If you have a question, go ask Twitter. While at times it can be a madhouse, I’ve found Twitter to still be a great source for conversation, banter, and new ideas. That’s partly why I reference it as the coffee shop of social media during my training workshops. You can learn about your own industry, discover new ideas, or in my case, gather some great feedback on career advice.

In a recent post, I reflected on the fact that our decade is now coming to a close. If you had a chance to go back and share some knowledge with your younger self, what would it be?

Well, I asked Twitter for a piece of career advice, and received 101 lessons that people were ready to share. Instead of letting the tweets fade into history, I’m archiving them in a list here you can share.

career advice - 101 lessons learned

Some of these are nuggets of wisdom learned from the school of hard knocks. Others are passed along from great authors or speakers. And a few others are just a little humorous. Read ’em. Enjoy. Share them.

If you’d like to add your career advice to the list, respond to this tweet or drop them in the comments below.

101 Lessons and Career Advice

  1. Thank you cards are priceless. – Trenton Kissee
  2. Always tell someone when they’re doing well. – Trenton Kissee
  3. You must know yourself to lead yourself. – Lisa Lacey
  4. For sales: If you tell a farmer you’ll do something… Do it! – Rob Schuman
  5. You’re going to drive yourself crazy trying to make everything perfect. – Grandpa – Rob Schuman
  6. If you want to learn about agriculture, join Twitter – Ryan Goodman, in a 2013 to me in an interview about being an agvocate. I have learned more about ag, especially large commodity farming, on Twitter than anywhere else. – Caroline Warwick
  7. Keep reinventing yourself. – Daren Williams
  8. Always do the right thing even if it’s not the popular thing. #moralcourage – Matt Boyer
  9. Stay in school once you start. Especially if you are on a track to a degree with a license attached to it. – Jason Meadows
  10. Admit when you’re wrong or have made a mistake. – Conrad Smith
  11. Know your worth…if the organization doesn’t appreciate your presence make them respect your absence. – Austin Miles
  12. If there are donuts in the break room, ALWAYS go get one. – Paul Ludwig
  13. Little people create problems. Don’t be a little person. – Sam Wildman
  14. Volunteer to start early or stay late. – Conrad Gerstner
  15. Admit fault when you’re at fault. – Conrad Gerstner
  16. Praise your crew in public; correct them in private. – Conrad Gerstner
  17. Never make your crew perform a task that you yourself are not willing to do. – Conrad Gerstner
  18. Family is utmost important. Take time to enjoy them and let your crew do the same. – Conrad Gerstner
  19. Show up every day and think about your job, you will be in the top 25% in your field. – Mark Howard
  20. Spend less time trying to be interesting and more time being interested in others. – Joe Webel
  21. Haters are going to hate no matter what. – Boyd, @ennismil
  22. Don’t burn bridges. – The Food Anthropologist
  23. Never give a negative exit interview. Management should already know the problems and you’ll just look petty trashing a place on your way out the door. – The Food Anthropologist
  24. Hard work, being efficient, and being kind will get you noticed and help you advance. – Cory Ritter
  25. It is what it is. – @FDGenetics
  26. Lead by example. – Joan Ruskamp
  27. You better be ready to make hay while the sun shines. – Bruce Holmquist
  28. Work to the end of the row. – Tyson Roberts
  29. Don’t bring me problems. Bring me solutions. – Ed Schloz
  30. Be real and make connections. – Bobby Jo Hickey
  31. Avoid the bullshit. – Bobby Jo Hickey
  32. Make a good life for yourself and that’s enough. (Nannie) – Bobby Jo Hickey
  33. Don’t ever look up or down at anyone. – Michelle Palmer
  34. Spend as much time with your family and kids as you can. No one died wishing they had worked more. – @replicantsunite
  35. Sales: If everything is an emergency, then an emergency is normal. Continuing to have a negative reaction to normal and responding with emotion versus logic to problems will create significant problems for you. – Kate Miller
  36. Control what you can control. – @sd1459
  37. Return calls. Be early to appointments. Earn customer trust and respect. – Bridgette Readel
  38. Volunteer / get involved in organizations full of people you share passions with. The network will open doors for future opportunities and encouragement. And it’ll be fun! – Josh Hushon
  39. Your company can never pay you what you are worth… so do your job the best that you can! – Ed Schloz
