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Golden Guide Career Advice

Golden Guide Career Advice

Golden Guide Career Advice

Golden Guide Career Advice is a new series from the AMA in partnership with Lydia Lazar, author of Dean Lazar’s Golden Guide: Pragmatic Career Advice for Smart Young People.

Do you have a career question? Contact Lazar at deardeanlazar@gmail.com—the answer may appear in a future post.

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No. 30: Don’t Let Fear Sabotage You

Everyone has impostor syndrome. It’s important to face your situation with strength and confidence.

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No. 29: Be Punctual, Prepared and Present

Drive your career forward by being present. Listen actively and engage others.

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No. 28: Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

Be an authentic builder and collaborator.

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No. 27: Smile More, Help More

When you’re interacting with people, remember that they see and react to what you show them.

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No. 26: Take and Enjoy Time Off

Build your personal resilience. Only robots work 24/7, so enjoy some time off.

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No. 25: Better Safe Than Sorry

You’re on your employer’s team, but they’re not on yours.

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No. 24: Control Yourself!

Life may be random, but your response is anything but.

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No. 23: You Work for You

Think of building a company with a personal brand called “Me, Inc.”

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No. 22: Learn Your Part Well

Think of your workplace as a theater production—you should learn your role well.

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No. 21: Cultivate Your Curiosity

Don’t worry about defining your passion; instead, cultivate your curiosity about the world around you.

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No. 20: Never Stop Striving

Getting ahead in life isn’t just about who you know, but what you know.

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No. 19: Show Your Thanks

“Thank-you” notes help you build your social vocabulary and are an important part of building your personal social capital.

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No. 18: To Fail to Prepare is to Prepare to Fail

Don’t sabotage yourself by neglecting to adequately prepare for an interview.

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No. 17: Never Wear New Clothes to an Interview

To project an authentic and natural attitude in an interview setting, you need to relax. Wearing brand-new clothes may be too much of a distraction.

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No. 16: Use Your Time Wisely

Be intentional and make good choices with your time, however fleeting it may seem.

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No. 15: Get in the Game!

You can’t turn down what hasn’t been offered. Take a more aggressive job-seeking approach.

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No. 14: Use Your (Key)Words

Copy the keywords used by those who have the job(s) you want!

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No. 13: Enhance Your Digital Footprint

Influence what employers see about you online.

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No. 12: Read Your Way to Success

Widen your approach to information-gathering. Read deeply, critically and voraciously.

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No. 11: Protect Your Reputation

Your ability to grow in a career hinges on the protection of your personal brand and reputation.

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No. 10: Find Advocates for Your Success

Build your personal Board of Directors.

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No. 9: Practice Small Talk with Strangers

Invest in yourself by getting to know others around you.

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No. 8: ABC=Always Be Connecting

Invest in yourself by getting to know others around you.

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No. 7: Build Your Own Social Capital

Continuously invest time and attention in socializing and networking.

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No. 6: Build a Professional Ecosystem

Networking and socializing are the keys to finding your niche in the work ecosystem of your choice. Get out there and talk to people.

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No. 5: Contribute to the Greater Good

Think globally, act locally.

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No. 4: Be Intentional and Strategic

Focus your attention, continually motivate yourself and take steps to grow and prosper in your career.

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No. 3: You Are in Control

You are the person who will be living your life, and you must drive the career car.

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No. 2: Use Your Resources

Go to the library or a local bookstore. Look for mentors and advisers in your workplace and community.

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No. 1: Make Greatness a Routine

“You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”—Aristotle