3 videos with career advice each graduate should see (Jack Welch, Prof. Joseph Bower, Jeff Bezos)

I remember myself back in 1997 and 1998 struggling with what at that time seemed to be a decision that would define who I was: a choice of university and a type of degree to obtain. Should I go for a STEM degree (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)? Or should I rather opt for Arts & Humanities one? I felt equally comfortable pursuing both paths. Unfortunately at that time there was hardly any way to combine both.

If there only was someone to whom I could look up to seeking for advice. Don′t get me wrong. In a small town I lived in, there were a lot of people with bright minds, however, I cannot remember anyone who had years of experience in graduate career development and could tell me not necessarily what to do, but at least what issues should be taken into account upon making my decisions. As I was studying between 1998 and 2003 I had a privilege to get in touch with numerous professors and professionals that filled the gap and helped me to decide on what I really wanted to do in life, but still, there was a lot of gut feeling involved.

What would I do differently today? Frankly speaking, I don′t know. I am pretty satisfied with how things turned out for me professionally speaking. I might do one or the other thing differently, but generally speaking I would follow the similar path of obtaining degrees and experience in diverse areas. 

What I know for sure though, is that before making any of decisions, I would throroughly research what they mean and what the life-long implications might they imply. The emergence of Google has democratized the access to information. The success of YouTube, Vimeo, TED and other video streaming services has given all of us a tremendous opportunity to expose ourselves to a world of interviews and lectures from thought leaders on any given topic. Including career development. Including a very specific advice for the ones who, just like me back in 2003, are nearly graduating and seek for a framework to structure how they navigate through the abyss of the labour market. 

Below you can find three videos that I find particularly relevant (and inspiring) in this context. Regardless of your degree type, if you are a graduate or near to becoming one, you should not only watch them, but think of what they mean for you.

Advice for graduates by Jack Welch (GE)

For anyone even remotely interested in management practice, the name of Jack Welch should be familiar. A long-time CEO of General Electric and an indisputed thought leader, namely on issues regarding people development. In this short 3:18 video, Jack Welch talks on three things he believes each graduate should bear in mind when thinking of how to make a difference at any workplace:

• Overdeliver.
• Transmit positive energy,
• Don't wear ambition written on your forehead.

As obvious as it may seem, it is worth hearing how Jack Welch lays it out for you. Very concise. To the point. As always in his case. Sometimes less means more.

Overdeliver, be positive and don′t wear ambition on your forehead.

How to develop CEO within you by Prof. Joseph L. Bower (Harvard)

Prof. Bower from Harvard talks of the importance of assuming responsibility for your own development, especially if you goal is to one day become a top-manager, or better, a leader reaching the higher rungs of organisational ladder. Bower developed a series of questions to help individuals make sure they are on their way to the corner office. 

He starts with the issues you should ask yourself (about any potential employer) already during the recruitment process:

• Why are you being hired?
• How are they going to help you grow?
• What pattern of assignments are you going to get?
• Are you going to have time to learn?
• Are there people that will help you in your development?
• What kind of training do they provide?
• And last but not least - how early can you run a business?

Now as you are in, having secured an entry-level job with your dream employer, he suggests to keep on asking yourself the following set of questions to constantly verify if you are on the right path towards top leadership roles:

• Do you meet your numbers?
• Do you develop others?
• How do you manage up?
• Are you transparent?
• Are you developing a network that expands outside your usual reach?

Who is your mirror? Who tells you the truth?

Then finally Prof. Bowers talks of the importance of living a balance life. The big question is how to have a (top manager) career and take care of your family, friends and all the important people around you that will stick to you and help you during difficult times. That's how Bower arrives at his final questions of:

• Who is your mirror?
• Who tells you the truth?

The higher you go, he says, the more you are going to hear what you want to hear. 

This video might be 9:11 long, but it is worth every single minute of your time. See it to embrace the importance and implications of each of the above mentioned questions. Think of how simple some of them are, yet how powerful in unveiling what is important when planning for becoming the CEO of a big corporation.

Princeton graduation speech by Jeff Bezos (Amazon)

Jeff Bezos is one of the most quoted and admired CEOs these days, albeit with some reservations towards his rather harsh management style.

In his famous speech, he starts of by sharing a beautiful personal story from his childhood, "taking you with him" to one of many caravan club trips he had with his grand parents, to then talk on the importance of the choices we do in our lives.

He says that while we might have some talents (in this case understood as innate qualities that may give us a professional edge over other people), these are our choices that define who we are. He aptly uses contrast to depict the long-term choices each of us has to make to define not what they will do in life, but how are they going to do it. We are our choices. Some of these choices, he says, are:

• Will intertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?
• Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?
• Will you choose a life of ease, or life or service and adventure?
• Will you yield under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?
• Will you bluff it out when you are wrong, or will you apoligise?
• Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?
• Will you play it safe, or will you swashbuckling?
• Will you give up, or will you be relentless?
• Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?
• Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

This one is 11:34, but again, worth not only seeing it, but also thinking on how we feel about all these choices and, when the moment comes, which is the call that we are all going to make.

Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

I am sure there a lot equally interesting videos that students and graduate may use to help their thinking on professional development. These are my three favourite ones out of hundreds (if not thousands) I have seen since people development (including graduate career counseling) has become my passion.

I hope I managed to convince you that career wisdom, even from top thinkers, is available online for free. Not just another piece of random information. Wisdom. It is ok not be aware that it is there, waiting to be discovered by you. But now that you know, I cannot think of a possible excuse for you not to tap into it.

Feel free to share your favourite graduate development videos in the comments. 

Ps. By the way, we are now recruiting for our Management Trainee Programme 2016 in Portugal. Informations and applications - click here!