3 useful career development tips
Whether you’re looking for a career in tech, design, or another field altogether, there’s power in learning from a professional who has already made the journey.
In 2022, as part of our job readiness program, a group of high school interns took part in a weeklong design camp at Intuit’s San Diego campus. They learned to apply Intuit’s Design for Delight (D4D) methodology in creative problem-solving scenarios. They put in the hard work to create solutions to help students make smart money decisions. And they got some great career development tips from Intuit VP of Design Cesar Villegas.
We’ll share Villegas’ three most practical career tips. So, read on. The information in this blog just might help you achieve your career goals.
1. Make friends with who you want to become
Whatever you want to do in life, make friends with someone who’s already doing it. Whether you want to be a designer, copywriter, or coder, befriending someone already working in that role can fast-track your journey.
This is not the same as networking or connecting with someone on LinkedIn. We’re talking about literally making friends with them. Go out of your way to meet them at in-person events, then build the relationship by continuing to do what friends do.
Schedule a get-together over coffee, go to dinner, and get to know them for who they are and not just their business persona. In Villegas’ words, “When you hang out with people that do the things you want to do, you end up becoming more like them.”
This puts a fresh, positive spin on the (usually pessimistic) saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” When you hang out with people as friends, you can ask them questions about what they do, and you’ll usually find they’re happy to tell you. Not only will you have a new friend, but you’ll be able to learn from them and grow as an individual.
2. Assume good intent
If someone does something to you that appears not to go your way, don’t assume their intentions are bad—assume good intent. For example, if you send your portfolio to a prospective employer and don’t get the response you hoped for—or get no response at all—resist the impulse to go negative. Don’t assume they didn’t like it or that you’re not good enough. More often than not, it’s not you—it’s them. Perhaps they didn’t see your email in their inbox, had a bad day, or just forgot about it.
Cultivating this mindset takes work, but it’s worth it. Assuming good intent empowers you. It helps you keep a positive attitude versus feeling rejected, inadequate, or like a victim. And this, in turn, allows you to sustain a positive demeanor.
3. Be solution-centric
Finally, be solution-centric. If you go to your manager, teacher, or even your parents with a problem, always come up with a solution or solutions—even if you’re not clear what the solution is.
Instead of saying, “I have this problem—what should I do?” try a different approach. “Hey, I have this problem. I don’t know what to do with it, but here are three different solutions that I think might work. What do you think?”
If you bring problems without proposing solutions, you miss an opportunity to develop that problem-solving muscle. But if you offer solutions, your boss or teacher will appreciate you for it. Rather than expecting them to solve it, you’re working with them to solve it. You’ve given them a starting point.
This is especially important if you want a career in a field like design. Any time you bring up a problem, always have a solution. It will serve you well. No matter your aspirations, these three career success tips—make friends with whom you want to become, assume good intent, and be solution-centric—will help set you on the right path.
Career change resume tips
As you establish your footing in your industry, there will come a time to advance in the field or switch lanes. When that time comes, here are some career change resume tips you can use to help transition over or upward:
- Add a resume objective or summary. A statement at the top of your resume that quickly highlights your skills and experience could be the difference between landing or not landing your dream position. Hiring managers looking at dozens of resumes will appreciate this step, and it could help you stand out against the candidates in the rest of their pile. This statement should be short, sweet, and at the top of your resume, right below your contact information.
- Update your education and skills sections. Your skills section should go right below your resume objective and can contain both hard and soft skills. Your soft skills section gives you the opportunity to list your transferrable skills from previous experience, while your hard skills section enables you to bridge any skills gaps. If you don’t currently possess the hard skills necessary for the job you’re after, you can use this section to show employers you’re actively working on obtaining them.
- Highlight courses and certifications. Any relevant course you pass or certification you receive should be on your resume—especially if you’re changing careers. Listing these accomplishments lets you show prospective employers that you’re building the skills the job requires but may not have hands-on experience with yet.
- Include relevant projects or professional experience. Examine your experience and relevant projects for transferrable skills. For example, if you’re just entering the job market and working at a fast-food restaurant, you can list customer service and managerial skills from that position to help make the next career step.
Our commitment to building future prosperity for students
We’re passionate about helping students build a financial future and providing career tips to better prepare them for the real world.
During the 2021-2022 U.S. school year, nearly 1 in 4 high school students had guaranteed access to personal finance courses. However, this figure drops to 1 in 20 students in schools where more than 75% of students are economically disadvantaged, according to Next Gen Personal Finance and eligibility numbers for the USDA’s Free and Reduced Price School Meals program.
We’re uniquely positioned to address this inequality and education gap through our products — TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp — and Design for Delight (D4D), our design thinking methodology to problem solving.
Our job readiness work focuses on three areas: finance skills, career skills such as critical thinking and collaboration, and career education that showcases career pathways through internships and mentorships. Since fiscal year 2020, we’ve helped prepare 1.2 million students for jobs, partnered with 21 school districts across nine countries, and set the goal to prepare 5 million students for jobs by fiscal year 2025.
To learn more about job readiness programs, visit our website.
FAQs
1. What are the best career tips for recent graduates?
The best career tips for graduates are the following:
- Make friends with whom you want to become.
- Assume good intent.
- Be solution-centric.
2. How can I stand out at a career fair?
There are several things you can do to stand out at a career fair. Start by dressing for the job you want. Research what people in your chosen industry generally wear, then dress “one step” above. It’s also helpful to research a few companies (i.e., their mission statement, core values, or primary role) you’d like to work with that will be at the fair. Another tip is creating several printed resumes tailored to a specific company or career opportunity.
3. How do I write a resume for a career change?
If you’re writing your resume for a career change, you’ll want to use the combination resume format, which mixes the traditional reverse chronological resume with areas that showcase functional experience. This enables you to include your education, job experience, skills, and certifications. It’s a way of providing employers with proof that you have some experience in the necessary skill areas, even if it may not yet be hands-on experience.
4. What are some effective career development tips?
Some effective career development tips are:
- Enroll in any career development programs your job has available.
- Find a mentor.
- Go to in-person events to expand your network.
- Set goals.
- Take advantage of the opportunity to learn new skills.
5. What are the key career success tips for professionals?
The following are several key career success tips for professionals:
- Hone your written and verbal communication skills.
- Set goals to constantly move forward.
- Show the value you bring. Don’t just say it.
- Be irreplaceable by taking initiative and anticipating your team’s and supervisors’ needs.
- Be ready to learn and always self-assess to push your growth forward.