Best Career Advice from Dad
Best Career Advice from Dad
With Fathers Day’s coming up, it’s a good time to reflect on the advice from dads that can apply not just to life, but to careers.
Believe in yourself
My father taught me you have to believe in yourself and run on your own track.
– Jennifer Grey
Believing in yourself isn’t just about a nice feeling of self-esteem. Imposter syndrome, or the belief that you are an “intellectual phony,” can derail advancements and impede careers of talented individuals who simply lack enough confidence. Unfortunately, imposter syndrome can be particularly prevalent among high-achieving women, according to psychology research. What can be done? Talk openly and honestly about doubts. Surround yourself with supporters. Believe in yourself as others believe in you.
Follow good examples
My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
– Clarence Budington Kelland
Parents are teaching all the time, whether they know it or not. Just as you absorb mannerisms from your father, you unconsciously pick up a way of working from veterans in your workplace. As you grow older, you realize that inherited habits may or may not serve you well. You can choose to emulate good examples, or choose to change if you’re falling into patterns that no longer serve you. Looks to role models at work and make a conscious effort to follow what suits your purpose.
Be authentic
My father used to say, ‘Let them see you and not the suit. That should be secondary.’
– Cary Grant
A workplace is a series of rituals, which include certain basic expectations like dress codes. If you have an interview, you may buy a new suit or outfit to impress others. But if you get too caught up in projecting a certain image, there is a danger in losing your authentic self. Remember why you got into your line of work in the first place. Jonas Prising, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ManpowerGroup, shares this advice with his own daughter: “It’s important to be interested – even passionate – about what you do.”