Tag: graduation; life lessons

I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately.

In addition to my personal pivot, this is a big year for my oldest daughter. She is finishing her fourth year in a competitive five-year architecture program at the University of Oregon. Most of her close friends are graduating this year (this photo shows her and her amazing roommates).

They’re thinking a lot about their future at the same time I am thinking about mine. Lately, I’ve also had several fun mentor meetings with upcoming graduates – many of them kids I’ve seen grow up to incredibly smart and talented future professionals.

They are entering a scary world – in a tough job market – with big changes across politics, technology, science, and…pretty much everything. Given the dynamic world at large, getting started anywhere is likely wise, while remembering this is just one chapter of a much bigger book of life that will be written.

When I consider what advice to give them, here are 10 lessons I still hold true.

1. What you do is not who you are. This life lesson was courtesy of my beloved Dad, who shared it with me long ago, in context of career-ending running injuries. But it holds true for careers too. Make sure you invest in creating a life, not just a career. Ultimately, you will have many chapters in your career – the only constant will be you. Invest in yourself and what makes you happy.
2. Hustle, hustle, and work hard. Many doors open and growth opportunities get created with hustle. Hard work typically pays off – eventually. Particularly when you are new to a job or group of people – roll up your sleeves, ask questions to learn, offer to help, and embrace growth from every opportunity.
3. Know your company’s goals and focus on impact. #2 doesn’t work if your hard work doesn’t clearly align with the company’s goals and isn’t helping drive the company forward. Know the goals. Know the top 3 things you can personally do to drive them forward. Make sure you’re aligned with your management chain and share your progress and learnings.
4. Meaning matters. Work is so much more special and fun if you have the opportunity to work on something meaningful to you. Meaning can come in lots of different ways – in my career, it has come through my devotion to help build a company focused on saving lives with data, helping people be more productive, and even celebrating the creators who helped people have fun with Xbox. Ideally you can find a way to make your work and your role feel meaningful.
5. Lean into your strengths. The best way to shine in any job is to start by leaning into your strengths. Whether its writing strategic plans, creating financial models, building campaigns, or developing new products – most of us excel when we work from a center of strength. Believe in yourself and shine in your organization from your strengths.
6. Learn and be bold. Closely related, always be learning. You never want to be stagnant. There is always something to learn and new ways to grow. Most of us end up having careers we never would have dreamed of. Be open to new opportunities. Remember most great opportunities are scary and most of us feel under-qualified when we take leaps forward.
7. Choose your boss carefully. Your boss will have significant impact to your career. Do they prioritize career growth? Do they share credit and cheerlead their team? Are promotions obviously tied to performance, not politics? Are people treated with respect? Bosses will either elevate you or hold you back. Don’t be held back.
8. Culture is everything. You’ll spend a lot of time at work in your life. Ideally you get to work at places where people are excited on Monday mornings, not full of dread. People are encouraged to ask questions, share new ideas, and try new things. When interviewing, seek to understand not just what you’ll do in a job, but what type of culture you’ll be joining. It will have a direct correlation to your happiness.
9. Invest in relationships. You may find your next job via your network. It is the easiest way to grow your career. Over time, invest in the people you work with. Build trusted and respected relationships. Be a good teammate. Over the decades of your career, you will be surprised how small the world is and how many great relationships you can create.
10. Manage your career as job #1. This won’t seem intuitive, but it’s important. No one will ever care about your career as much as you do. You will likely have many jobs, many bosses, many teammates, and many opportunities in your lifetime. Make sure you’re building not just the career, but the life, you want.

The future is bright – and exciting – and scary. There is so much life to be had – I hope you can embrace it all – the ups and the downs and the everything in between. You’re writing your book of life and the next big chapter awaits you!