Eight Ways to Make Sure You Don’t Get Left Behind

The young professional world is a competitive arena, one in which careers either take off or are shot down almost instantly after years of patiently waiting and working towards that “big break.” The good news is that, barring some out-of-the-blue circumstance, our fate is in our own hands. We dictate the life we want to live, the success we want to achieve and how we want to reach those goals. And you can bet tens of thousands of other young professionals in your urban centre are too. Here’s how to stay ahead of the pack:

1. Read 30 Minutes Daily
Whether it be educating yourself about the interconnected world around you, or perhaps expanding your vocabulary, reading truly is the key to furthering your education. But choosing what to read is just as important as the act of reading in itself. Replace your morning Facebook news feed update with an Economist article or two, or make sure you pick up a Sunday edition of the New York Times every week, for example.

2. Find a Mentor
We often talk about the importance of finding a valuable mentor in the developing stages of your career. Increased confidence, productivity and motivation, as well as the development of your professional network, are all the result of establishing a meaningful mentorship.

3. Choose Your Friends Wisely
Will the people you spend most of your time with propel or hinder your career? Will they be there when times get tough, or are they simply along for the ride while everything’s peachy? These are the questions you need to ask yourself when selecting a tight-knit group in the young professional world.

4. Join a Charity
Being involved in charitable work not only shows that you are a caring, selfless individual, but it also reveals that you possess valuable transferable skills that make you an attractive asset to potential employers. Among them: Time management, leadership, teamwork, taking initiative and social awareness.

5. Demand More of Yourself
People often say that you are your own harshest critic, which is absolutely true. The key is to make sure this self-criticism is constructive. This is especially important when you don’t have the luxury of a mentor to start that fire within you. Challenge your accomplishments by setting more ambitions goals next time and always remember that learning is a life-long process – be better and smarter than the person you were yesterday.

6. Be Mindful of Your Appearance
Looks aren’t everything, but there’s definitely a lot more to projecting a professional appearance than good genes. We’re talking about good jeans; more broadly, your wardrobe as a whole. No matter the occasion, it’s always wise to dress to impress. Being overdressed is way better than being underdressed, after all.

7. Broaden Your Interests
Being adaptable to a variety of social settings is imperative when you’re trying to make the most of valuable networking opportunities. Everyone you talk to in a room has certain professional and personal interests – the more of these you can intelligently discuss, the better position you’ll be in to maintain a meaningful conversation.

8. Take Care of Your Health
This goes without saying. Being in top shape is the first step in making sure the other seven are achievable.