Lately I’ve been thinking, if I were to start my working life or career all over again, what is it that I would prioritise in terms of skills. And I’ve narrowed it down to 6 essential skills that I would build early on in my career. They’re the top things that come to mind when I think about what would help me move forward in a fast yet sustainable way that aligns with my health and wellbeing goals.

Six essential skills to build early on

So here they are the six essential skills to build early on in your career:

Act like a sponge and cultivate a learning mindset

This one almost goes without saying but especially at the beginning – though it’s almost as important to keep and nurture as you advance – cultivating a learning mindset is key. Nothing will help you more than this. Observing, absorbing and asking questions will propel your learning. Note, follow in that order especially when in a new environment (industry, company or team).

Develop self-awareness for healthy feedback processing

You are the architect of your own career and of your professional self and therefore you should be the one who knows which feedback is worth processing and which is not. And developing self-awareness is key in that. So remember to reflect on both your successes and your failures every so often. This is key to developing an understanding of how you actually perform and how you present yourself to the world. In the end, this will become a filter that you can use to process feedback. Accept what you can improve on and develop further, and learn tot let go of the rest. I also recommend having a look at this post on feedback processing.

Practice speakoing up to build your confidence

Confidence is truly a muscle. The more you exercise it, the easier it will come to you. I started standing my ground only as of my second job. In the first one I was too happy to have a “real” job to question things, ask for more or else. As of my second one though I started practicing in (not so) small doses. Asking (and pushing) for early promotions, salary increases, pushing back against projects, demanding C-level attention for specific projects, etc.. I did all I could to explore my abilities. And truly it was the most effective thing I could have done to build my backbone and my confidence. Regardless if you’re successful with your ask or not, you will grow as part of it and you will feel better and more confident on the other side.

Nail communicating in writing effectively

To me this is a key life skill, and even though nowadays ChatGPT can help you a great deal, learning to articulate your thoughts properly will stay with you throughout your life. Start with nailing writing communication first and then move on to improving verbal skills. Reading and writing a lot (especially industry and business literature) will help you become a more effective communicator across the board. Be concise and succint but nuanced enough. Don’t rely on ChatGPT and don’t outsource your brain power, develop it so you can stand on your own two feet. Because honestly, if you can’t put your thoughts down on paper in a coherent way, you will never be a an effective communicator.

Learn to set boundaries

This has been the last one to learn in my kit, but I am definitely not going back. I lacked a lot of – let’s call it – “corporate education” or “corporate awareness” in my early years and I gave it all. Long hours in the office, weekends in the office, you name it. While taking advantage of the drive and ambition you have early in your career is great, squeezing in little doses of healthy boundary setting is even better. Have non-negotiable such as not working into dinner time, pausing for lunch, prioritising workouts, etc… You know the things that we need because we are human. Set boundaries from early on and prioritise your wellbeing, especially your physical wellbeing. Start working on your 80 year old body early on so you can maintain a good muscle mass over years as well as high energy levels. Physical health fuels mental health and growth.

Build genuine relationships

Build relationships with those around you because it’s the people that make any job better. Don’t just network and play the game, but make genuine connections so you can bring your best self at work. I am a big believer in being happy at work. And looking back, what always contributed to the happiness were those genuine human connections I built. You might not get along with everyone but it’s important to “find your tribe” an build a support system as much as possible. This will carry you through both good and bad times.

Thank you for reading through my take on the six essential skills that I would build early on in my career, if I were to start my working life or career all over again. Now tell me which ones do you agree with and which ones you don’t. And what would you add to the list?

Before you go, speaking about being early on in your career, I also have a little something to share. I’ve been working on a 40+ page Interview Prep Guide. It’s focused on the key interview questions that you can apply across most industries and roles, as well as a bunch of pro tips to help you shake off those pre-interview nerves and fears and show up as your most confident self. Make sure to check out the link, there’s also a bunch of freebies in there!