7 Career Tips To Make You Tougher And More Confident

career tips

Another day, another roundup of motivational career advice to jump start your week! In an effort to make Mondays slightly more bearable, CreativeLive is rounding up our favorite career tips from experts in every field — be it art, design, fashion or business. Whether you’re embarking on a new career or happy in your current one, everyone needs the occasional kick-in-the-pants when it comes to getting motivated — get inspired by the words of wisdom below so you’re ready to dive into your work week!

Rejection Makes You Stronger

“While being battered always hurts, an important survival mechanism I’ve acquired over the years is to both thrive on rejection and hold on to compliments. Rejection enrages me, but that ‘I’ll show you!’ feeling is an extremely powerful motivator. I’m at a point now where I’m afraid that if I lose it I’ll stop working.”
— Matthew Weiner, creator of Mad Men

Make Every Moment Count

“In my personal life, I like to keep things very organized and also do many different things at the same time. Even when traveling, I make these itineraries on Google docs that are color-coded out by that day’s activities and my friends think I am crazy. I just need everything planned out so no time is lost. I like making every second count and everything you invest in should be meaningful.”
— Erica Choi, Art Director at Barneys New York

Your Missteps Make You Stronger

“I became a manager very young. My first sous chef job I was, maybe, 25. It was a bit too early for me. But it’s on-the-job training. You really just get stuck in there and it’s trial and error. You learn by your mistakes, and hopefully you don’t keep making them. And if you do, you just keep trying to fix it.”
— April Bloomfield, Michelin star chef at The Spotted Pig

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Look At Every Job As A Learning Experience

“No matter where you go, you have the opportunity to build on existing skills and find opportunities to create new ones. By understanding what capabilities you’re fostering and being open to how they can be used moving forward, you’ll always set yourself up for success. This takes the pressure off of making a career-move mistake and allows you to look at each position as a positive opportunity for growth.”
— Sarah Kauss, CEO of S’well

Develop a Thick Skin

“My entrepreneurs will say, ‘Aw, that person was a jerk,’ or, ‘I can’t believe they did that.’ And I say, ‘You know what? Make it work.’ Be as charming and as passionate as you would be if they weren’t a jerk. Get the sale. Get what you need. And then laugh your way to the bank. If you let them upset you or they get under your skin, you have just stopped. You’ve halted progress.”
— Lori Greiner (aka the Queen of QVC), entrepreneur and inventor

Do What You Love, But Be Practical

“What I wish somebody would have told me, and so many of my peers when we were 19, is figure out what you love to do. Figure out something in the realm of income that you love to do and then figure out how to get paid to do it.”
— Nick Offerman, actor

Listen Up

“Too often candidates and elected officials spend so much time talking and sharing their views and not enough time listening. This is the strength of our campaign, and I think it’s something women are really good at. When I told Congressman Paul Ryan I was thinking of running, he gave me great advice: ‘You have one mouth and two ears, so use them in that ratio.'”
— Elise Stefanik, youngest woman ever elected to Congress

 

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Mehera Bonner is a freelance lifestyle and entertainment writer. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.