feel free to take in what resonates with you and ignore the rest.

#1 - We are in a fast paced world. Tech disrupts every industry. You need to constantly assess, if your work can be automated and if yes, consciously develop skills needed for the future.

#2 - You may not have a single, continuous, long running career. You may be on a job for sometime, may take a break to learn a new skill, go into consulting for sometime, may test entrepreneurship for a while, switch into a full-time position later and so on. You need to prepare yourself to ride such a wave - emotionally and financially.

#3 - Invest 100 hours a year into learning. Have a mentor to guide you on what you should be learning to get ahead and invest time on learning the same. This is a life-long process. Minimum 100 hours a year is a good measure.

#4 - Get the big picture. Understand the business your employer is in and how your work impacts the same. Understand the trends that shape the industry your employer is in and think about what you should be doing to stay relevant.

#5 - Develop friendships. When things don't go well, your friends are the ones who would see you through. Friends you can freely bug anytime of the day at anytime of the year. Go on long walks and hold long conversations ( 20+ mins) with them.

#6 - Be resourceful. Be forthcoming with information that can be of help to people around you. This creates a magnetic effect and generates a lot of goodwill for you. I think this is one way how friendships happen.

#7 - Be comfortable with asking for help. This is the hardest skill in my opinion. Somehow we carry this notion that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Please dump such thoughts and get comfortable with asking for help. Some of your greatest successes will happen when you reach out to your contacts and seek help.

#8 - Brand you. Put your best self at work. Your work speaks the loudest for you ( well, most times) and will help you get ahead. Be the person that comes forward, takes the team along, sports a positive attitude and is vocal.

#9 - Communication - There is a misconception that communication just means language proficiency. Not so. It's far beyond that. It's not what you say, it's what people hear out of what you say. Consciously work on this skill. I see Toastmasters is a great platform for this purpose. Do consider that.

#10 - Managing emotions at work - I think its more common for women to break down at work at extreme situations. Just be okay with this. Happens.

#11 - Body language - Learn the nuances of body language - posture, tone et al. Non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication. Amy Cuddy's you-tube video on body language is a great one.

#12 - Written communication - I can't say just this skill can get you ahead. But the lack of this skill can surely hamper your progress. Look for Shiny Raja's course by the name, "Writing With Flair". This can help you develop business writing skill.

#13 - Be curious. Ask a lot of questions to all and sundry around. This is one way for you to learn and gain a perspective 'bout a broad set of topics.

#14 - Thick skin please. I think women need doubly thick skin. You may receive unintentional abrasive remarks from coworkers. These may prick you. Learn to take them in the context of the situation and move on.  

#15 - Have fun. Fun really is working on tough/ stretch assignments with great colleagues. Learning a whole deal in the process and making life-long friendships along the way. Seek what excites you.

#16 - Plan your time. Have an hourly plan for the next day before you wind up for the day's work. This will help you stay the course. Of course this plan may change during the day, doesn't matter. A plan still keeps you focused.

#17 - Be financially savvy. Learn the basics of personal finance. There are enough and more resources online for you to pick this up. Invest your money right. Financial independence breeds confidence like no other and will help you make better career decisions.

#18 - Take a longer shot at life. There may be times where your promotion would be delayed by a few months than your peers - In a career spanning multiple decades, a few months will not matter at all. Don't get worked up 'bout such things. Rather focus on learning and going after challenging assignments. What you learn is what would matter the most in the longer run.

#19 - Don't let people take you for granted. If you feel you're being under-valued at work unduly, its better to move on. Plan, prepare and take it in your stride. This again is not something to get emotional 'bout. Career growth is hardly linear and mostly sinusoidal :-)

#20 - Gang of girls are awesome. Be part of one. Lift each other up. Keep them close to heart.

#21 - Develop the habit of reading, travel and explore new places. Try new things. Never get complacent. Take care of your health, eat well and exercise.

I look forward to you enjoying your professional journey to the fullest, learning a whole lot, doing meaningful work and building great friendships along the way. All the very best again. Rock on.