Tough Love Career Secrets You Need To Know But That Nobody Has Ever Had The Courage To Tell You.

Only one person manages your career and that person is YOU:

Your career is like climbing a mountain, which can only be taken one step at a time, by YOU. Sure there will be people to help you take some awkward steps and to assist you with overcoming obstacles. But at the end of the day, whether or not you reach your career summit is up to you. So quit blaming your boss, your peers, bad timing, or anything else for that matter when things don't go your way or your career stumbles. Instead, pick yourself up and carry on climbing your mountain.

Tip: Write down the 3 most important things you want out of a career. That’s your mountain and start climbing towards to it.

Remember that it isn't all about you:

You own responsibility for managing your career, but the day to day stuff generally involves a team. In the interest of teamwork, you will probably be asked to do things that are out of your general job realm. Do them. (Assuming they are legal of course). If you work by the mantra “doing that isn't in my job description” then don't expect anybody to help you when you need it. You are actually just a pain to manage and a bigger pain to work with. Your peers think of you as a whiner and the powers that be soon will too.

Tip: In work-related conversations, spend a day saying “we” instead of “I”. People will notice and your attitude may just change.

Work like you already got that next promotion:

Good leaders like to work with proactive people. If you want career advancement then you have to show you have what it takes to actually do that next job. If the furtherest you think ahead is 5pm, then the chances are you are not going to get any positive attention. As a result, your career might not be going much further than 5pm either. So be proactive and think beyond the immediate (or 5pm).

Tip: Ask your boss if there is any task that they currently do that you could help them with. It isn't sucking up, it is being smart.

Don’t expect anything beyond a paycheck and benefits:

If the only reason you are being a rockstar in the workplace is to get ahead, then you are setting yourself up for short term disappointment. No employee is entitled to career advancement. As much as you might think you deserve more power/pay/recognition, don't expect any of that. Go to work because you actually enjoy doing so. And if you don't actually enjoy your job and aren't getting the power/pay/recognition you think you deserve, then ask for it. If you still don't get it, then leave.

Tip: If you are one of the people expecting things, go update your resume.

It isn't personal:

Here’s the thing, you are going to screw up every now and then. You will totally miss the mark on an assignment, arrive late for an important meeting, or say something inappropriate at an equally inappropriate time. Know that a screw up is going to happen at some point. Also know you will probably get a) yelled at, b) possibly reprimanded, c) embarrassed, d) all the above. So when that happens, don't take the scolding personally, because it isn't. It’s because you screwed up. Acknowledge it, suck it up, and move on. And if it so happens, as it does in those rarest of occasions, that it really IS personal, then literally move on. Your boss is a tool and you don't have to take it.

Tip: Put a post-it note on your desk that says “It isn't personal”.

About the author:

Neill Wallace is a writer and consultant at Eleven 249, a company that promotes the values of people first leadership. His first book, An Unconventional Leader, shows readers how to be an engaging and inspiring leader.