Much of the career advice you hear is in the “work smarter, not harder” category. Career advice is best given by those who have had a career for a couple of decades. Nobody wants to listen to a recent graduate’s opinion on how to be successful at work. The problem though is that for those giving out advice, they are in an entirely different phase of their careers. A phase where their experience should be helping shape focus and priority. Don’t work on six things, work full effort on one thing. Imagine being new to a job and being handed twenty tasks you must do and you respond with only wanting to do the most important. That won’t fly.
When you are on the early side of your career, you should be learning and proving your worth. This means doing whatever is put in front of you. Doing it reliably and consistently. This is how you build a reputation as a great worker. Keep doing this and soon you’ll be the one who is trusted to make the big focus and priority choices. As you move up, then it’s time to shift from proving to prioritizing.
Some books I would suggest to help you navigate your career:
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
- What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
- Rise by Patty Azzarello