Five lessons I shared with our graduating interns
What I told a group of interns finishing their internship. These lessons have stayed with me since the start of my own career.
I recently spoke to a group of interns who had just completed their internship at Palo Alto Networks and were about to step into real career.
They all learnt many new skills in this period. Some mentioned about technical skills, many also mentioned other and I consider more important skills: working in professional organization setup, communicating and building a network. These soft skills matter for both personal and professional growth.
Here were a few lessons I suggested to them that have stayed with me since the beginning of my own career and few things I learnt from my own mentors, managers, leaders.
1. Keep learning
Be a lifelong learner. In our field, with technology shifting faster every year, it is not enough to do your work. Keep learning in your own area and in the areas next to it. Invest more in your learning, especially your time, than in your lifestyle.
2. Be adaptable and resilient
Failure will come. Not every project will succeed, not every project will reach production, and not every product will make money. But making revenue is not your job right now. Focus on what you can control, and do a good job of your own work.
3. Give more than you take
Look for work, and volunteer for more features. This is the age to do more, and you learn most by doing.
- Your 20s are for learning and making mistakes. Make as many as you can.
- Your 30s are for focusing on your key strengths and contributing through them.
- In your 40s you are established. Start mentoring others on the things you have learnt to do well.
- Your 50s and beyond are for coaching others.
4. Build meaningful relationships at work
We learn from the company we keep. Some of the friendships you make in these years will last a lifetime. Some of these friends you will learn from technically, and some you will lean on in difficult times. Twenty years from now, you may not remember all the work, but you will remember the people you worked with.
5. Always Keep a positive at work and life
Last but not least, always keep smiling and bring fresh energy to the workplace. Having a positive, warm attitude and behavior at work goes a long way to build a long and rewarding career.