What are your best career tips?

[cologero]

To the OP, really great question. My first thoughts, in no particular order (I worked my way up to VP by age 35) are:

1. “Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it away from you.” ~ Mark Cuban
2. Ego has to go! Period!
3. Act outside of work as if people you work with, are watching you.
4. Study other leaders and successful people. Personally, I read everything I can by John Maxwell.
5. Save everything you can. Don't fall into the trap of "I need to buy things to show everyone I'm successful." But it's ok to splurge every once and a while
6. Stay healthy. You can't move up if your health limits you.
7. Let your managers know that you want to move up. Periodically ask them how you're doing and how you can help make their jobs easier.
8. KNOW WHO THE INFLUENCERS ARE! Built relationships with EVERYONE (yes, even the difficult ones), but more importantly the ones who directly impact your success.
9. Document your successes. It will not only help you come review time, but will also help you with your resume.
10. Stay positive! Read the quote on attitude from Charles Swindoll. You'll get what I'm saying.
11. Give back to the world. "You can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want." ~ Zig Ziglar
12. Develop good habits and discipline. For example, always being at work on time or early. Always being detail-oriented.
13. Know your weaknesses and work on them everyday. Remember item #2 above. It's ok to admit you have weaknesses.
14. Visualize your goals, the future, your family, etc. I mean really visualize it from feeling, to smell, to sounds. Keep those images in your head at all times.
15. Passion changes everything.

Well, I rambled enough lol. Best of luck to you!!

[Firstofmanysteps]

1. Do not aim to work hard. You should aim to be more resourceful and make your work easier, faster, etc, on works that will bring you recognition or raise. Working hard should only be an indirect result of these goals.

2. Know that your coworkers, boss, people from other departments, etc... will try to dump as much of their own work on you as possible, while they take all the credit. Learn to avoid it and only take on works that will benefit you in someway. This is where being known as an accommodating, hard worker is a disadvantage.

3. You should always think of yourself as a business and not as an employee. Learn as much as possible and improve yourself as much as possible so you raise your price.

4. Identify the "stupid people" early and avoid taking their advices. Yes, there are lots of incompetent people who miraculously landed long lasting, high earning positions. Follow their advices will only get you in trouble.

[budgetingtech]

Don't cheat others. Always be honest to yourself, your colleagues and your work too. Take care of your good habits. What you don't like for yourself never try to do with others. Good Luck!

[Gailete]

Also always work as if YOU owned the company and wanted to make the best profit possible. Work like an owner might in the way you would want your employees to work. I realize that not all bosses should be emulated, but that doesn't mean you yourself can't work as if it was your business.

I learned good work habits at home growing up and improved on them on the job and now that I have my own company, I get to put those good habits into practice to make the profit mine. I see many on line sellers work that you can tell that their attitude has always been to do the least possible to get by. Even when you tell them that if they did a little bit of work in areas like spelling, etc., they always have an excuse for why they can't, won't or don't want to. Excuses will never get you ahead in a career, but they could get you fired.