YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
WHO HAS GIVEN YOU THE BEST CAREER ADVICE?
EXPERIENCED DARREN BUCHANAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, HAYS QUEENSLAND
The best career advice I ever received came from my parents. They owned and ran a very successful pub in England. This meant they worked long hours and had to provide exceptional customer service to their patrons. They did this very well – in fact their pub was renowned for great service and a friendly atmosphere. They gave me advice when I commenced my recruitment career in London, but it was more their work ethic and attitude towards always giving your best and providing outstanding customer service that helped me succeed.
MID-CAREER ANDREA DAVEY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, EMPLOYMENT OFFICE
I’m lucky to have mentors and career sponsors who have given me great advice over the years. My parents run their own businesses so I couldn’t help but learn from their experiences, from a very early age. Some of the best advice I’ve been given includes “consistency breeds credibility” – it’s so important for the people you work with to rely on you and know what to expect from you day-to-day. Another piece of advice that has always stuck with me is “leaders are readers”. There is so much to learn from well-written business books.
UP & COMING JULIE FORD SENIOR EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT, McARTHUR
There has never been one single person who has been a catalyst for anything I’ve done in my career. Instead, I have heeded nuggets of wisdom given to me by a variety of people, some of whom were unexpected. The list consists of family, friends, colleagues, mentors, thought leaders and by reading a lot of articles. Over the years the best advice from all these sources distilled into my mantras, which I draw on for inspiration to remind myself that I love my career and I’m guided by the decisions I make with the knowledge collected from these people.
THE EXPERT DR NERIDA HILLBERG DIRECTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, FERRIS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
I’m an advocate for creating your own path and being guided by an intuitive sense of what’s best for your unique, individual circumstances. As a psychologist, I often see people conflicted as they struggle to weigh up all of the pieces of career advice given to them. What works for one may not work for all. How careers are defined, and the world of work in general have radically changed over the years. So, advice that applies to your career today may be superfluous tomorrow. No one knows you better than you.