15 Career Lessons Millennials Need To Learn

Are you looking for some solid career advice for millennials in the workplace?

If so, then you'll really find this article beneficial.

As a Millennial, you may be driven about paving your own path or carving your niche, focusing on what works for you.

Or, you may not be all for putting every little goal of yours within specific timelines.

In fact, there are hundreds of things you don’t have to accomplish by 30 (or 40, or 50, or ever…). But when it is about your career, there are some things that you really should start learning at some point and getting started with them sooner, always work well for you in the long run.

Not because some career expert emphasizes that you must act before its late, but simply because of your professional career prospects will greatly benefit by learning these career lessons and will help make your daily responsibilities at work would be a whole lot easier to carry out.

Strapped for time? Let's get into it. Here are some of the best tips and advice for millennials in the workplace that you should start learn SOON:

15 Career Lessons Millennials Need To Learn

Here is a list of career lessons for millennials.

Understand what your weaknesses are

While it’s always beneficial to determine what you’re efficient at, you must also try and figure out from early on about the things you’re not so great at. This is necessary to help you understand how you can make the best use of your skill sets and who should you work with to complement the skills and brings in the best results on the table.

Know how you can delegate the work

Nobody is infallible, and if you think you could accomplish everything on your own, then you are probably delusional. As you climb the ladder of your career, you will have to learn to differentiate between the things you should be investing your time on and the things you should leave to others.

And even more importantly, you should be able to figure out when you can bring in the other staff members, your partners, or colleagues to carry out specific work.

Made a mistake? Take it in your stride!

Even the mightiest superheroes have shortcomings. You may have had an impressive record as an employee, but the chances are that you might stumble multiple times in the course of your career. And that is just an integral part of your professional growth.

Do you think Elon Musk or Sunder Pichai didn’t have their share of bad days? So you too can have the scope to take lessons (valuable lessons) from your mistakes and emerge as a refined version of yourself which will ensure your professional growth.

Volunteer to head or supervise a project

While this isn’t essential and not necessarily applicable in every instance, it would be helpful for you to have an opportunity to supervise a campaign or a project by the time you're on the verge of stepping into the 30s, as it will propel your professional and personal growth in the correct direction. This is smart career advice for millennials, as this is building management and leadership experience which will allow you to achieve a greater position in the near future.

Feel free to step over your comfort zone

It’s probably said a million times, but the magic does happen when you step out of your comfort zone. While people in their 20s tend to be experimental and dabble into many activities at once, they are still in the process of metamorphoses and yet to be disjointed from their cocoons before developing the wings they need to forge ahead.

For people who are about to hit the 30 mark, it’s time to explore unchartered territories beyond their comfort zone, specifically for their career growth.

Learn to say no

Learning to say no is an ability that you have to master. More often than not, in an attempt to be on the good books of your superiors and colleagues, we tend to bite off more than we can chew. We even tend to tolerate what is commonly known as subtle exploitation, just to avoid any consequences.

This is not only important for you to be strong-willed but also aware of the office environment in general. So, you need to be firm and able to say no when you are asked to do something that isn't your responsibility, for example.

Don’t push yourself too far

Amidst all the lofty, inspirational blogs and articles that constantly encourage to ‘hustle‘, you need to keep in mind that working in your 30s means you should have a clear idea of how far you’re willing to push yourself to accomplish your career goals. Overworking or a burnout does not deserve glorification since the consequences of it will be even harder to live with.

Think about the long-term gains

When you step into the 30s, you should have enough clarity to determine the long-term benefits of your profession wherever it’s applicable. There is no point continuing with a dead-end job if it doesn’t let you enjoy enough opportunities that boost your professional growth in the next five years. Thinking about it early on will always help to decipher what works best for your career prospects. You should also invest in having your resume stand out from the crowd. Invest in your career by spending a few hundred on a resume writing service, as it will be on the best investments you can make in your 20s and 30s.

Your professional reputation should be your priority

In an age of shares, likes and follows, it’s exceedingly difficult to keep your personal life under wraps. However, it’s best not to get carried away and post a dozen pictures of you out drinking on social media. Because you wouldn’t want your colleagues, clients, and bosses to get the wrong ideas about your working diligence.

So it’s always advised to practice a little caution when your reputation is on the line, a little bit recklessness may cost you dearly.

Create an impressive resume

This is not only for the novices looking to get a foothold in the corporate world. You must always strive to keep your resume updated, just in case your present job isn’t satisfying enough or even if you have to prove your capability to undertake a promising project. ‘Pitching’ is a word which in every aspect is vital for your professional life. More millennials should be doing this and this is one the top career advice for millennials in the workplace I would recommend doing sooner than later.

Gain experience outside of your area of work

Typically, a 30-something professional has a much wider range of experience than the 20-something. While there have been instances where individuals have continued their first jobs for decades at a time, you should gather as much experience as you can, in areas beyond your line of work. This will only strengthen your credibility.

Learn the basics of making a sale

You don’t necessarily have to be a salesperson to have an understanding of how to make a sale. This is a skill you should nurture by observing and practicing at your workplace. This is solid advice for millennials in the workplace and just about anyone who wants to succeed in life.

Take up something on the side

It’s natural for you to feel bored while doing the same kind of work every day, that’s human nature. When you find yourself saying words like ‘saturated’ and ‘monotonous’ all too often, then you’re at a juncture in your life where the same mundane tasks don’t excite you anymore. To avoid falling prey to the unproductivity levels brought upon by the monotony, you can consider delving into a side project or side hustles and make use of your free time to work on it.

Learn the acquired skill of damage-control

Damage-control is another skill you need to acquire. Especially because at this point in your career, it is expected of you to possess the ability to clear up the mess you’ve made.

Invest in savings

You’re approaching 30s, and you probably have a fair bit of knowledge of how you want the next five years to turn out. You may be sure of your chosen profession. So do you have the savings you need to achieve the things you want in the next five years? If the answer is no, then it’s time you indulge in some smart planning.

Having said all that, your 30s, like every other stage of your life, is likely to have its share of ups and downs. In many cases, don’t stop learning from every single minute of the journey, through big or small experiences, which you will recall fondly for the rest of your life.

Hopefully, you got some good career advice for millennials in the workplace that will help you along your journey. Have any other tips to share? Leave a comment below.