How to make it to the top of any field

In any field you decide to pursue, there will always be a top 10%. The top ten percent are usually the ones who make the decisions and the most money. Isn’t that what we all want? To be the person who makes the most money at our company? Here are a few tips to reach the top 10 percent of your field.

 

1.      Start With The End Mind

You must have goals if you want to succeed. But not just any goals make sure you have realistic goals, goals that will encourage you to reach the next level. Try to stay away from the wish goals and the what if’s.

 

In order to Start With An End Mind

·         Write down 3-10 places you would like to work and the work you want to do

·         Research the salaries you receive working these jobs (salary.com)

·         Research where you will live if you work these jobs (Monster.com)

 

This is simple research. Everything you want to know about your career is online. It doesn’t take hours to know the answers to these questions. You may be reading this and thinking that this is too much or I have plenty of time to figure all this out but don’t wait till the last minute. Everything you want to know is right in front of you. I promise you it will be worth it!

 

Take this time to work out the fields you want to get into and think 10-15 years from now. Ask yourself these important questions below and use the websites that I gave you above to answer these questions:

• How much do people in my field earn after five years?
• Where are the jobs located?
• How much do the top 10% in my field earn after seniority

Then take the next step, find out are people in this field happy? Are they stressed? Are they doing what they wanted to do? Answer these questions using the techniques given before.

 

2.      Be a Warrior Employee

Look at yourself as a warrior. There is no such thing as loyalty with a company anymore. People work and get laid off. Separate you from those get laid off by being a great employee. Do the best job you can. When you do this, always remember that nobody at the company is your friends. They do not owe you anything so try to stay away from getting emotionally attached. The boss has his interest in mind before yours.

 

In order To Be a Warrior Employee:

·         Look for job opportunities while you still have a job.

·         Interview with other employers- You must be secretive about this. But I’m sure if you qualified for other companies they would love to keep it a secret as well to have you apart of their staff.

 

While working at your job you will get a 3% raise, maybe a little more every year. If you plan on making more than 100,000 waiting around for that 3% is not going to get the job done. Seek jobs on a regular, even if it’s the same job maybe you can get a 10-15% raise a year. That a heck of a lot more than 3%. The more you get emotionally attached the harder it is to leave. Many people can never leave their job to better themselves because they are too loyal to friends and employers who in reality don’t care about them. DON’T BE THAT PERSON!

3.      Ask For Help

In order to find out information about where you’re trying to go, simply ask those who already been there and done what you’re trying to do. Research the job you want to work, look up the salary, and if you feel comfortable take the next step to network and talk to people who are doing or has done what you’re trying to do. This is not the time to be afraid. Get their contact information and call them! Explain to them that you are interested in learning more about that job.  A lot of people love talking about what they do. By doing this you will learn the ends and outs of that field. Chances are they will invite you in to sit in or possibly for an interview.

4.      Don’t Limit your Job Search

Try different things.  If you are a student ask your professor if you can sit in their class to learn. No grade, no homework, or anything of that sort. Simply just learn for free. Or maybe you can audit a class as well only to try different things out. The good thing about this is if you don’t like the class just stop going.  I encourage you to do this. Majority of graduates never end up doing what they went to school for. Many students studied many different courses but have no experience.

I encourage you to talk to your professor and tell them that you are interested in the topic that they are teaching and you would love to sit in a few classes. Many colleges allow students to audit classes for free. This may sound like too much work and it could be, but it’s worth it. Audit classes now to save yourself from going to school for four years to get a degree you won’t need once you graduate.  

5.      What Warren Buffet Teaches

If you don’t no Warren Buffet you’re not serious about being a successful individual making six figures a year. Successful people follow those that are successful to try and mirror the things they do on a daily basis. That’s enough of me preaching, I am here to help you learn and guide you down the right path.

Warren Buffet is the country's richest man. He lectures to a group of people who majors in business. During the lecture Buffet made it known that thing students needed the most to be successful is communication skills. No matter what job you decide to work, you will work for a business professional/ organization some day.

The most important thing you must do in school is learn how to communicate your ideas to someone. No matter the job you work, you always have to speak, write letters, or present something of some sort. This is something that cannot be ignored forever. If you havent learned anything from tips 1-4 do know that it is imperative to communicate your ideas, speak, and write effectively and YOU WILL MAKE IT TO THE TOP 10% in any field.

Suggestions

• Take speaking course- this can be scary but do it now while you still can make mistakes
• Participate on debate teams- Test your "mettle"
• Take extensive writing courses- learn to write what you mean and use points to back up what you are saying.
• Take Journalism as a class- here you will write new articles for your school and press releases which will help your writing.

To wrap up what I have been saying, take writing and speaking serious.  This is the most important tool to become successful individual and make it to the top 10% in any field.

 

Below is a link to a quick video where Warren Buffet mentions how important communcation skills are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P1OpahXKjM