Nearly 20 years into my career, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect. I used to think about what I wanted — what role I deserved, what the next title should be. I’ve grown past that. Now when I look back, the two things that stand out are the projects I got to work on and, more than anything, the people I worked alongside. This one is about them.
1. Your Next Job Is a Stepping Stone, Not the Destination
Early in your career, it’s easy to fixate on getting the role you think you want right now. I made that mistake. There were a handful of times I thought the people who passed on me were flat-out wrong.
But the best thing you can do after a rejection, if you even get that courtesy in an AI-screening world, is say thank you, ask for any feedback they’re willing to share, and keep building yourself up.
“My next job isn’t the one I want, it’s the stepping stone to get where I want to go.”
Reframe how you’re thinking about each move and suddenly every role, every rejection, every lateral step becomes part of the plan.
2. Surround Yourself With Your Peers Early
One of the best pieces of advice I can give, and one I try to pass on whenever I can, is to invest in your network before you need it.
“Surround yourself early on with as many people in your cohort and your contemporaries in your field as possible.”
Early in my career, someone I deeply respect put it perfectly: I had too many of my own friends. His point wasn’t to ditch them, it was that if your work friends become your real friends, that’s not 1+1=2. That’s 1+1=3,000.
3. Work Friends Are a Cheat Code
The perk of building real friendships through work is that you’re both passionate about the same things. You deal with similar challenges, workflows, and decisions, which means there’s always something meaningful to talk about.
Think about couples at a restaurant with nothing to say to each other. Now think about a great dinner with someone you work alongside, deals, career moves, industry news, what’s coming next. That depth is the difference.
Funny enough, the friends I’ve made through work? We almost never talk about the score. It’s always about what’s happening before, simultaneously, and after.
“Having friends in your business is like finding the perfect match, there’s always something to talk about.”
4. The People Around You Shape Everything
The colleagues we work with, bosses, peers, cross-functional partners, direct reports, affect more than just your output. They affect how you go home to your family. How you sleep, eat, train. They can lift you up or quietly wear you down.
I learned this firsthand at a company I once loved. I adored my direct team, but within two years the leadership I’d signed up to work for had changed. As the people I admired most moved on, it became clear that the culture I’d bought into was no longer there.
“Choose people first.”
It’s a lesson I carry with me every time I’m evaluating an opportunity.
5. You Learn More From a Bad Boss Than a Good One
This one sounds counterintuitive. You won’t fully understand it until later in your career, but it’s true.
“You learn more from a bad boss than a good one.”
A great boss gives you a model to follow. A bad boss gives you a masterclass in what not to do, and that’s often more memorable, more instructive, and more formative.
6. You’re a Borrowed Version of Everyone You’ve Admired
Some of my most important relationships outside of family have come from people I’ve worked with, employees, colleagues, leaders, who believed in me, gave me honest feedback, and pushed me to be better.
Over time, I’ve become a kind of borrowed version of the best parts of the people I’ve admired most. I’ve taken the things that work and quietly noted the things I want to avoid.
“If you hear something funny I say at work, it was probably inspired by someone I truly admire.”
The stories we swap about past colleagues, the trials and tribulations, the characters we’ve all worked with, those aren’t just nostalgia. They’re the experience that shapes who we are today.
Final Thought
The people we meet really do shape our careers and our lives. Choose the environments and companies where the people inspire you. Build real friendships across your field. Learn from every boss, good and bad. And show up for the people who show up for you.
The Advice, All in One Place
Your next job isn’t the one you want, it’s the stepping stone to get where you want to go.
Surround yourself early on with as many peers and contemporaries in your field as possible.
If your work friends become your real friends, that’s not 1+1=2. That’s 1+1=3,000.
Having friends in your business means there’s always something meaningful to talk about.
Choose people first — the company, leadership, and culture matter as much as the role.
You learn more from a bad boss than a good one.
You’re a borrowed version of the best parts of everyone you’ve admired — take the good, note the rest, and keep building.