Career Advice from Top US Celebrities

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” rnFranklin D. Roosevelt rnIf you ask any self made celebrity the secret of their success, you will always get the one answer the one lesson in a round about way… perseverance. To get to the top tiers in any industry one has to not only display the talent and the ability to be a leader but to be able to showcase it in a way that everyone can recognize those talents and not feel threatened by their inclusion. All through our schooling years right up till we graduate from high school we are taught and trained to use only our cognitive abilities to succeed in the world yet as soon as we step into the career oriented studies the buzz work becomes “networking”. In a study conducted in 2006 Harvard University found that in order to be successful, their graduates had to have at least 80 percent soft skills and 20 percent technical ability. If this study is true of everyone, one has to wonder if our education system that is so academic heavy, completely flawed? This is why, we think that the industry field trips and mentor programs in colleges and universities are so pivotal to a person’s success. This is because they are taught the undiluted truth about their career choices through these industry veterans. If this is the case with every industry imagine if you were aiming to be successful in a business that brings you both riches and fame. If there weren’t any celebrity rags to riches story the streets of Hollywood would not be lined with hopefuls from across the globe. Take Jerry Seinfeld, a beloved and world-renowned comedian but was he born the legend he is today? But as story goes Jerry bombed the first live stand up set he ever performed, he was jeered and booed off the stage by the audience. Did he give up? If he had we would have been robbed of a comic genius, but he came back and left his second set with a laughing audience, cheering him throughout the performance. Jerry Seinfeld is no doubt talented but what he attributes to his future success is his ability to read and get along with an audience and his passion for stand up. He often recounts his success to is odd, Jewish up bringing an his ability to accept a bad audience. "All great masters are chiefly distinguished by the power of adding a second, a third, and perhaps a fourth step in a continuous line. Many a man has taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first." rnRalph Waldo Emerson Another great celebrity model for success is Madeline Albright, the first woman Secretary of State. The daughter of a former Czechoslovakia immigrant rose to one of the highest honors of the state by sheer will of character. According to her, all the strength she needed to succeed in her career came from his father’s wise words, "Whenever my father saw that I had to take on something difficult or do something that I might not have confidence about, he would say, 'Strike it.' English not being his first language he at times mixed up idioms, so that was his version of 'go for it.' To me that meant you have to believe in yourself and go after what you want. When I was growing up and even later in my professional life, women role models were scarce, and so my father was the person who gave me the self-assurance to 'strike it.'" Another Iconic celebrity that we probably do not associate with struggling to make her career is Oprah Winfrey. She is someone who does not only excel at her job as a broadcasters but is an exemplary philanthropist and business woman. She has successfully build an empire around her name and today reaps the rewards of her hard work earlier on in life. It comes as a surprise to most that Oprah was fired from her first job as a reporter citing the reason that she was “unfit for T.V”. She is a great advocate of hard work and resilience and passes the same advice to a number young viewers to not wait for handouts but go after what you believe is rightfully yours. She encourages people to dream big and go after what it is they want. Oprah’s life and career has been an inspiration to numerous other celebrities, and she is often called a “great life force” even from the Obamas. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”rnOprah Winfrey rnCharlie Chaplin, the man who defined the delicate relationship between comedic storytelling and film, his movies are considered cultural and historical icons and yet like most artists starting out he too had to overcome several rejections. The big wigs of Hollywood studios thought his act “too nonsensical” to ever work. Little did they know they were dealing with a man, whose genius would define modern cinema. This is the way the world has always worked. This is how you will be tested of your character through failure and rejection and if you stick to it and believe in your talent as much as you want others to; you will see success. “Actors search for rejection. If they don't get it they reject themselves.” rnCharlie Chaplin Chaplin conquered the world with his smile and gave us some of the most iconic cinematic moments of a turbulent time in the history of the world. He had to work hard all his life to garner the success and the fame he did. Cinema goers and artists celebrate his life today not just for his talent and storytelling but the strength of his character amidst the pain and horror of war; which allowed him to perform and delight millions of despaired souls. “Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference.”rnCharlie Chaplin "The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit." rnMark Twain Dr. Seuss, undeniably one of the great children’s books author of all times faced his share of problems when trying to get his first book published. The first book, “To Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street” was rejected by 27 publishers before it found home and print. His books became bestsellers and runaway successes after they were published and are still being sold everyday, you would be hard pressed to find a child of reading age who hasn’t read or heard “Cat in the Hat”. “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”rnDr. Seuss A great career lesson for any writers out there, talent alone cannot give you success you need to step out into the world and demand what is yours. That is the only way to make a mark. Emily Dickinson a beloved poet did not have enough power in her personality to convince others of her talent and in her life only a dozen or so of her 1800 completed works. She had undeniable talent but she never saw success in her life. Finite to fail, but infinite to venture. rnEmily Dickinson rnBottom line, if you want a successful life and career, the ones who have treaded the path before you all say the same thing you need drive and ambition to succeed. An inert sense of self awareness and confidence that will keep you strong even when its been months since you had your last meaningful job. Having some family or friends supporting your morale and talent is a great gift but even without it, if you believe in yourself you can flip burgers like Madonna at a McDonalds while waiting for your “lucky” break. Hard work and strength of character are the only tools that will make you stand above the rest in a crowded workplace and an even denser world. "Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round – remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped." rnJames Corbett