5 career tips for young professionals 

If there’s one thing Gen Z and younger millennials know better than anyone, it’s that the world isn’t getting any slower—and the job market is proof of that. To get ahead, you’re going to need to invest some serious time in your skills and talents. Unfortunately, most career tips for young professionals include trite, outdated or shallow advice like: 

1. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. 
2. Make sure to add lots of keywords to your resume.
3. Do whatever your boss asks and don’t complain about it. 

This blog is going to be a little different. Instead of surface-level advice, we’re going to provide a list of tips for young professionals centered around one specific topic: journaling with a coach. Journaling with a coach is a new and different way to build your skills much faster than if you worked at them alone—largely because a coach can tell you the roads not to travel while also illuminating the paths you should be going down. 

Career tips for young professionals 

Tip 1: Make a list of what you want, NOT what you don’t want 

One of the most essential career tips for young professionals is to create a list of what you want your career to look like. Note that this list doesn’t necessarily have to involve realistic things. In fact, it’s better to shoot for the moon and land at the stars. After all, your coach will tell you if you need to be more realistic, but they’d rather pull you back to Earth than push you toward the sun.  

The key is to NOT write about what you don’t want in your career. Focusing on what you don’t want is only going to make you more likely to ruminate on everything that could go wrong—instead of putting energy into what you want to go right.  

Journaling tip: Start a career journal where you record your short-term and long-term career goals. Regularly revisit and revise them as you make progress. Journaling will help you stay focused and motivated as you work toward your objectives.

Tip 2: Network strategically

Building a strong professional network is key to advancing your career. Attend industry events, join online forums and LinkedIn groups, and connect with experienced professionals who can offer guidance and mentorship. Most importantly, ask your employer about additional opportunities to network and learn from others that might not exist yet. 

Journaling tip: In your career journal, keep track of the people you meet and important networking events. Document insights and advice you receive from mentors and colleagues. This information will prove invaluable as you develop your network and progress in your career.

Tip 3: Invest in continuous learning

Nobody likes a young professional who isn’t interested in learning. Staying updated with the latest industry trends and skills is key to making sure you’re leading the pack—instead of following it. Invest in your professional development through courses, certifications, and workshops, and stay close to your journaling coach to soak up any insights they might have for you. 

Journaling tip: Use your career journal to document your learning journey. Note down the skills you acquire and how they benefit your career. Reflect on the knowledge gained and how you can apply it to your current or future roles.

As a bonus, write all the things you want to have learned, experienced and appreciated in the upcoming year. Go big and go bold—and see where you’ve netted out after the year is through. 

Tip 4: Seek feedback and self-reflection

Feedback is a powerful tool for growth. As a young professional, you’ll want to seek constructive feedback from peers, supervisors, and mentors to identify areas for improvement. Additionally, engage in self-reflection to understand your strengths and weaknesses. This doesn’t mean taking everything your boss says at face value—it simply means being open to the prospect of change, evolution and improvement. 

Journaling tip: Dedicate a section of your career journal for feedback and self-reflection. Record feedback received and your action plans to address it. Regularly assess your progress and celebrate your successes. Ask your coach what they think of your growth and if they’ve noticed any changes within you since you began journaling together. 

Tip 5: Get rid of work-life balance

Here’s something most young professionals get tripped up on: life isn’t about balance. Life is about doggedly pursuing the things that bring you peace, happiness and joy.

If that means throwing yourself into your career, then you have absolute license to do that. If it means working a less intense job so you can put more of yourself into friends, family, creative pursuits or other ambitions, then so be it! This is your explicit permission to go where the light is, friend. Don’t live up to someone else’s idea of “balance” just because they told you it was important. 

Journaling tip: Use your career journal to track the things you’re most passionate about. What would a beautiful, unbalanced life look like to you? Where would you get your energy? What would bring you joy? What would light you up, set you on fire, set you free? What would you do if you didn’t feel the need to constantly tamp down your ambition?

Want more journaling advice? We know some people who can help. Get started with a journaling coach today and give your career what it needs to flourish.  

How does journaling with a coach work?

Journaling with a coach is pretty simple. You sign up for a coaching service and start writing journal entries that your coach then reads and responds to. You can write about whatever you want, career tips for young professionals included. 

Once you’ve written about your specific challenges, your coach will offer feedback and suggestions to help you improve your work life. Not only that, but they’ll be there to help you with your personal life, too. 

With that said, here’s 5 career tips and journaling prompts you can use to improve your career right now.