  40. Never stop learning and read as many books as possible. – Matthew Bennett
  41. Take chances. – DeEtta Lee
  42. Ask more questions in order to listen more. – Christi Dixon
  43. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. – Daren Williams
  44. If you wanna be successful in business spend your time doing $100 an hour jobs not $10 an hour jobs. – Devin Moon
  45. Be the first guy on the job, always. – Mike Lass
  46. Surround yourself with successful people. – John Forman
  47. Show up. Shut up. Learn and excel. – Brian Rund
  48. Trust no one. – Tammy @serendipitidoda
  49. Check valve alignment before pumping. – Adam Sperry
  50. If it doesn’t matter in eternity, it doesn’t matter. – Terrell Davis
  51. Make the most of every opportunity. And be the best at it. – Tara Davidson
  52. If you see a problem that hasn’t been solved yet, solve it. – Tara Davidson
  53. Work hard and be nice to people. – Roxy Helman
  54. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t make excuses – Michael Kelly
  55. Show up earliest. Do your best. Never complain. – @sims_sh
  56. Always show those who you manage that you are willing to do their job. – Joe MicKinnon
  57. HR isn’t on your side, they are on the company’s side. – Carilynn Coombs
  58. You can be the greatest marketer but you need to grow bushels first to market. – Don Williams
  59. Hard work almost always beats talent. – Mike Pflieger
  60. Experience a range of industry-wide opportunities in employment and a diverse exposure to all its experts! Building a human network or foundation of expertise to remain in your peer group circle for LIFE! – Marcel Vanst
  61. Watch your back. – Lynn Fortin
  62. Put all your effort into getting the job done (just like harvest on the farm). – Janet Krayden
  63. Leadership is ownership. – Cora Fox
  64. Make it your mission to have successful customers. – Nathan Popiel
  65. What’s right isn’t always easy. What’s easy isn’t always right. – Jaerod Hanson
  66. You’ll never get rich without a little aggravation. – @craigp971
  67. Mistakes are inevitable; best to own up to them right away. Most generally, it’s not the end of the world. – Marcia Himmelberg
  68. You can’t lose money when you take a profit. – Kirby Krier
  69. People don’t buy from dealerships they buy from people. Relationships are key. – Brooke Doyle
  70. Learn to be flexible! – Annie Albers
  71. Piss poor planning doesn’t constitute an emergency. – @kroupa_sdfisher
  72. Everyone is replaceable. – @kroupa_sdfisher
  73. One monkey doesn’t stop a show. – @craigp971
  74. Work hard now while you can so you don’t have to when you can’t. – Chancey May
  75. Mind the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. – Brad Brookshire
  76. Document everything. – @bridja
  77. Be here now. – Chris Beaudry
  78. Don’t invest in things that rust. – Scott Farm Company
  79. EVERYTHING is negotiable, don’t be afraid to walk away. – @DJessupFarmsLLC
  80. “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future.” – Kirk Maxey
  81. A bird in the cage is better then 2 in the bush. – Keith Gaudet
  82. Do not dwell on the problem, focus on the solution. – @helenmacgriw
  83. Control your emotions/emotional intelligence – Tom Tenseth
  84. Buy low. Sell high. – @rodgrisier1958
  85. There’s only a few inches difference between a pat on the back and a kick in the rear. – Dana Schweitzer
  86. Be generous with praise and constructive with critique! – Dana Schweitzer
  87. Don’t borrow money on things that depreciate in value! – Scotty Gardner
  88. You are 100% replaceable in seconds in any job. Family first, job second. – @mammabear25
  89. Some people will always let you down. Kick on. – @farmerjoe80
  90. Take responsibility for everything in your life! Don’t blame! Don’t be a victim! – Sandy Stewart
  91. Retire. – @SOndrof
  92. Don’t do anything STUPID! – Bill Allen
  93. Take care of your self, so you can take care of your family, so you can take care of your community! – @FarmingBe
  94. Shut up and color! – Darin Winfree
  95. Don’t fuck up – Ryan Brodersen
  96. Stay in your lane and do what you’re told. – Neal Keifer
  97. Do not procrastinate. The worst decision is no decision at all. – Dan Murphy
  98. Don’t be a dick – @Drbarry31
  99. CYA: Cover Your Ass (Law firm motto) – @TylerRi38642507
  100. When your Inner voice speaks up, listen. It’s probably right. – Bridgette Readel
  101. It’s better to be useful than important. – Dustin Dobberstein

What pieces of career advice would you add to the list? Add yours to this Twitter thread.

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Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.