8/1/2017 Career advice you hear all the time that's actually bunk - Aug. 1, 2017
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/01/pf/career-advice-bunk/index.html 1/5
Reinventing Work
Career advice you hear all the time that'sactually bunkby Anna Bahney @annabahney
August 1, 2017: 10:54 AM ET
Powered by SmartAsset.com
People love to give advice. And you're especially likely to get an earful when you're just startingout in your working life.
But getting pro tips from everyone from your roommates or parents to your coworkers orbartender can be overwhelming.
It turns out that a lot of what you hear, you should just ignore. Research, evidence and thecurrent job market suggests there's better advice to take.
"Follow your passion"This go-to advice for inspirational posters and graduationspeeches often leaves people spinning their wheels.
The suggestion to "follow your passion" depends on twoassumptions, says Cal Newport, author of "So GoodThey Can't Ignore You," a book that challenges the beliefthat "follow your passion" is good advice.
This trope assumes, he says, that you have a pre-existingpassion to follow, and that matching your work to a topic
you really like will lead you to really like your work.
Be an Allstate AgencyOwner Earn equity in the business you build
Learn how >
LEGAL
Advertisement
Lawsuit: Fox Newsconcocted Seth Richstory with oversightfrom White House
Brexit voters: Most sayeconomic damage is aprice worth paying
Los Angeles will host2028 Olympics
Social Surge - What's Trending
Recommend 221
0:01 / 2:35
Five steps to ace that job interview
U.S. + Business Markets Tech Media Personal Finance Small Biz Luxury stock tickers
8/1/2017 Career advice you hear all the time that's actually bunk - Aug. 1, 2017
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/01/pf/career-advice-bunk/index.html 2/5
SMARTASSET.COM
you really like will lead you to really like your work.
"Neither are good assumptions."
"Passion is not something you follow. It's something thatwill follow you as you put in the hard work to becomevaluable to the world," Newport wrote in the New YorkTimes.
What makes great jobs, Newport says, are rare andvaluable things. "If you want them in your life, you needto first develop rare and valuable skills."
His suggestion? Pick a career that seems interestingenough and leave passion out of it. It should also besomething that rewards increased skill with increasedoptions.
"Then put your head down and focus on becoming sogood you can't be ignored. It's typically at this point thatyou've gained the leverage needed to shape yourworking life into a true source of passion."
Take this advice instead: "Be valuable."
"Stand out from the crowd"If you applied to a listing on a job board, chances are thousands of other people have as well.That's sti� competition even if you are perfectly qualified.
Better odds, and better advice, says Sharmeen Akbani Gangat, founder of TheHiddenJob.com,is to bypass the crowd altogether and look for unadvertised jobs.
"You should get the job competition down until it is just you," says Akbani Gangat.
You're never hired for your skills or experience alone, she says. Managers hire you to make theirlives easier and to make them look good in front of their bosses and clients.
"You discover hidden jobs by digging around and understanding the needs and challenges oforganizations," then present yourself as the answer to their problems. No competitors in sight.
Take this advice instead: "Eliminate the competition"
"Under-promise and over-deliver"This work-flow advice suggests that your superiors or clients will be blown-away by how you'veprovided more widgets or work than expected. And, naturally, a parade to celebrate you willfollow.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it turns out the people you're trying to impress don't care much.
Studies show going above and beyond isn't valued that much. You get no significant bonuspoints when you deliver more than you promised. But you will get dinged for not delivering ontime.
"Breaking one's promise is costly, but exceeding it does not appear worth the e�ort," concludedthe authors of a 2014 paper published in Social Psychological and Personality Science onpromises kept, broken and exceeded.
Toda' Highet Yieldaving Account
Add Your Details
Initial Deposit
5,000$
ource: martasset.comDisclosure
INTITUTION APY
Featured
Capital One - 360 Mone Market
1.10%
$10,000 Min. Deposit360 Mone Market(M): 1.10% APY foralances $10K+ - Open NowRate: 1.09% Dail • Min. alance: N/A •Fees: $0.00 • FDIC Insured
Featured
nchron ank - avings
1.20%
$100 Min. Depositas Withdrawals. No Monthl Fees.Rate: 1.19% Dail • Min. alance: N/A •Fees: $0.00 • FDIC Insured
Best Mortgage Rates byState
Click on your state to see thebest rates
Powered by Informa Disclosures
View Mortgage Rates
Hot List
Want Tesla's newModel 3 in red?That…
Should you go backto school?
Why riding a bike toschool is often…
U.S. slaps sanctionson Venezuelan…
How tax reformcould a�ect your401(k…
Paid Content
10 Ideal College TownsTo RetireAARP
The SIEMENS Primaxhearing aid of thefuture is hereHear.com
Joel Osteen RevealsThe Reason BehindThe Tragic Splitgizmolook
Mortgage
8/1/2017 Career advice you hear all the time that's actually bunk - Aug. 1, 2017
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/01/pf/career-advice-bunk/index.html 3/5
Take this advice instead: "Meet your deadlines."
"Stay at a new job for a year"Job-hopping has gotten a bad rap. Float an idea that another job has caught your eye and manypeople will tell you to stay put, for at least a year, lest you seem flighty or irresponsible.
But not anymore. Now the advice is: "Loyalty in the job market is for losers," says Akbani Gangat.
With pensions fading and restructuring a regular occurrence in many workplaces, few new hiresexpect the company to be the stalwart in their lives that it has been for previous generations.
It is always a good idea to know what's happening around you, says Akbani Gangat. "You needto know what your company's competitors are doing, then you know that you will always have ajob in hand, right out of school or if you're a senior executive."
Take this advice instead: "Leap when opportunity knocks."
"Build your brand"The World Wide Web is older than the youngest people in the job market. These workers havebeen told since they got an email address that it is vital to "Build your brand." And today nearlyeveryone is expected to have a LinkedIn presence and make regular witty and on-point remarkson Twitter as part of their package. Bonus points for loads of followers.
But Newport says, branding yourself is overrated.
"I think we overvalue the importance to your career of being highly visible on social media," saysNewport. "Millennials, in particular, often believe that their online brand plays a key role in theirprofessional success."
The reality, he says, is less interesting: "if you're good at something valuable, you will have goodoptions; if you're not, you won't -- regardless of the clever timeliness of your tweets."
Take this advice instead: "Build your value"
CNNMoney (New York)First published August 1, 2017: 10:54 AM ET
Paid Content
Are You Saving Enough forRetirement?Yahoo Search
The Real Way to Calculate HowMuch House You Can A�ordBetter.com
The Most and Least ExpensiveDiamond ShapesBlue Nile
Recommended by
Do This Before Your NextMortgage Payment (It's Genius!)
Crush you debt by refinancing to a15 year fixed loan
Brilliant tip for paying o yourmortgage in half the time
Veterans hit the jackpot in 2017
The fastest way to pay o yourmortgage
Pay no interest until September 2018with this card
$200 just for using this credit card
Rack up unlimited miles with thisastonishing credit card
Good SamaritanDeputy Rescues DogAfter Neighbor…HealthSkillet
Most Popular Videos
Guns in America vs.The rest of the world
Why Beyonce & Jay Zlike these bikes
What's worse -- pot orbooze?
Gwyneth Paltrow takeson GMOs
Paid PartnerLendingTree
CNNMoney Sponsors
Paid PartnerNextAdvisor