11 Successful People Share Their Best Advice for New College Grads

Leah Remini to aspiring actors: "You can't give up if it is something you truly love"

Business Insider

By Jacquelyn Smith

In honor of graduation season, personal finance website NerdWallet recently asked 27 successful business leaders, executives, musicians, actors, and athletes to share their best career advice for the Class of 2015.

Here are some highlights.

T.J. Miller
Comedian and actor; Star of HBO's "Silicon Valley"

Advice for recent grads: "Work harder than anyone else around you and be nice. That truly is the formula. It worked for me and I have mediocre talent and a horse jaw. And as a good friend of mine says: 'Know who you are and don't apologize for it.' -Erlich Bachman"

Amy Ockert
Competitive Strategy Director at Whole Foods Market

Advice for recent grads: "The best thing is to find a mentor that you admire. Not your manager or even someone in your department, but someone you respect professionally. Bounce ideas off your mentor, work with him/her on issues that arise at work, and glean information to help your development as a professional."

Leah Remini
Actress; star of CBS's "The King of Queens"

Advice for recent grads: "To aspiring actors: It is not an easy business for everyone, you have to love to entertain and you have to go in it for that reason, because if that is truly what is in your heart, those times you are told no will not allow you to give up. You can't give up if it is something you truly love."

Eric Bahn
Product Manager at Facebook; cofounder of Hustlecon

Advice for recent grads: "Your network will become increasingly important as you progress in your career. Once you build a reputation and build the right contacts, then you'll never have to apply for a job again - opportunities will come to you. When you encounter an interesting person, grab their e-mail and add their info into a master list of network contacts. Write an annual e-mail during the holidays to your master list to keep your contacts warm and updated; you'll be amazed how effective this tactic is."

Brian Lee
CEO and founder of The Honest Company; founder of ShoeDazzle

Advice for recent grads: "Find something that truly inspires you, and join a company that has the same passion, or start one yourself."

Sanya Richards-Ross
Professional athlete; four-time gold-medal Olympian

Advice for recent grads: "To be bold and fearless. The world needs new, fresh ideas! The world needs you! Don't conform or be afraid to try and fail. Failure is an important ingredient to success. You'll be happier and more proud of your results when you take the risk."

Sam Reich
Head of Original Video at CollegeHumor

Advice for recent grads: "My advice for people starting out in this industry is always this: (a) Do what you love to do, a lot, for free, until you get great at it. (b) Get any job you can somewhere you'd like to work - no matter how stupid it seems at the time. Many of our best writers are former interns. Murph, who is one of our writer-cast members, started as CollegeHumor's front desk guy!"

Katrina Lake
CEO of Stitch Fix

Advice for recent grads: "Focus on finding roles where you can learn, grow, and develop most. Make sure you work for someone you admire, and that your manager can be a mentor and champion for you in your career today but also for the years to come."

George Stephanopoulos
ABC News chief anchor; co-anchor of "Good Morning America"

Advice for recent grads: "Relax. Almost nothing you're worried about today will define your tomorrow. Down the road, don't be afraid to take a pay cut to follow your passion. But do stash a few bucks in a 401(k) now."

Hermione Way
Founder of WayMedia; Star of Bravo's "Start-Ups: Silicon Valley"

Advice for recent grads: "There has never been an easier time to start a business. There are so many free online tools. Just start, and if you fail you can always go and get a normal job, but you will learn so much along the way it will be a great experience."

Patrick Lee
Cofounder and former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes

Advice for recent grads: "If you want to do your own startup, you don't need a job to get experience first. You will learn faster doing your own thing than working at some entry-level job. You will make mistakes (lots of them), but that is all part of the learning process. If you want to learn to swim, don't be afraid of getting wet."      

Stop saying ‘I’m sorry’ at work

If you're uttering "I'm sorry" all the time in a professional setting, it can negatively impact how you're viewed by your peers and superiors, and have a lasting impact on your career.

Last year, Pantene debuted an advertisement showing women apologizing in various situations, including at the office, sparking a conversation about whether women say they're sorry too much, especially in circumstances where it's unwarranted.

A study a few years back from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, also examined this issue and found that women do say they're sorry more often than men. And while men do apologize, they have a higher threshold for what they think warrants a need for forgiveness.

Whether it's a man or a woman saying it, if you're uttering "I'm sorry" all the time in a professional setting, it can negatively impact how you're viewed by your peers and superiors, and have a lasting impact on your career.

"I believe women – and oftentimes emotionally tuned-in men – fall into this trap of saying 'I'm sorry,' because they want everyone to be happy," says Heather Neisen, HR manager at TechnologyAdvice. "Saying 'I'm sorry' to even a minor issue is what we are taught to do when we are very young. In the workplace, there's a sense that to be liked and respected you need to make sure everyone is happy. If an issue arises though, most likely the first thing someone will say is 'I'm sorry.' Wanting to make sure everyone is happy is a huge burden to bear and it's frankly impossible to control other people's emotions."

The pre-apologyIt's one thing to apologize for genuine wrongdoing, but it's another to do it when you're afraid you're inconveniencing someone by asking a question or challenging an idea. This is what Karin Hurt, CEO of Let's Grow Leaders, calls the "pre-apology." According to Hurt, examples of the "pre-apology" include:

• "I'm so sorry to take up so much of your time, but I have an idea."
• "I'm sorry, this is probably not what you're looking for, but here's the spreadsheet you asked for."
• "I'm sorry I couldn't have spent more time on it."

