What is the best piece of career advice you'd give someone as we head into 2023?

In today's world, hard skills can be taught relatively easily and rapidly. However, it is the soft skills that will set you apart from your peers and make you more successful in your career. Soft skills focus on who you are as a person and include abilities such as effective communication, problem solving, and time management. To be more successful in your career, focus on developing your soft skills.

One of the biggest differences I think you can make in your working life is to stay curious about the sector you're working in or focusing on. This might look like reading (fiction and non!) around subjects directly related to your work, attending digital or in person events, and generally reading up on relevant news - Pocket can be a fantastic tool for this. By staying curious, even if you aren't actively 'in love' with your career or sector, you'll still be learning and mentally engaged which can help tackle feeling of anxiety, imposter syndrome, or all round burnout.

Choose your manager, not the company. The kind of person you report to and the relationship you're able to build with them is infinitely more important to your mental health, growth, and career goals than landing at a company with a big name or well-known reputation. The right manager can propel you forward into places you never knew possible; a popular company has the power to do the same, but without that manager connection, you may find it difficult to remain at said company and likely won't see the same level of opportunities thrown your way.

Always accept criticism regardless of how rude or mean it may be. We might think that is degrading you, but most of the time, this is to point out some flaws that we might not give attention to it. Learn to handle it professionally, no matter how hard it can be. Turn deaf to comments that do nothing but bring you down and accept comments that help you build yourself. There is no need to react to everything. Instead, constantly be reminded that constructive criticism can help you improve your career growth and development. You must understand why you give such feedback, and perhaps you can ask the question but not in the sense of being defensive. Keep in mind the benefits of getting feedback and understanding the perspective of your criticizer, whether your boss or colleagues. Always extend your gratitude for sharing feedback with us. The criticism we often hear, especially in our workplace, is always the only way we learn about our weaknesses – without it, we can’t improve and grow.

Upskilling and Reskilling represent the search for knowledge acquisition in organizations. Technology and others are accessible to most companies, from SMBs to big corporations. Thus, individual knowledge will make a difference in 2023. With upskilling and reskilling being the trends for companies to keep up competitive in the market, they tend to give the best opportunities for people who look to improve their knowledge base. In other words, to build your career getting the best chances, it is crucial to bring and contribute new knowledge to the business. Upskilling and Reskilling play a vital role in career growth and development.

After college, I worked a wide range of jobs, from bartending to restaurant management to sales and marketing. Nothing ever felt like the perfect fit. I struggled to fit into a role that someone else had made for me. But once I started freelancing in 2016, everything in my career seemed to fall into place effortlessly. I didn't have to struggle to make my job work. Six years later, my career and satisfaction are stronger than ever. I can work my own schedule, choose my salary, and partner with the clients I want. My advice: if you don't feel like you belong at your job, you probably don't. And that's okay -- you are meant for something better. Keep trying."

The best piece of career advice I'd give someone as we head into 2023 is to stay flexible and be prepared for change. The world of work is constantly evolving, so it's important to be open to new opportunities and willing to take on new challenges. Keep learning and keep growing - that's the key to success in any field. Additionally, make sure you're always putting your best foot forward by maintaining a positive attitude, actively participating in professional development opportunities, and networking with other professionals in your field.

Find your passion and be persistent in pursuing it. For example, finding a career you can be passionate about is only the beginning. You need to follow that passion up by putting in the work. Expand your skillset and always look to improve even as you are pursuing the next step in our career. Give yourself goals to pursue and grow your talent. By putting your passion into your career, you can find success.

Being known in the industry you work is a key element of your career. Invest in building relationships with coworkers and in the industry you are working. It sounds complicated, but the key element is to start sharing with other people what you are doing, how you can help and what you the areas you enjoy working. Use LinkedIn to connect with other people, invest time to take part in the podcast or write columns. These investments will help you to find your next job opportunity or start business one day. Start small and find your voice.

Finding and working with decent people should be a priority for everyone, but it is especially important for women. To get ahead, it's important to locate a mentor who can help lift you up and connect you with influential people who can help you succeed. Women have to fight harder to join these groups, so if you find yourself excluded, create your own. Develop your self-assurance now so that you'll be ready to sit down at those tables and in those places when the time is right. Also, while you're doing it, try not to be too hard on yourself. You deserve the highest possible wage, benefits, justice, and esteem. You should get it.

