The single piece of advice that changed the course of my career

The single piece of advice that changed the course of my careerThe single piece of advice that changed the course of my careerWhen I departureed my last corporate job, I asked experienced co-workers for advice and best-practices, and most of them told me something like Try to get in front of important people.Thats corporate code for sucking up.It wasnt my first time working for a large company. Id seen a lot of suck ups get promotions in the past, and in a moment of weakness, I decided to listen to those idiots.You get in front of important people by scheduling unnecessary meetings with random people, always saying something during meetings, pretending youre working while youre watching YouTube videos, and staying at the office until late when youre not productive at all.But sucking up didnt feel right - I just couldnt do it. Its not my style. But its so tempting do it because people get rewarded for that.And who doesnt want to get promoted? So you get lured in. Thats why I understa nd why people who departure at corporations decide to play politics- you think its normal.But get in front of important people, is horrible advice. Anything that is close to that, like fake it till you make it, or just network your way up, is also bad. Its all based on appearances.Thank god theres another way to get rewarded.I was lucky enough to finally meet a stand-up guy. He was a new VP in another department. We met at the elevator, talked a bit, hit it off, and decided to schedule some time to properly meet.I thought he was very honest and confident, so I told him about the getting in front of people thing, and asked his opinion.He said Stay out of the chit-chat. Do your work. Let your results speak for you.He said that he never played politics and he never applied for a manager role. He worked hard, people recognized his results, and THEY came to him with opportunities.Thats the best piece of career advice Ive ever received. Its good because its simple. And it works for every single industry.Big ideas are usually simple ideas. - David OgilvyBut its also tough advice for people to take. Its uncertain Do your job and hope for the best. You get rewarded when you work hard.Its like when people say Good things will come in due time.Yeah, right I want to see instant results.Yes, and the kid wants his candy NOW. Calm down, honestly.I get it Were obsessed with quick results and blueprints. We want people to tell us Do X, and you will get Y.But unfortunately, things are not that simple. Over the past few months, thousands of people joined my newsletter, mora than a million read my articles - and from that exposure, I got new opportunities.Want to know my exact blueprint? I HAVE NO IDEA.I just do my work and I dont procrastinate. Im also not a magician. I cant trick people to read my stuff or work with me.No matter how many marketing hacks you use, A/B tests you run, meetings you schedule with important people, or meetups you visit - if you keep wasting time, y ou never get better at what you do.Instead of always trying new things, or doing things that are not essential, try to keep things simple. Focus on your core competencies, and improve that. No gimmicks, just real work.Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers. - Seth GodinIn the end, this is the best and simplest career advice I ever got Do your job well (you dont even have to be the best in the world, to start be better than average people). Thats the ONLY career advice you need. And the results will come.If they dont, let me know, so we can go back to sucking up. But Im pretty sure that will never happen. For now, lets get back to work.Thisarticleoriginally appeared onDariusForoux.com.The single piece of advice that changed the course of my careerWhen I started my last corporate job, I asked experienced co-workers for advice and best-practices, and most of them told me something like Try to get in front of important people.Thats corporate code for sucking up.It wasnt my first time working for a large company. Id seen a lot of suck ups get promotions in the past, and in a moment of weakness, I decided to listen to those idiots.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYou get in front of important people by scheduling unnecessary meetings with random people, always saying something during meetings, pretending youre working while youre watching YouTube videos, and staying at the office until late when youre not productive at all.But sucking up didnt feel right - I just couldnt do it. Its not my style. But its so tempting do it because people get rewarded for that.And who doesnt want to get promoted? So you get lured in. Thats why I understand why people who start at corporations decide to play politics- you think its normal.But get in front of important people, is horrible advice. Anything that is close to that, like fake it till you make it, or just network your way up, is also bad. Its all based on appearances.Thank god theres another way to get rewarded.I was lucky enough to finally meet a stand-up guy. He was a new VP in another department. We met at the elevator, talked a bit, hit it off, and decided to schedule some time to properly meet.I thought he was very honest and confident, so I told him about the getting in front of people thing, and asked his opinion.He said Stay out of the chit-chat. Do your work. Let your results speak for you.He said that he never played politics and he never applied for a manager role. He worked hard, people recognized his results, and THEY came to him with opportunities.Thats the best piece of career advice Ive ever received. Its good because its simple. And it works for every single industry.Big ideas are usually simple ideas. - David OgilvyBut its also tough advice for people to take. Its uncertain Do your job and hope for the best. You get rewarded when you work hard.Its like when people say Good things will come in due time.Yeah, right I want to see instant results.Yes, and the kid wants his candy NOW. Calm down, honestly.I get it Were obsessed with quick results and blueprints. We want people to tell us Do X, and you will get Y.But unfortunately, things are not that simple. Over the past few months, thousands of people joined my newsletter, more than a million read my articles - and from that exposure, I got new opportunities.Want to know my exact blueprint? I HAVE NO IDEA.I just do my work and I dont procrastinate. Im also not a magician. I cant trick people to read my stuff or work with me.No matter how many marketing hacks you use, A/B tests you run, meetings you schedule with important people, or meetups you visit - if you keep wasting time, you never get better at what you do.Instead of always trying new things, or doing things that are not essential, try to keep things simple. Focus on your core competencies, and improve that. No gimmicks, just real work.Quit or b e exceptional. Average is for losers. - Seth GodinIn the end, this is the best and simplest career advice I ever got Do your job well (you dont even have to be the best in the world, to start be better than average people). Thats the ONLY career advice you need. And the results will come.If they dont, let me know, so we can go back to sucking up. But Im pretty sure that will never happen. For now, lets get back to work.Thisarticleoriginally appeared onDariusForoux.com.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people