The 3 Secrets of Highly Successful Graduates

3by Reid HoffmanTHE 3 SECRETS OFHIGHLY SUCCESSFULG R A D U A T E S

My name isReid Hoffmanand I’m anentrepreneurand investor.Hi!

I cofounded LinkedIn in 2003 withthe mission of connecting the world’sprofessionals to make them morePRODUCTIVE and SUCCES...

I’ve heard the CAREER CONCERNSof students around the world...

...from the millions of STUDENTS on LinkedIn...

...to the super youngENTREPRENEURSIve invested in...BRIAN CHESKY

...to the student leaders who readmy book THE START-UP OF YOU.

And I’ve noticed a COMMON career concern...

College is supposed to prepare youfor SURVIVING and THRIVINGin the world of work.

But the world of work has CHANGED.

Stable career paths are DISAPPEARING.

COMPETITION can come from anywhere.

And the worldcontinues toCHANGE at arelentless pace.

If you are graduating, you may feel ANXIOUS.

I want you to know THAT’S OKAY.

That UNCERTAINTY you feel right nowabout your future—it won’t ever go away.

In an ever-changing world, managingyour career is a LIFELONG PROCESS.

When I graduated from undergrad...ME

I thought I knew what I wanted to do.

I could NOThave predictedmy career path.

It even took me 15 YEARS to realizewhat I was doing had a name...

E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

Along the way, Ive developed an eyefor the patterns of SUCCESS and FAILURE.

And there are at least THREE THINGSthat successful professionals eventuallyfigure out about their careers.

You WON’T find themin any of your textbooks.

And your school DOESN’T teach them.

And I’m sure you’d rather NOTwait 15 years to discover them.

I want to share them with you today.

31. Competition2. Networks3. Risk

"How do I bring my DIFFERENTINTERESTS together into a career?"

"What should I do ifI DON’T KNOW what I like?"

"How do I choose betweenso many DIFFERENT PASSIONS?"

All of these are variations ofthe CLASSIC CAREER QUESTION...

"What should I DOwith my life?"

But these are theWRONGquestions to ask.

Among other things,these questionsfocus the attention onYOUinstead of the most important factor...

Many people WANT your dream job.

For anything desirable, theres COMPETITION.

To beat the competition,you need to develop aCOMPETITIVEADVANTAGE

But what is amade of?COMPETITIVEADVANTAGE

ASSETSASPIRATIONSMARKET REALITIES

Your ASSETS are what youhave going for you now.

Your ASPIRATIONS are where youmight like to go in the future.

And theMARKET REALITIESare what people willactually pay you for.

The best career has you pursuingworthy ASPIRATIONS, using your ASSETS,while navigating the MARKET REALITIES.

Another CLASSIC QUESTIONyou may struggle with...

"How do I make aPOSITIVE DIFFERENCEin the world?"

You may think that you,as a RECENT GRADUATE withLIMITED WORK EXPERIENCE,don’t have much to offer.

In fact, yourEXISTING ASSETShave value, too.

You’ll be surprisedhow valuable yourexisting skills andconnections areto those whoDON’T HAVE THEM.

Just ask others: “HOW CAN I HELP?”

Youll learn to understandwhat OTHER PEOPLE’S NEEDS are.

Fulfill needs. Solve problems.And you CHANGE THE WORLD.

In college, you had dorms,student organizations,classes...

Building relationships was EASY.

But in the real world, you have to learnto PROACTIVELY build your network.

Relationships matter because every jobboils down to interacting with PEOPLE.

PEOPLE controlresources, opportunities, and information.

Opportunities do DO NOT FLOAT like clouds in the sky.

If youre looking for anOPPORTUNITY, youre reallylooking for a PERSON.

The people you spend time with shapeWHO YOU ARE and WHO YOU BECOME.

The fastest way to change yourselfis to hang out with people who areALREADY THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE.

The best way to meet new people isvia THE PEOPLE YOU ALREADY KNOW.

You may not think you know THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

Your existing network isBIGGERthan you think.

If you’re connected to a couplehundred people on LinkedIn,you’re actually at the center of a networkMORE THAN 2 MILLION PE...

In other words,it’s likely thatSOMEONE YOUALREADY KNOWknows someonewho could help you.

This is thePOWERof the extended network.

Our education system penalizesstudents for MAKING MISTAKES.

But in the real world, you dont knowwhat the best plan is until you

And making mistakesis part of thatLEARNING PROCESS.

Not sure if you can break into thepharmaceutical industry?

Spend six months interningat Pfizer making connectionsand SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

Curious whetherMARKETING or PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTis a better fit thanwhat you currently do?

If you work in a company where thosefunctions exist, offer to HELP OUT for free.

That’s exactly WHAT I DID at Apple,my first job after grad school.

Whatever the situation,ACTIONS, not plans,generate useful lessons.

ACTIONS help youdiscover where youwant to go andhow to get there.

In college, the MOST SUCCESSFUL STUDENTSmake the FEWEST MISTAKES.

But the MOST SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONALSlearn to take INTELLIGENT RISKS.

You may assume that youget career stability byMINIMIZING RISK.

Ironically, in a changing world,PLAYING IT SAFE is one of theriskiest things you can do.

Rather than avoid risk,TAKE INTELLIGENT RISKS.It will give you a competitive edge.

For example, do not dismissjobs that PAY LESS IN CASH butoffer TREMENDOUS LEARNING.

Prioritize plans that offer the best chanceat LEARNING about yourself and the world.

Do not dismiss a career pathjust because you keep hearingHOW RISKY IT IS.

It probably isn’t as risky as most believe,which means there’s LESS COMPETITIONfor landing the opportunity.

In these opportunities,the WORST-CASE SCENARIOtends to be survivable.

When the worst casemeans getting fired,losing a little bit oftime or money,or experiencingsome discomfort,IT IS A RISK YOU...

If the worst-case scenario is the serioustarnishing of your reputation, loss of all youreconomic assets, or something othe...

There will always beUNCERTAINTYabout careeropportunitiesand risks.

The best opportunities are frequently theones with the MOST QUESTION MARKS.

When it’s not clear how something will play out,many people AVOID IT ALTOGETHER.

Take intelligent risks and you will findTHE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHERS MISS.

So, CONGRATULATIONS on the hard workyou’ve put into your education thus far,but your learning has just begun.

Graduation is NOT the end of learning.

Each day presents an opportunity toLEARN MORE, DO MORE, BE MOREin our lives and careers.

In the world of work,EVERY DAY IS EXAM DAY.

If you’re not GROWING,you’re CONTRACTING.

If you’re not moving FORWARD,you’re moving BACKWARD.

Develop yourCOMPETITIVEADVANTAGE.

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