Here are the best pieces of advice that these career experts received

Career experts, including counselors, authors and CEOs, guide you to make smart decisions. From helping you accelerate your job search process to evaluating your career options, they keep your spirits high when work gets tough.

While they make their living giving other people advice, what were the words of wisdom that helped them along the way? We asked experts from Asia to weigh in on the advice driving their careers.

From being proactive in tapping opportunities to making purpose greater than money, there are several pieces of advice that you could make your own to help you chart your course for a successful career.

Know their key learnings.

Your career is a constant work in progress

“I received this career advice in my early 20’s,” recalls Dexter Zhuang , advisor and investor at Emergent, Singapore.?

In 2012, Zhuang read The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and Ben Casnocha, Village Global partner. This New York Times bestseller shared practical career advice from two of his favourite entrepreneurs.

“Permanent Beta” was their catchphrase for committing to continuously evolve yourself – just like a startup. Here’s how I added my own spin to this concept,” he says and calls it the S-curve corollary.?

?? In startups:

? Business growth follows the trajectory of an S-curve.

? If growth slows, you may have saturated your market.

? To re-ignite growth, you must expand to new channels, segments, products and markets.

? Over time, you stack multiple S-curves to sustain business growth.

?? In careers:

? Professional growth also follows the trajectory of an S-curve.

? If growth slows, you may have saturated your learning opportunity.

? To re-ignite growth, you must navigate to new skill sets, roles, industries, and markets.

? Over time, you stack multiple S-curves to sustain professional growth.

Surround yourself with inspiring people

“My late friend Steven, ex-manager at Prudential Hong Kong, taught me a lot of life and career lessons,” shares Benjamin Loh, CSP public speaking coach from Singapore.?

I once asked him, “What keeps you motivated in your learning?” He replied, “I never think I am above learning. In fact, the moment I think I am, it will be the downfall of my career and business.”

Steven taught Loh to never let achievement get in the way of growth.?

Combine passion with purpose

“I've learnt a formula from someone I deeply respect: Simply following your passion isn't enough,” shares Aan Sriyani , CEO and co-founder of SolopreneursAI from Indonesia.?

“We've always been encouraged to follow our passion, believing that it will lead us to excel and find fulfillment. But what we're passionate about today might not be the same tomorrow. Try to combine passion with purpose.”?

Quoting her personal journey to purpose she says, “I grew up in a financially disadvantaged family, facing constant struggles. And that is what fuelled my initial purpose: providing for my family. As I achieved that, I realised I needed a bigger purpose, 'a purpose to help others and create opportunities for them'... And that's how my startup was born.”?

Be kind to yourself

Sometimes in the journey of wanting the best, we get hard on ourselves, shares Joseph Louis Tan , director and head of product design at ContactOut, Singapore.

“From being stressed out at work to feeling sad while comparing ourselves to others, we often forget that such actions won’t benefit us in the long run.”?

“We assume that by feeling a certain way, others would notice and join us to sorrow in our negativity. But honestly, everyone else is too busy with their own lives to care about others. Thus, it is up to us to save ourselves from being in the pits,” he suggests.

Don't chase promotions, chase experiences

“Reflecting on my career journey, there's one piece of advice that stands out: Don't just chase promotions or titles. Instead, chase learning opportunities, growth and experiences,” shares Sam Lee Chengyi , managing partner at Paloe, Singapore.

“The world of business and finance is ever-evolving, making adaptability a vital trait. This advice helped me focus not merely on the immediate goal of climbing the corporate ladder but on long-term personal and professional development.”

Lee believes that in our eagerness to rise up quickly, we sometimes overlook the importance of deeply understanding our roles, our industries, and the unique challenges they present. We might bypass the opportunity to learn from a great mentor or miss out on invaluable experiences that a 'lower' position might offer.

“When I started to chase learning and experiences, I found myself more engaged in my roles. I asked more questions, sought feedback, and wasn't afraid to step outside of my comfort zone. I took on projects that I initially thought were beyond my capabilities, only to discover new strengths and interests. I made it a point to understand not just my role but how it fits into the broader business ecosystem.”

Stretch beyond your comfort zone

For Tan Kok Guan , founder and coach at Broccolise Singapore, the best career advice came at a much later stage of his journey. But that was when it made sense to him.?

Guan got inspired by a video clip of Steve Jobs from his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford. He recalls Jobs' advice, “You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

This advice deeply resonated with Guan. He learnt that you can't always plan out your life in a linear fashion. Sometimes you have to take risks, pursue your passions, and try things that seem unrelated or even pointless at the time. But later on, when you look back on your experiences, you can often see how each one led to the next and helped you get where you are today.

