It can be hard to know how to get ahead in your career or follow the same path as other successful 20-year-olds. There are so many possibilities, directions, and noise coming from every direction. You may feel like you need a mentor or have to follow the same path as other successful people to achieve your goals. However, those who end up thriving before they turn 30 manage to find their own paths and make it work.
So, how can you find your own success when you’re in your 20s? There are many ways to find your way and get ahead in your career. In this article, we cover the most critical secrets twenty-year-olds need to know in order to become successful throughout their lifetime.
Find Your Passions
It’s essential to take advantage of this time in your life to explore different passions. It can be tempting to just go with the flow, but it’s much more rewarding if you’re doing something that speaks directly to who you are as a person.
Think about what motivates you in life or what you feel continually drawn to do. You’ll want to invest your time and energy into working on projects or passions that you care about. If you don’t know what your passion is, it’s time to start exploring. Try different activities, hobbies, and career paths to find what excites you. This is the foundation of creating a future that’s aligned with your goals.
Set Long-Term Goals For Yourself
It’s a good idea to have goals that are both short-term and long-term. Short-term goals should be something you can achieve in the next few weeks or months. On the other hand, long-term goal could take years to accomplish.
Long-term goals might include the type of life you want to live, such as the location, living circumstances, and day-to-day schedule of your future self. When you have long-term goals, it makes it easier to make everyday decisions. Plus, you’re 40% more likely to achieve success than those who did not create tasks and goals.
For example, if you want to become a doctor, you’re going to say no to activities like partying or sleeping through your classes because they don’t align with your long-term goals.
Build Foundational Skills
There are some skills that are essential to build regardless of the career you choose to pursue in life. These skills are generally focused on communication and critical thinking.
Learning how to communicate with others effectively is an essential skill that successful 20-year-olds need to know. In fact, 89% of people believe that effective communication is extremely important for a successful career.
When you can clearly articulate your ideas, thoughts, or feelings, it becomes easier to create meaningful relationships in life. Whether that’s with your boss, co-workers, customers, or clients.
Critical thinking will help you find creative solutions to complex problems instead of following the crowd. Critical thinkers have no problem standing out from the pack, making them extremely valuable employees.
Understand Your Strengths And Weaknesses
For successful 20-year olds, being prosperous also means being honest with themselves about their strengths and weaknesses, so they can use those to their advantage when pursuing a future career. For example, you might be great at learning biology, but running a marathon is not your strong suit.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you narrow down your future career. By knowing your strengths, you can find the field that can best utilize your skills. Your weaknesses also offer you a way to challenge yourself to be the best version of yourself.
Be Open To Change
If you’re not open to change, you might be missing out on incredible opportunities to grow your career, learn something new, or find the success you’re looking for.
Change is a constant occurrence in the world, and successful 20-year olds know how to be flexible and open-minded to different thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. For example, you might be offered a job interview in a field that’s different than what you’re currently in or an opportunity to move to a foreign country for a research project. Being open to these ideas can change your future for the better.
Manage Your Money
Did you know that 39% of Americans don’t even have enough cash to cover a $1,000 emergency? Learning how to manage your money is essential for success. It will help save for the future, make purchases without going into debt, and manage your day-to-day expenses.
Some successful 20-year-olds choose to start saving from a very young age so that they’re able to have their own money in case of difficulties or if they come across any significant life events such as marriage, getting a new job, or buying a house. However, choosing not to create a plan for your money can lead to financial trouble later in life, limiting you on what you’re able to achieve in terms of fulfilling your long-term goals or even saving for your retirement.
Find A Mentor Who’s Successful In Your Ideal Field
If you want to have a successful career, it’s a great idea to find someone in the field you want to work in who has the experience and knowledge of the industry. This person may be able to help you find a job, offer you guidance about how to succeed in the field, or just provide some much-needed advice.
