Better Ways to Get Career Advice - The Muse

Better Ways to Get Career Advice - The MuseBetter Ways to Get Career AdviceTrust me, I know its hard to know where to turn for career advice thats actually helpful. Emphasis on actually helpful. After all, alfruchtwein everyone (and literally their mom) is willing to give it to you. But, finding words of wisdom thatll actually you get you closer to your career goal always feels harder than it should be. Even though Ive coached job seekers for years and am now that voice for many people, Im no different than you. Ive asked for help with my career plenty of times- from friends, family, coaches, colleagues, you name it.fruchtwein of what I got in return was a combination of cliche or unhelpful. However it wasnt all a wash. Over the years, Ive learned that if you want to get awesome advice, you need to use five simple techniques. 1. Skip Your Best Friend- and Ask Your Most Successful Connection, InsteadYes, going to your best friends your typical default when youre trying to get honest f eedback. Not only is it easy, but you trust him or her to be completely honest with you. Also, sending a text sure is more convenient than figuring out how to word an email to someone you have drinks with every few months. However, when it comes to your career, honestys leid always enough. Instead, you want to go to the friend who has the career you want. This doesnt mean that shes a step ahead of you on the ladder in your field- but rather that you both define success similarly, and shes well on her way to getting there.Bill Sullivan, founder of The Tyche Project, lays out why this is a better move This person generally shows an ability to look deeper into challenges and come up with viable solutions based on experience and opinion. Emphasis on experience- sometimes you have to be on the same road to know which way to go.2. Ask the (Old) baboWhile it sometimes makes sense to ask your current manager for advice, Tami Reiss, co-creator of the JustNotSorry app, suggests not go to him or her until youve looked for advice elsewhere If it was work-related, I learned not to go to my boss until I had a few options on what to do bosses need to have confidence in employees abilities to solve problems. So, who better to turn to in order to get those options than your former boss. After all, this person doesnt have a vested interest in how youre performing in your current job. At the same time, if you had a great relationship with him or her, he or shell want to help you continue to do well. Most importantly, he or she know what makes you tick (and what ticks you off).By taking this step first, youre not jeopardizing your credibility when you do ask your current manager for help rather youre showing that youve done all the legwork possible. Now youre coming to him or her with potential solutions, rather than just a host of problems. 3. Find a MentorInstead of turning to someone close to you personally or professionally, COO Brian Delle Donne points out that it might be b est to turn to a mentor who is an unbiased individualthat wants to see you succeed and is in a position to provide strategic advice to that end.A mentor-mentee relationships generally low-risk because this person has nothing to personally gain besides a sense of satisfaction when you become successful. Thats exactly why mentors go out of their way to help you. Even better, this relationship can begin to feel more like a friendship as you know each other longer. Dont underestimate the benefits of getting close to someone older, wiser, and more experienced than you. 4. Take Your Parents With a Grain of SaltIf youre looking for general life advice, your parents probably have some thats timeless. However if youre seeking out help with an industry-specific problem, its best to steer clear. They might have your best interests in mind, but they unfortunately probably dont completely get what you do, nor the options available to you. Also, keep in mind that parents subconsciously might be r eliving their glory days (or lack thereof) through your career. As Aaron Hurst, an economist and entrepreneur, says Projecting of ones self is most pronounced in relationships between parents and their children.So, just something to keep in mind when youre deciding what parental tidbits to follow and what to just smile politely about (and laugh about to your friends later).5. Be Open to Tough LoveThere are lots of different kinds of advice you can get- but often times, the best kind is the honest, tough love that opens up your eyes to the big picture (or, in some cases, the realistic picture). One way to get this? Hiring a career coach who doesnt owe you anything but honesty.Joe Lyons, a successful sales VP at a storage startup, explains The career coach for me is unfiltered, raw, and unafraid to offend. I call it career-course-correction through advanced thinking.Like Joe, Ive worked with a coach, too. Throughout the sessions, he was able to identify my biases and patterns, call me out on them, and then help me develop solutions for breaking through them. Sure, the truth hurt on occasion. But it also set me free.At the End of the Day, You Need to Make the CallOne mistake Ive made and have seen others make is to grab hold of the most recent piece of advice, and then run with it. A better approach is to wait until youve gathered input from all sources, let things sit for a day or two, and then evaluate everything again. Youll almost certainly make a better decision, and you wont overweigh the feedback thats most fresh in your mind.Steve Kaplan, a business development executive at a pre-IPO company, sums it up beautifully I believe that, in general, the more feedback the better. But at the end of the day, we are responsible for whatever action we take, not our advisers.Choose wisely