?“Fresh out of school, I worked as a test application engineer. It wasn’t in my plan to deviate from here, but through a twist of fate I ended up taking a totally unexpected change and became a recruitment consultant. Then later on, a career coach in the university. And now, running my own venture.”??

?Start with saying yes

“On my journey, there have been many inspiring leaders that I have had the pleasure to collaborate with,” says Petteri Murto , vice president sales and marketing at Sennheiser, Singapore.?

Learning many great things, examples and stories from leading by example to practicing empathy and active listening, embracing diversity and inclusion to taking calculated risks. While looking into game changing career tips, there is one that stands out for Murto: “A philosophy that promotes personal and professional growth, and opens up a lot of opportunities in life – starting with saying yes.”

If you start with ‘yes’, here’s what you could achieve, he says:

• You will inspire others around you. When you have the right mindset and that optimism in you, you are able to overcome challenges and your attitude and actions can also inspire others to take risks, step out of their comfort zone and pursue their dreams.
• When you say yes to connections and collaboration opportunities, you can build meaningful relationships and lifelong friendships.?
• Saying yes to joining a team, group and opportunities for growth and learning will expand your skills.

Do what you love doing

“You hold the keys to your own destiny, the architect of your own success,” shares Dane Tang , executive coach and mentor from Singapore.

She shares:

• Embrace your unique passions and interests and infuse them into your career. Let your work be a reflection of your authentic self.
• Identify your special talents and leverage them to create success. When you tap into your strengths, you unlock a limitless well of potential.
• Don't settle for a career that doesn't excite you. Seek out opportunities that align with your values and bring you joy. When you're passionate about what you do, success follows naturally.

Grow your career through failures

Failures can provide valuable learning experiences, shares Kevin Kan , chief experience officer at Break Out Consulting Asia.

Here are some things that we can learn from failures, he says:

• Resilience: Setbacks are a natural part of the learning process and we can bounce back from them.
• Humility: Failure can teach us the importance of asking for help.?
• What doesn't work: We can use this knowledge to adjust our approach and try again in a different way.
• How to improve: Failure can teach us how to improve our skills, processes and having difficult conversations.?
• Innovation: Failure can force us to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.?

Eugene Cheng ?? , partner at HighSpark Singapore, agrees. He believes, “We often give ourselves undue pressure to always make the right moves every time. That's simply not realistic. We end up making the 'safe' decisions out of fear. Part of the fun and part is not knowing what the outcome will be, but acting anyway. Bet on yourself each time and you almost can't lose. There is no wrong door.

To gain credibility, you need to be an expert

“Even if you have no authority and only influence, use it,” shares Halynne Shi , product manager at Shopback, Singapore.?

“To gain credibility, you need to be an expert. If you're the expert, people trust in your expertise. It's easier to get others on board with your vision.”

Here’s how you can become a subject matter expert, even when you don’t have the relevant background:

• Be persistently curious: Get to the bottom of things. If you’re not sure, ask questions, seek out new information, challenge assumptions.?
• Use data to back up your arguments: Numbers don't lie, and they're hard to argue with. When you can prove your point with hard data, people are more likely to take you seriously.
• Invite agreement when presenting your case: Don’t be confrontational, frame your argument in a way that shows how it benefits everyone involved. This makes it easier for people to agree with you.
• Articulate your vision: As long as you can clearly explain the big picture and how it fits into the company's goals, you can become a go-to person for your area of expertise.
• Know your audience: Different people respond to different things. Figure out what motivates the room you're trying to influence, and tailor your approach accordingly.?

What’s the best career advice that you've been given? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below and/or in a post using #GetHiredAsia

• You can communicate everything – Cornellius Y. , data scientist assistant manager at Allianz, Indonesia. Join the conversation.
• Make ideas memorable – Amit Ray , founder of CrazyTok, Singapore. Join the conversation.
• Create a financial plan before taking the big leap – Vicario Reinaldo , career coach from Singapore. Join the conversation.
• Never neglect your health – Kenneth Goh , senior client advisor at United Overseas Bank, Singapore. Join the conversation.?

• How to use your social media to get hired. In this piece, Andrew Seaman , LinkedIn Managing Editor for Jobs & Career Development, writes on gaining clarity about the type of audience you want to attract.
• Future of skills, LinkedIn report 2023?

Also look out for:

• Having a mentor can supercharge your career. Know the big benefits

Want to learn more about how you can prepare yourself to thrive in the workplace of the future? Keep an eye out for the next edition of the Get Hired Asia newsletter in two weeks’ time. Make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing here.

Reported By: Neha Jain Kale – LinkedIn News Editor covering jobs and career development in Asia.

Creator Manager: Alita Utari Dewi

Editor’s Note: Some quotes were edited for length and clarity.