Some successful 20-year-olds have mentors who are successful entrepreneurs and can offer them insight into what it’s like managing their own company. While others have mentors who work at well-known companies such as Google and can give them information on different aspects of business that they may not know anything about yet.
Whatever your goals for your future career might be, finding someone successful in the industry you want to become a part of is essential to help you find your own path to your dream job!
Work On Developing Good Habits
While you might assume that your 20s is a time to take risks without having to worry about consequences, it’s actually the most important time to create good habits that will help you create a successful, happy, healthy life as you go through life.
Setting good habits now is essential to successful 20-year-olds when they’re in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Successful people might invest in habits such as:
- – Getting enough sleep each night, so you wake up feeling rested
- – Working out at least three times a week
- – Exercising your mind by reading books or solving puzzles for fun
- – Creating healthy meals with vegetables from the garden (if applicable).
Keep Learning And Asking Questions
Successful 20-year-olds are always looking for ways to learn something new and improve their knowledge. They know that the best way to gain more information is by asking questions, either to people they meet or through research online.
For example, you might learn about different topics in order to keep improving yourself, whether it’s through reading books on leadership skills like “How To Win Friends And Influence People” or understanding how technology affects our jobs with articles like “Why Millennials Get Paid Less For Doing The Same Work As Older Workers.”
Whatever you’re interested in, make sure you’re finding out as much information about it as possible and continue to ask questions to become more successful in life or your career.
Work With A Recruiter To Find Your Dream Job
One of the most complex parts of landing your dream job is actually finding the job posting and creating connections in the first place. If you’re not already connected with those people, finding an “in” to the company of your dreams might be challenging. That’s where sales recruiters come into play.
Recruiters will find a position for you and help you get the interview with the company if they’re interested in your background or skillset. Recruiters have years of experience and connections in the industry as well, so they’ll be able to help connect you with the right fit instead of wasting hours or days researching companies or positions on your own.
For example, suppose you’re trying to find a sales job but don’t have any connection or knowledge about the best companies to work for. In that case, your recruiter will conduct thorough research on potential openings that align with your career goals—helping you through every step of the way, from practicing interview questions to fine-tuning your resume so that you can find the job of your dreams!
Make Networking A Priority
It’s tempting to think that networking is only for people in their 50s or 60s. However, it can be the most beneficial part of your 20-year old life. Networking is a great way to meet people who are part of your industry.
It’s also an incredible opportunity to learn about different companies. When it comes time for you to start interviewing, you know what types of positions are available.
Great ways to network might include:
- Attending professional networking events.
- Volunteering at events where important professionals come together and make connections with them.
- Attending conferences that align with your interests (like tech conferences).
- Seeking out professors or others in your immediate community.
- Joining professional organizations related to your field.
Find A Work-Life Balance
While it’s essential to work hard and become successful, it’s even more necessary to find a work-life balance so that you don’t end up burning out. Successful 20-year-olds know that their health and happiness are just as important as success in the professional world.
You can do this by taking time to care for yourself. This might include cooking a healthy meal at home or getting enough sleep, so you’re not exhausted during your day. By caring for yourself, you’ll be able to succeed in your career and maintain a happy life.
Push Yourself to Be Uncomfortable
It’s important to push yourself a little bit outside of your comfort zone so that you can learn and grow. In order to become more successful in life or at work, you need to think about what new challenges are out there for you. For example, if an opportunity comes up where it looks like the right fit but is very different from what you’re used to, don’t be afraid to take it. You’ll likely learn something new and grow as an individual by being uncomfortable for a little while.
Finding Success Doesn’t Have To Be Challenging
Learning the secrets of successful 20-year-olds and implementing them into your daily life doesn’t have to be complicated. A few simple steps can help you grow your career in no time at all and may even land you the job of your dreams. From networking, working with a recruiter, and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, these tips will have you on the right path to achieving success as a twenty-year-old!
Still feeling stuck? Get started by submitting your resume today to see how you can find success for your future.