Top 9 Best Career Advice from Dads Everywhere

After all the hard work paying tuition fees, filling up application forms and helping with school projects, even after your children throws their graduation cap to celebrate their passage to the labor force—your parenting responsibilities are not over.

“Father” isn’t a job title you’ll hold for a few years and take off after you retire.

The time after graduation, between your child’s first interview and first day at work is most crucial. Many kids will deny this, but most of them don’t have a clue what to do—what job to take or which company to target—and even if they have a dream job, they have no clear idea to get there.

So in celebration of Father’s Day, here are 10 career lessons from dad’s everywhere –from everyday dads to recruiter, career coaches and psychologist dads.

1.      “Every day is an audition”

My father, Glen Esterline, told me “Every day is an audition.” Your co-workers and boss are always watching how you work and react to certain situations. Your ability to cope with increasing levels of responsibility and even the way you treat colleagues during break time is scrutinized. All of these affect how you’re seen as a professional, which affect how soon you are promoted—or if you’re going to be promoted at all.

“Following my father’s advice, I’ve worked on honing my audition skills, body language and diplomacy towards difficult people”, says Rachel Esterline Perkins.

2.      Bring your idea to someone who will be brutally honest with you

“Next time you have a brilliant idea, bring it to someone with good common sense and is not afraid to speak their mind”, says Craig Wolfe, President of CelebriDucks.

Most people bring their brilliant ideas to their friends, wife or partner. It’s almost a reflex because it seems like the best thing to do.

Personal relationships have nothing to do with weighing the validity or profitability of an idea, so doing this may backfire on you. Your friends and family care about you. And that’s why they might sugarcoat things instead of saying what they really think.

3.      Do a job you’re asked to do for you—not for the person asking.

“Whatever you decide to do in life, what kind of career you choose or the person you want to be—do it for yourself,” says Brian after remembering his father’s advice. 

The tasks in your to-do list for tomorrow? Do it for yourself, not for the boss who asked you to do it. Own your work and take pride in it.  

4.      “Never be afraid to earn an extra dollar to take home 50 cents, was dad’s advice in regards to working overtime and taxes”, says Mike.

The math doesn’t work but your value in the office increases every time you work overtime to finish an urgent project.

Be careful though; render OT only if you’re contributing to a project where extra help is needed—not because you failed to complete your workload within regular office hours.

5.      Don’t live life chasing society’s definition of success.

“Many men live—and drive themselves into depression—following the definition of success society has imposed on them,” says Relationship Coach Brian Flippin.

Before spending your hard-earned money on the latest iGadget, have an honest conversation with yourself—or with your family. Ask yourself, “How much money will it take for me (and my family) to live a comfortable life without giving up everything we enjoy doing?”

6.      Select a career that brings both job satisfaction and financial stability

Nick Synko, Career Coach, received a letter from the parents of a would-be poet. They wanted his help in persuading their daughter to pick a profession that pays a stable salary.

Synko, whose youngest daughter is also an aspiring poet, cautioned them not to overreact. “Let’s hope she selects a career that brings her both job satisfaction as well as financial stability,” wrote Synko in his reply to the parent’s letter.

While his advice is directed to parents, it also applies to upcoming college students choosing a degree that leads to a high paying salary in lieu of studying something they actually enjoy. 

In-demand and high paying jobs now might be saturated by the time you graduate. And even if it isn’t saturated with graduates who took the same course, you’re not going to last in a job you don’t like. Unless you’re really motivated, your performance would be average at best.

7.      All we need is a good story

How do you explain employment gaps in your resume? Not by lying of course.

“All we’re looking for is a good story,” says TJ Jaeckle, Recruiting Manager. They need a believable story that will overcome whatever concerns their superior or hiring-clients might raise. 

8.      Know where you stand in your team

Does your boss trust you enough to give you more responsibilities? What about a promotion?

Try this experiment, created by Career Coach Dale Dauten:

Go to your boss’s office and say, “I have an idea!” then watch how he reacts.

If he says, “Great, tell me more,” that means you’re a crucial part of the team and has a good track record for proposing creative solutions.

But if you hear anything like, “Okay, but I’m busy,” that means you’re just a so-so employee. You’re average: not a slacker but not a superstar either.

Lastly, if you hear something like, “That’s good but let’s just focus on your work for now,” there’s a huge possibility you’re going to get sacked next time there’s a layoff.

9.      Let them talk…and talk… and talk

Have you ever been tempted to interrupt an interview who keeps talking about himself instead of asking you the interview questions? Don’t. 

It may sound like a good idea to stir the conversation back to the “interview”, but it’s rude and it will reflect badly on you.

“If the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going out come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate,” says Kris Dunn, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kinetix. Sometimes, being a great candidate means being a good listener more than being a good talker.

This list is anything but comprehensive, so we want to hear from you. What words of wisdom did your father share with you?

Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC

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