35 career skills to learn before age 35

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

When it comes to a career, sometimes you need to speed up and start moving towards your goal with leaps and bounds.

1. It's cool to explain who you are

If in response to the question "What do you work?" you habitually lower your eyes to the floor and mumble something incomprehensible, you need to fight this. Learn to talk about your work briefly, vividly and in a way that will be remembered and told to your friends. Think about what career accomplishments you are proud of and pass on that information to others.

2. Discover your superpower

Everyone has superpowers. This is something that you have no equal. What you do best. Realizing that you are better than everyone else is very important. Well-known businesswoman Tina Roth Eisenberg says:

The most successful people are those who know exactly what they are good at, like no one else.

3. Find your kryptonite

Do you know your superpower? Great, now find the main weakness. Admit it: there are things where you are not just bad, but hopeless. Don't stop at a statement of fact. Get help and try to fix the situation. Although there is another way out.

4. Learn to delegate

Trying to sit on all the chairs at once, you are unwisely allocating your own time. Do not do like this. Learn to separate issues that are worthy of your attention from those that can be delegated to someone else. Moreover, if you learn to delegate authority, you will get a clearer vision of the workflow.

5. Decide what you want

Every day we meet face to face with opportunities and make choices. It is better to know in advance which principles you will never deviate from, on which you will not waste time and energy, so as not to deviate from the intended path. Write on a piece of paper those principles, aspirations and goals that you do not want to give up. Use this list as a guide every time you make a tough career decision.

6. Do something that you will be very, very proud of

And write it down on your resume.

You can work for an idea or for money. But there must be something that you are proud of. Even if it's a trifle, even if it eventually fades into oblivion.

7. When ashamed - draw conclusions

Usually, before creating something that we will be proud of later, we make epic mistakes and shame several times. It becomes very embarrassing and very bad.

The main thing is to draw conclusions almost immediately after the failure. Analyze when and how you got it wrong. Otherwise, the burning feeling of shame will come to you again.

8. Answer the call

You are a professional and a good employee. Let's say you can perform well in front of an audience of 30 people. It's great, no one argues. But you need to try to do more.

Create a challenge for yourself: Give a talk in front of a hundred people. Have three times as many people looking at you. After all, you never know how good you are until you try.

9. Do what scares you

By doing something you've never tried before, try to go even further and scare yourself. The conference? Offer to be the first to speak. Are you afraid of your boss? Ask him for a raise. What scared you at the very beginning of your career seems funny and petty today. The same will happen with today's problems. Moreover, a big risk can bring a big result.

10. It's ok to accept criticism

And want to receive it. It is very important to take comments correctly, seriously, not as a personal insult. Finding out that you are not good enough, that more was expected of you, that you still have room to grow - this is very important for career growth. Only then will you be able to advance further.

11. Learn to criticize others correctly

This is what is called "giving feedback."

True, in 90% of cases it all comes down to mutual praise or restrained criticism.

The “hand washes” principle is, of course, good if you don’t want to move and develop anywhere. But, if you dream that your career will go uphill, you will have to learn to point out to others their mistakes and demand maximum return.

12. Learn a three letter word

Learn to say no.

13. Knowing a person who knows that person

A person you can trust. And there should be more such people in your environment. For a successful career, you need to have a network of useful and reliable contacts. Better to start building it now.

14. Get good advice

For any reason: from problems with the boss to doubts about how to build a career further. Find people who can give you good advice. It's good if this is your friend. Cool if it's your mom.

15. Remove dirt from the Web

An adult does not post pictures of drunken parties on social media. On the other hand, an adult was once young and stupid. It's time to correct the mistakes he made and remove all incriminating posts and pictures from the web. Find your old social media pages and check their content.

16. Make your LinkedIn profile perfect

Let's say the CEO of your dream company wants to hire you. What will they see if they find your LinkedIn profile? Make him find the perfect profile that will impress him in seconds.

17. Make an impressive portfolio

Collect the best you've ever done in one place and call it your portfolio. Articles, campaigns, projects, designs … Everything you are proud of should be shown to others. Moreover, the portfolio should always be relevant and at hand. Because when they want to hire you, you have to instantly prove that you are worth it.

18. Learn to sell

For some reason, many believe that selling is a shame. In fact, sales skills are just about the most important you need to acquire. Learn to sell - get the rest. It doesn't matter if you are selling your product or yourself as a valuable qualified employee.

19. Learn to bargain

Even if you were not born in Odessa, you can still learn the tricks of the bargain. The main idea is to get what you need at the lowest cost. Try to start small. For example, ask your boss to pay for a refresher course or travel to an interesting conference.

20. Learn to work

You need to have your own style of work. Do not adjust to your boss, do not adopt your manager's methods. Develop your own ways of coping with tasks and managing time.

21. Write the coolest letters

Do not click on the "Send" button until you are sure that your letter will captivate the addressee at first sight. Professional correspondence is another way to influence a person, and you need to learn how to create such letters in order to achieve your goal from one line.

22. Learn to shake hands

Shaking hands is the fastest way to make a first impression of yourself. Learn to shake hands in a way that doesn't feel like "tossing a dead baby."

23. Finding the Right Way to Make To-Do Lists

Correct means effective. If you beautifully write down all your daily tasks in a column, but there is no sense in it, then your system of working with a to-do-list is wrong. Try different techniques, applications, and tools.

24. Examine your body

And use its features for good. Find out when you are at the peak of energy and productivity, and when it is better to put off everything and have a coffee or a walk. There is nothing worse than forcing yourself to work at a time when the whole body is opposed to it.

25. Go to bed on time

Everyone should have known about this for a long time.

Sleep is important.

Regardless of how much you sleep, try to stick to your sleep schedule. The better you sleep, the better you work.

26. Don't be nervous

Stress and anxiety can ruin your career and health in no time. Take care of yourself, stop worrying, and learn to deal with your emotions.

27. Stop constantly apologizing

You probably think that you are very polite and that this behavior will strengthen your career and your position.

In general, constant apologies, especially for small and unpredictable reasons, only annoy, and also call into question your professionalism. Save excuses for really big mistakes.

28. Get Rid of Impostor Syndrome

Enough. Just admit that you are a great person and that you are doing well.

29. Prepare plan B

What if they fire you tomorrow, what will you do then? If you do not have an answer to this question, you urgently need to come up with a solution to the problem. A backup plan may never come in handy, but if things aren't going well for your company, you’ll be glad you’ve thought of ways to escape.

30. Take on side projects

Develop your hobby or try counseling. Of course, your career is important, but you will have a varied experience in other areas. And you will not get bored.

31. Invest in retirement

It seems almost unrealistic, but it must be done, whatever the salary.

32. Invest in yourself

In training, in professional development, in new knowledge, in a hobby. The more you can, the better you work, the faster you will move up the career ladder. You can buy a new suit, or you can go to English courses. The second will pay off, the first will not.

33. Invest in the world

You have probably heard about the need not only to take, but also to give. There are problems with the implementation of this setup. Take up volunteering, charity work, at least just help those who are a little less fortunate.

34. Determine your desires

You may not know who you will become when you turn 35, but you can imagine clearly and clearly what you want to achieve. And it is very important to know what you do not want for yourself. Be a boss-dictator or middle-level manager. Do sales. If you imagine where you want to go in a few years, and where you definitely don’t want to be, take another step closer to your goal.

35. Do what you like

How else?