[A collaboration post – all thoughts are my own.]

I had a lot of questions during my first year of employment because it all felt so foreign to me. My daily schedule was chaotic at the time, and I was a big spender. I was feeling lost and wished that someone would have given me some career advice to make my life more organized.

Looking back, there are a lot of characteristics and skills you may have honed early in your career that might have assisted you in achieving your long-term goals. Although young professionals could face extreme difficulty, there are also likely to be countless good chances for their career and personal growth. Advice on careers during this time of your life may help you improve your decision-making skills and simplify your routines.

Career Advice I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Be organized

One of the best pieces of career advice is to be organized. Even though I’ve worked in the company for three years, I’ve never kept track of my tasks using a planner system. I just need sticky notes or my brain to get things done.

My life seems to be more structured now that I’ve been using a physical planner since the beginning of 2021. I also use it to keep track of the monthly translation projects I accept. Google Calendar is another tool I use to keep track of important dates for my personal life, career, self-care, and finances.

In order to stay organized with your daily tasks, you can use a physical or digital planner. You can become more organized and establish healthy habits as a result. When you plan your daily schedule rather than relying solely on spontaneous action, you’ll be amazed by how much more you can do.

Work on goals

The next career advice and suggestion anyone can provide you is to focus first on the goals that matter. Take pride in your work and show your client or boss that you are passionate about your job. If the assignment does not inspire you, motivate yourself to complete personal tasks in order to reach a goal. By establishing goals, you can organize your thinking and simplify your work.

Value your health

Maintaining good health is one of the essential things you can do to advance in your job, beyond everything else. In order to do all the necessary tasks for career advancement, taking care of yourself is equally vital. I must admit that I am terrible at maintaining my health; I eat a lot of sweet foods, sleep late, and have inconsistent eating schedules. I currently aim to limit my caffeine intake to one cup per day on three days of the week, eat breakfast every day, and get at least six hours of sleep each night.

Stay open to unexpected opportunities

Staying adaptable can be helpful when you’re just starting out in your job. Your goals could change for a variety of reasons. You may accept a position in a field you are unfamiliar with, have the chance to travel, or join a worthy social cause. All these aspects can have an impact on your career and aid in your fulfillment.

While it’s important to be committed to your goals, taking advantage of unexpected opportunities could help you land a job that fits you even better than the one you had planned on pursuing. For instance, I never thought I would work in a finance company after graduating in 2017 and in the tourism field for two years. Since early 2020, I have become a full-time translator and also have my own website as a second income. As an introvert, I can tell you that having these two jobs right now makes me happy.

Enjoy

Whether it’s your dream job or a stepping stone to your dream job, make sure you constantly enjoy what you’re doing. You won’t feel like you’re working at all if you enjoy what you do, and this will give you the motivation to do better at work.

Learn to say no

You must have the skill of learning to say no. Most of the time, we try to take on more than we can handle in an effort to win the favor of our superiors and fellow employees. To avoid any penalties, we even frequently put up with what is considered indirect abuse.

You must not only have a strong will but also be aware of the overall office environment. Therefore, you must have the courage to refuse requests to do things that are not within your scope.

Gain experience outside of your area of work

I generally only take files in general English when I first start out as a translator, like novels or short stories. After many years of growth, I put an attempt to broaden my horizons, I accepted projects in the fields of medicine, sports, finance, engineering, law, and entertainment.

This year, in addition to translating documents, I started creating two-line written subtitles for movies that include all the dialogue, music, and sound effects. To put it another way, translating content from a foreign language, making closed captions, and formatting subtitles. It’s absolutely new to me!

Despite the fact that some people have worked at their first job for decades at a time, you should try to gain as much experience as you can outside of your field of expertise. You will gain more credibility as a result.

Invest in savings

I’m approaching my 30s in three years, and I have a fair bit of knowledge about how I want the next five years to turn out. You may be sure of your chosen profession. So, do you have the savings you need to achieve the things you want in the next five years? If the answer is no, then it’s time you indulge in some smart planning.

Work-Life balance

Life is not all work. You need to regularly treat and pamper yourself. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important too. Work may keep you busy, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for not having fun. If you have a hobby, try to fit in an hour a day or a few hours on the weekends to fit these activities in.

Likewise, with education. Never stop learning new things, ever. Over time, you may be able to dedicate a few hours every day to learning something new or use your days off from work for this purpose.

While being dependable and hardworking may be beneficial, maintaining healthy boundaries may help in coping with stress, reducing the risk of burnout, and increasing job satisfaction. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try to let your manager know what you need and be honest about it.

This career advice sounds very simple, but it might take some patience to achieve your long-term goals. Setting a daily routine that brings you closer to them could help you stay on your intended path. Many people find that establishing healthy lifestyle habits has a positive impact on their careers, too.

What career advice did you receive before starting your first job? Do you have any advice you’d like to give? Let me know below.