5 Quotes to Shape Your Career

Posted August 22, 2016 - Revised September 19, 2016

Phrases don't become famous quotes by accident.

They typically become iconic because they encapsulate some profound nugget of truth and in trying to shape your career; you could do worse than follow some famous advice.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." 
- Abraham Lincoln

The business world is changing fast in unpredictable ways. You can either let the uncertainty of today's world carry you away like the fast current found in dangerous rapids, or you can take control and steer the ship to safety and your destination.

Leaders take on the future by knowing what they want, taking small steps toward their goals, evaluating the outcomes of those steps and taking more steps based on what they learned.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." 
- Thomas A. Edison

Edison famously failed thousands of times in trying to create the electric light bulb, but his persistence led to one of the most revolutionary devices ever created. Even if you're not trying to change the world, one more try usually doesn't cost you any more than what you've already invested, and this time - you're leveraging the knowledge gained from all your past failures.

"I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career. You learn a lot from it." 
- Lou Holtz

Of course everyone wants to learn from their failures, but how to you avoid drawing the wrong conclusions?

First of all, avoid the blame game: Don't instantly pin the blame for failure on yourself or others. Instead, figure out if the failure was easily preventable. If it was caused by a "perfect storm" of factors, figure out what those factors were and how to prevent as many of those as possible.

"Good failures" are the ones that happened to Edison all the time. They occur when we are in the process of experimentation or trying to learn something new. Like learning to walk, these failures are part of a process and should be embraced.

"If you can DREAM it, you can DO it." 
- Walt Disney

It's probably safe to say, too many great ideas don't become reality. When you want to act on a dream or an idea, look at what was done by those before you and see it as a template for yourself. Don't be afraid to get advice from those around you and embrace failures as moments you can learn from.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
- Albert Einstein

Being proactive toward your career means you are going to make mistakes, and that's okay. Sometimes you must take a step sideways or even a step backwards on the path to reaching your ultimate goal. Developing the mental strength to handle mistakes is a victory in and of itself.

At Ambassador, we have many opportunities and resources to help you shape your career. Please contact us today to work with one of the leading employment agencies in the South!