Career Advice for my Younger Self
Sue Ellson
Independent LinkedIn Specialist - Digital Mentor, Coach, Author, Educator, Consultant, Career Development Practitioner, Founder, Gigster, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Poet, Writer, Business Social Marketing, AI??
Career Advice for my Younger Self
I started my full time working career at Westpac Banking Corporation in Adelaide, South Australia, six days after my last year 12 secondary school exam whilst I deferred my university studies in Radiography.
I studied a Business Certificate in Banking (nine subjects) part time through Adelaide TAFE before I gave up and pursued a relevant degree, a Bachelor of Business in Administrative Management through the University of South Australia that I completed by correspondence.
In 1994, I was retrenched because the bank could not transfer me from Adelaide to Melbourne at the time. I secured a new role in Melbourne, found out I was pregnant and was sacked soon after. It took me six and a half years to get over the anger of being sacked, but it has put me on the most amazing career path ever since.
In fact, I haven't had a 'real job' since 1994.
I launched my first website in 2001 - and it is still going today. NewcomersNetwork.com. Another, CamberwellNetwork.com was launched in 2012 until 2022. I published my own website SueEllson.com in 2012 as well and then in 2014, I launched 120ways.com (and have now published five books).
I now classify myself as an Independent LinkedIn Specialist, Author, Educator and Practitioner. A Gigster who uses technology to attact aligned gigs.
What do I wish I had been told at 18 years of age?
1) There is more to life than one job - and only multiple streams of income will provide you with income security. A network = your net worth. Your network can assist you throughout your life.
2) You can live your own life and not be bound by the limited beliefs of well meaning family, friends and peers (who will usually only give you their limited perspective on life) but the ones you trust can be great sounding boards and it is okay to suggest that they listen rather than advise.
3) Ultimately, what you need to do in life is live according to your own values (what you provide to others and what you value yourself), your strengths (both natural and learned) and your context (because sometimes your circumstances will dictate your available options but that's okay for now).
4) That the friends you have in life can either encourage and empower you or criticise and cut you down, especially if they feel threatened by your 'success' so there will be many people that come and go throughout life and that's okay (thank them for their company but if you need to along the way, say goodbye).
5) That there will be times when you need to push yourself beyond your boundaries and there will also be times when you need to rest - you can't operate at 110% every day without some form of consequence.
6) Your health and wellbeing are extremely important and not worth sacrificing - no amount of money will ever replace your health or peace of mind.
7) You can make do with a lot less than advertising tells you and you only need to buy what you absolutely need (forget the sales and 'saving' money - you don't save money if you are spending and apparently the 'rich' only live off 30% of their income, not 100% of their income).
8) That it is never too late to give something else a go, but you also need to be committed to your ideas to bring them to fruition - do at least some research before you start, give things a go, but if things are not working out, be prepared to let them go and move on.
9) You cannot expect everyone else to have the same passion and motivation as you do for what you want to achieve - so be prepared to get your hands dirty and do some of the boring stuff yourself, despite the naysayers, but also know when it is time to quit.
10) Make sure you have fun along the way - don't take it all too seriously as you are only young once and you don't want to look back and say 'I wish I had tried that when I was younger' but at the same time, keep up your commitments because some long term ones have a pay off way down the track (like spending time with children).
11) Save money from the very beginning of your working life so you can build assets that generate income, not just create income and pay expenses - this is the key to wealth.
12) Keep yourself accountable - do what you say you will and ask for help if you need it but always be willing to offer something in exchange if you ask for something for free.
13) Learning never stops - you need to be committed to staying current and up to date and go outside your comfort zone to do things that are difficult, but not dangerous. Revisit where you have been, but always be willing to go somewhere new.
14) Experiment and start small and build it up - there is a much greater sense of achievement if you can grow organically rather than go around with a pitch and spend someone else's money.
15) Start with what you have - you don't need all of the pieces of the puzzle to get started on creating a solution that works for you - iterate along the way.
16) Celebrate what feels like an achievement for you - not just the big ticket items, but those small little wins that mean a lot to you but are irrelevant to others (like getting out of bed when the alarm goes off for three days in a row).
17) Understand how you tick - what your body rhythm is, what you need for optimum performance and relaxation and don't blindly follow any 'guru' - become the guru you need for yourself.
18) Thank others as often as possible - be specific in your praise, describe what was helpful and if you can, put it in writing so that they can reflect on it again later (which may even include writing an online review or recommendation or sending a card in the post).
19) Say 'please' when you make a request. Don't forget that manners are important and respecting local customs and etiquette shows that you value others and the way they operate. Maintain eye contact and engagement when talking to others - truly listen and don't do something else at the same time (or have your mobile phone or watch in viewing distance).
20) Focus on priorities. The world is full of distractions and you need to live in the present and not be continually sidetracked into the world of 'scrolling' or 'better options' or 'games' when there are many ways to be a part of your community and make a valuable contribution. Voluntary work, in an area where your skills are useful can be humbling and rewarding.
Do any of these resonate with you?
What else would you add?
Let's share our wisdom with others who are either starting the journey or are on a bumpy path right now. Life is to be lived and enjoyed. It is never too late and no time is ever truly wasted - but from now on, what could you do differently to enjoy it even more?
Other Articles of interest (Right click to open in a new tab) or see the full list?here
Enjoy the rest of your day!
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First Published:?11 May 2022
Last Update:?6 November 2022
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Sue Ellson?BBus, MIML, MPC, CDAA, ASA, WV, SPN, is an Independent LinkedIn Specialist, Business and Careers Consultant, Trainer and Author.
More information?at?https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/sueellson?and?https://sueellson.com
Questions directly via email sueellson [at] sueellson.com
I am enthusiastic about you living in the best way possible | Social Media Manager
2 年I so love this Sue Ellson Since I am still 20, I got a lot of lessons from your career advice. I sincerely appreciate you. I'll go through them again and work with those that I can relate to.
Business Internship Tutor and Mentor | Career Development Educator I Aged Care Volunteer Visitor
2 年I enjoyed reading your article Sue Ellson. Some sage advice for some of our students Michelle Harvey
Project Manager (CPPP, MAIPM) | Operations & Strategy Specialist | Process Improvement Consultant | Living with passion and purpose
2 年Great article Sue Ellson. I wonder what the difference will be for this generation in 20 years' time :). My advice to my younger self is to be yourself. Be authentic, and don't worry about trying to be like others. You are hired based on your skills and experience plus who you are and how that makes you stand out. Everyone has something different to offer and that diversity is what makes a team great.
Author, artist and sculptor (fine art masks) - after five decades as CEO/CFO of SME companies, now writing '5 star' thrillers. LAPEL is book 1.
2 年Sage. Sincere. Smack-on. (Looking forward to 8th June) ??
As a plug-in marketing manager. I work alongside business owners to help them grow their business regardless of market conditions.
2 年Brilliant article and great advise Sue. It's not just career advice. Its Life Advice. I would call that "20 Rules to Live Your Best Life" Can I please add number 21 - The difference between stepping stones and stumbling blocks is how you use them. A great example of this is time. We all have the same number of hours in our day and the time we have = the life we have. Invest it wisely in your health, your relationships, your happiness, your education, your wealth. (in that order) You wouldn't give your life away so why give your time away by wasting it on things that aren't going to help you live your best life.