JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 311

Rule 1 Work hard
Success is about the
relentless pursuit of what
you want. Before you even
start, you need to accept
that hard work is going
to be a vital ingredient. A
lot of people don't want to
recognise that because it's
hard and it's work. Many
people just want a get-richquick scheme, a shortcut to
success. They don't realise
the path to success starts
with the understanding that
you'll require dedication to
what you want to achieve
through hard work.
You will sacrifice your
"spare time", you won't have
a hobby and probably not

much of a social life. But as
you take the steps needed
towards being a success,
you have to remember
that the first step is always
hard work, and lots of it.
Whenever you're facing a
pile of work or a challenge,
it's psychologically essential
to have that acceptance.
No matter how bad things
are, no matter how hard
the battle you face, you
have to accept the reality
of the situation and
embrace the pressure.
This takes self-discipline
and energy, and you'll not
meet anyone successful
who doesn't have both.

Before you start you need to
accept that hard work is going
to be a vital ingredient

Rule 2 Be confident
Confidence expresses
itself as energy, as being
able to articulate your
thoughts, having an
opinion and being a good
listener. But you can have
too much. There's a fine
line between enthusiasm
and delusion. There are
lots of people who are
confident but can't deliver.
They soon get found out.
To lead a team, you need
confidence. Some people
are scared to take on a
managerial role because
they think they need to be
able to do every aspect of
the work. But what really
sets you apart as a leader

3 1 0 /// J O B S & C A R E E R S

is how you behave when
you don't know what to
do. If you don't have the
confidence to ask for
advice, you won't succeed.
You also need confidence
to avoid the my-way-or-noway mentality. The best
leaders aren't afraid to
listen, and get excited when
they meet people who are
better than them. That's
because they are confident
in their own ability.
If you don't have the
confidence to do something,
ask, "What have I got to
lose?" The more you put
yourself out there, the more
confident you'll become.

Rule 3 Embrace
ambition
"Ambition" can be a bit of a
dirty word. People think
there's a fine line between
being ambitious and being
ruthless. I don't. I think if
you're ambitious you have
to embrace that.
Most successful people
like a challenge. Ambition
is simply the spark that
drives you to be a success
and keep being one.
Competitiveness is part
of ambition and is an area
that can be a problem for
some women. They think,
"If I'm competitive that
means I'm ruthless, that I'll

walk on people." But being
competitive is a great talent
- it is about the ability to
push yourself because you
want to be a winner.
Women have to tell
themselves there is nothing
wrong with that. Embrace
your competitiveness!
Of course, not everyone
wants to be chief executive.
Most women want a job that
suits them, respects them
and pays them well, and that
is an ambition in itself. It is
about working out what you
want and then having the
confidence to go for it.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018

http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/jcspring2018
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/JobsandCareersAutumn2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/YourBusinessWithJamesCaan2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/Careers/Careers_with_Hayley_Taylor_2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com