A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of listening to Max Long, President of Microsoft Canada as he addressed a group of MBA students and business executives at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of business.  He offered some very valuable advice that I would like to share with the readers of this blog.  With so many young people struggling to find work, or at least find work that is aligned with their career aspirations, Mr. Long shared some insights that resonated strongly with me.

Don’t Pay Attention to the Limitations that other people place on your Career Aspirations

Mr. Long’s first message was to not let other people define you and your career.  If you believe that you have the skills and desire to achieve success in a particular area of interest, go for it.  If you believe this is your true calling, don’t be deterred by the feedback of other people who might tell you that you will never be successful in sales or operations or law or wherever you seek to go in life.

Don’t work for a company that you are not passionate about

Mr. Long provided several good insights on this topic.  One of his key points is that there is a need to differentiate between the boss and the company.  If a person has a passion for the company but does not like the boss, stick it out.  Bosses come and go.  In mid to large-size companies, bosses get transferred and promoted.