We know searching for a job can sometimes be confusing – so we have asked the cream of the crop from several industries to help inspire you to continue with your search. Here, they offer the best career advice they have ever received, helping them to reach amazing heights in their career.
Judith Germain, Career Accelerator at Dynamic Transitions, said: “You need to be absolutely clear on the value that you bring to the organisation and what makes you different. Then you need to be able to articulate this value, using stories to paint a picture that demonstrates your expertise clearly to others. Your career will benefit from being assertive and having the ability to challenge the status quo for the benefit of the organisation.”
Laura Hawksfield, PR Account Manager, Jargon PR, said: “In my first job as a Receptionist/PR Assistant at a fashion and beauty PR agency in London I had been pushing for a more PR based role in the company, and the director of the beauty team finally decided to give me a chance to prove myself. After having a meeting with her to discuss my progress she had, in a manner of speaking, told me I was a hard person to work with and the team didn’t ‘gel’ with me very well. I was pretty much told that in a junior role you have to take all the tasks you’re given and do them well, you have to prove you’re an easy person to work with and that a team can rely on you before you will be considered for promotion.”
David-Joseph Brown, CEO at VE Interactive, said: “It's all about the bottom line, so seekers need to think about ways to help increase revenue for their prospective employer to show their value. Yes be creative and visionary with strategies, be socially responsible, be up to date with the latest social media tools and be that in-house tweeter driving targeted content and brand messaging, and get your company on The Sunday Times 'Best 100 Companies To Work For' list etc. However if your efforts don't contribute to making revenue the priority, the rest is all in vain anyway. And eventually when it’s your turn to do the hiring, don't be afraid to hire people smarter than you to help achieve this.”
Sara Tye, Founder and MD of RedheadPR, was given her best advice by the Late Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, where she once worked: “Go in the opposite direction to everyone else” and “think big, start small.”Nicky Burke, Deputy PR Manager at AAT, said: “If you make a mistake, let people know straightaway. They may be annoyed in the short term – but they will respect you in the long term.”
Sam Heaton, Managing Director at eCards.co.uk, said: “Associate yourself with the biggest post of gold and hopefully some of it will rub off on you!”
Neil Bharadwa, Director at The Cambridge Fruit Company, was once told: “’Neil, don’t take a GAP year at 18. Get your degree first, and then the world is your oyster.”
Matthew Amodio, partner of Amodio LLP and chief operating office at Forno Bravo UK said: "Trust, integrity and honesty allow more doors to open when others may shut. Always trust what you feel is the best way forward. You may fall or hit a few stumbling blocks along the way but never ever give up. If you stick to your good business morals, a successful career will more often than not land on your lap."
Nancy Prendergast, Managing Director at Tannissan Mae Communications, said: “In the days before 'networking' was all the rage, my grad school professor suggested I apply for a internship he knew of at a high flying local tech company, Lotus Development. I wasn't interested in a career in technology marketing and resisted, but he said, 'Just go and talk to them, you never know what you might learn.' Twenty years in and I've had an exciting, international career in technology PR. This was invaluable advice which I now often share with job seekers. You never know what you might learn, or who might help you.”
