Career advice and Inspiration

"With what I know now, what advice would I give my younger self when pursuing my career in business or leadership?"

We went out to industries leaders and business experts around the country and asked them this question. This is what they had to say.

Be flexible. Cash is King. Manage your equity. Don’t always assume you are the CEO. Listen and be humble.

Successful entrepreneur who worked with start-ups like carsales.com.au, Loan Markets and established business like Ray White Real Estate

Roland C

Entrepreneur

"Seek out fast-growing markets or business opportunities in areas you enjoy being involved with, work hard and believe in yourself."

Dominic S.

CEO - Australian Stock Exchange

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." —Confucius

"Be uncompromising. Finding an imperfect solution is okay provided you can clearly identify the shortfalls and are certain you can bridge the gap, however accepting mediocrity as the norm will have a long term damaging impact. Be realistic: It's great to be idealistic in your views but don't lose sight of the real world and what motivates those people around you, be that staff, clients, suppliers or partners. Finally, don't lie to yourself. Understand and accept the reality and deal with it."

(Or, in summary, "Be uncompromising. Be realistic. Don't lie to yourself. Understand and accept the reality and deal with it.")

Over past 10 years, started up and built a Loan business, and works with a range of businesses both online and offline managing their leads and converting them to committed customers.

Declan M.

Entrepreneur

"Don’t let other people organisations nor institutions define or restrict you. Back yourself and chase your goals."

Over 30 years of commercial experience in advertising, marketing and brand management with national and international companies.

Dave W.

Senior Corporate Executive

"Choose organisations, mentors and roles from which you can learn a lot! Learning should be your number one focus during the first half of your career. Then, as you approach the midpoint of your career, look to start developing a deep specialisation in an area you find super interesting and rewarding."

Hands-on experience in start-ups and growth capital ventures complements earlier career which was spent in enterprise-level CFO, CEO and other executive leadership roles with large, well-respected corporates.

Anthony P.

Director and Senior Management roles across public and private companies

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

"Looking back on my career, I was happy that I tried different things that took me in different directions. They came about because I networked extensively, kept abreast of business news and current trends, was giving of my time which always paid back, and was positive about the business I was working in. It was important to treat bosses, peers and staff the same, understanding what drove them and using humour to lighten things up. To this day I still keep in touch with many of my past colleagues."

Senior executive with extensive experience in driving and managing finance, operations and strategy in growth and mature businesses. Strong leader with proven capabilities in establishing and leading teams in business, project and change environments. Experience in overseas markets, particularly China and India.

Tim R.

Senior Corporate Executive

"In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest". A formal qualification is a great stepping stone which will open more doors at the start of your career, and keep you in the race. It also provides a great base for the skills required in the business world"

Geoff P.

National Learning & Development Manager

"Treat every interaction with people who come across your path as a gift, and with the utmost respect."

HVGS

Paul T.

Headmaster

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

"I would tell my younger self not to simply sit back and blend in. Don’t be afraid to sell your benefits to those around you. Be proactive and take any opportunity that comes your way, instead of doubting yourself."

15 years in a corporate contact centre, rising from a customer relations representative to contact centre Trainer.

Ramina O.

Contact Centre Trainer

"Leadership is more than just having confidence to lead. It includes a vast number of personal skills and teamwork skills. So if you are lacking confidence your other important skills will help guide you!"

Bethany P.

Contact Centre 2IC

"Learn to do or say things that make you feel most uncomfortable, that will make you brave and teach you to deal with difficult situations."

Sydney Law Firm

Janna P.

Associate Director

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

“In business and in life to be successful you'll need some luck. Thomas Jefferson once famously said, "the harder I work the luckier I get”. Many have used the quote since because it’s true. I also believe smart people make their own luck, and in order to put yourself in a position to find that “luck”, you will need to take some risk, calculated gambles. So if I was talking to my younger self I’d say back yourself, take some risk that feels right and do it smarter and better than your competition.”

Past 12 years as CEO of Australasia’s largest marketing communications business, with 60 operating companies, 5000 people, and $850M revenues.

Mike C.

Contact Centre Trainer

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