With the idea of a global workforce that works for organizations across the world sans the challenges of geographical boundaries and time zones, opportunities are now limitless. And for you to be able to open these doors, you will need to build a network that makes your own outreach infinite too. As a driven career professional, I’m sure you’ve never undermined the advantages of networking. Keep up the consistency, and remember that heading into 2023, you will also need to expand your network globally.

It never hurts to pay attention to trends in your industry and look out for changes. Read the news, follow market forecasts, and analyze how they can influence your industry and your job. Stay alert to lays offs as well as hiring. If you notice anything alarming that has the potential to negatively impact your position, react. Take some courses, take an interest in new technologies, and learn how to use extra tools, apps, or programs. Do everything to stay current and not fall out of the market. If a recession hits your industry, don’t change jobs, as new hires are the first to get laid off. Do everything to show your employer that you are an indispensable employee. Remember, how your career will develop in 2023 is up to you, but following trends, constant development, and reacting will contribute to your success.

With the business world comfortably settling into hybrid remote and in-person workplaces, it's more important than ever that you are able to adequately prevent and resolve conflicts when some parties may not even be in the same room as one another. Train your emotional intelligence and empathy as more and more of our interactions happen across screens. Without the benefit of being able to notice all of their subtle expressions and details face to face, this can be a difficult task, though not impossible. Keeping an open mind during your interactions and reminding yourself that people do not usually say things in bad faith can help avoid unnecessary conflicts within the workplace.

Stay true to your values, wants, and needs. Your journey to success will not be the same as someone else's, and that's totally fine. It's good to have role models to look up to and emulate, but continue to embrace what makes you unique. This will help distinguish you from your peers and make you more memorable. Stay true to your core values, perspectives, and ambitions.

Just like people, companies have their own unique personalities, and just like with people not all personalities mesh perfectly with one another. Finding the type of company culture that best fits you is critical to setting yourself up for future success. Company culture is a combination of company behaviors and company beliefs. Research is the first step to finding out more about a company's culture, but there are areas that hold more weight than others. Interpersonal communication, or who you will be working with most, decides aspects of work life like working on teams versus individually or working with clients more often than colleagues and vice versa. Autonomy, or how much control you have over your day-to-day tasks, is another area to consider which also includes areas of flexibility and supervisor structure. Professionals that take the time to find the companies and cultures that best fit their professional needs and wants set themselves up for success regardless of the role.

In today’s job market, employers are looking for their people to display adaptability. Just as whole industries have been forced to undergo drastic changes during and after the pandemic, companies expect their workers to be able to adapt to challenges too. Work environments have changed. Business models and strategies have been altered. Job requirements have shifted. Supply chains have been interrupted. Employers have been navigating these changes over the past few years and they greatly appreciate a workforce that can navigate them too. You need to be well-equipped to face obstacles and curveballs. The more adaptable you are, the more likely you are to stay relevant in today’s post-pandemic world.

My best piece of advice is that there is always opportunity in chaos. When things go wrong, do not fight the chaos, but learn to thrive in it. The best way to make a difference or grow in a career may very well come from a time like that. When others see how well you handled yourself in those moments of chaos, they will remember your skills in handling it, and your reliability.

As the founder of a tech company, my advice to anyone in 2023 is to be competitive. The spirit of competition inspires one to better themselves. There is a shortage of talent in the workspace today. Layoffs are also increasing at a rapid rate. In such a scenario, it becomes important for an individual to be aware of the tough competition.  It is necessary to know which skills are in high demand. Learning new and relevant skill sets is important for progressing in your career.

When looking for a new career, it's important that you search for one that offers flexibility. One thing we all learned from the pandemic is that employees can be just as - if not more so - productive when working from home. With work/life balance often a struggle, true flexibility in your role can offer independence that will prove to be far more important than a slightly larger salary.

If the past two years are anything to go by, I would advise anyone to make the most of the good and bad events of our time. Uncertainty has become the order of the day. The stock market is a roller coaster, and geopolitical tensions are flaring everywhere. The best piece of advice is for anyone to be mindful of the present and face the future with an open mind. Investing in volatile assets is no longer an option. The best move is to evolve with every change and prepare you for the immediate future.