"The tragedy is that what often follows is a great idea or terrific work. However, it may not be viewed from this lens if you've already apologized for it being substandard," Hurt says.

The impact on your careerNeisen says that constantly apologizing can harm your career for several reasons. "Overall, this can negatively impact a career because it can cause either burnout (due to stress) or it could potentially cause an employee to make poor decisions based on emotions and what others prefer instead of what is best for him or her. Additionally, apologizing all the time will tend to make others think that you are not confident or not sure of your decisions. Ultimately, this can weaken someone's ability to lead well."
Jenn DeWall, career and life coach and motivational speaker, agrees. "Saying sorry too much can negatively impact your perception and reputation as a strong leader. Your boss or peers may make assumptions that you do not have a backbone and aren't willing to stand up for your work or ideas."

Stopping the cycle of "I'm sorry"Christopher G. Fox, founder of Kindness Communication, a new venture focusing on promoting kindness to achieve better results and greater focus in organizations, says that to stop the habit, you need to first be cognizant of it happening, and second, imagine yourself not saying it.
"If you know the topic of discussion in advance, rehearse stating your position without saying sorry a few times; say it out loud to yourself in the mirror at home the night before," he suggests. "Finally, if you have a good ally in the mix often, ask her or him to be your 'sorry buddy' and point out to you after the fact that you've said it. It's not just useful feedback afterwards. It also helps you feel accountable in the moment."
DeWall recommends becoming more of an active listener. "Listen to the concerns that are being addressed and think about how they tie to the big picture. Respond strategically without personalizing the feedback or outcome to you, which forces the need to apologize. By doing this, you are able to process tense or stressful situations with a more calm approach and provide a logical solution that contributes to the resolution without assuming personal responsibility for something that was unrelated to you."

The 8 Most Common Cover Letter Mistakes That Could Cost You the Job

You're proofreading, right?

Business Insider

By Kathleen Elkins

As easily as an impressive cover letter can land you an interview, a generic and rushed one can send your application straight to the "no" pile.

We turned to Amanda Augustine, career management expert and spokesperson at TheLadders, an online job-matching service for professionals, and asked about the most common cover letter pitfalls.

Here are eight costly errors to avoid:

1. Not having one at all
TheLadders found that 50% of recruiters believe a cover letter is essential, while the other half admitted to never reading them. "Since you don't know which type of recruiter will read your application, it's better to play it safe and include a cover letter," recommends Augustine.

However, if you're applying to a position online and are asked to upload your materials to an electronic system, make sure they provide a spot to include your cover letter, she advises. "There's no point of taking the time to carefully craft the document if the application won't accept it."

2. Using a generic template
"Sending a general cover letter with every job application is just as bad as not sending any cover letter at all," says Augustine. "If you are using the exact same cover letter for every job application and simply swapping out the company name, you're wasting your time. Your cover letter shouldn't be an after-thought."

Customize each cover letter you write, she says. Use it as opportunity to detail why you would be a great fit for the specific position, and don't be afraid to infuse some personality to stand out from the crowd.

3. Opening with "Dear sir" or "Dear madam"
Figure out exactly who you're sending your cover letter to and address them by name. "Do a little online snooping and check with your network to see if you can determine the name of the hiring manager or the recruiter in charge of the job opening," she suggests.

However, this is easier said than done in some instances. You may have to use to a generic "Dear Recruiter" opening, she admits, but only resort to this after you've put in all the research you possibly could.

4. Not carefully proofreading
According to a social recruiting survey, 66% of recruiters reconsidered a candidate whose social media profiles contained spelling and grammatical errors. If they don't take well to typos on Facebook or Twitter, they likely will toss your application if your cover letter is plagued with mistakes.

You should have multiple sets of eyes making edits. "Carefully proofread your cover letter. Then read it again. Then have a friend proofread it," Augustine says.

5. It's all about you
While it can be beneficial to show some personality in your cover letter, be wary of going overboard or delving into irrelevant information. "Recruiters don't care that you've always dreamed of working in fashion," explains Augustine. "They want to understand why you're interested in this position and more importantly, why you're qualified for the role."

Your cover letter is prime real estate. Use the bulk of it to focus on explaining how your experience and skillset will meet the employer's needs.

6. Worshiping the company
It can be tempting, but resist the urge to shower the hiring manager with compliments in your cover letter. "Don't tell them you love their company; instead, specifically mention something about their brand, company mission or strategic direction that you strongly support," Augustine says. "In other words, prove that you've done your homework and know something about the company or industry."

7. It's too long
Recruiters spend an average of six seconds scanning your résumé. They cherish brevity.

"A good cover letter should be no longer than one page," says Augustine. "Remember, the recruiter already has your résumé. There's no need to rehash your entire work history all over again. Instead, use this opportunity to highlight your qualifications that matter most for this role."

8. There's no 'call to action'
You want to end your cover letter with a bang by reiterating your enthusiasm and creating a "call to action." Rather than just thanking the employer for their consideration, take a more proactive approach; let them know that you will follow up within a week and encourage them to reach out with any questions that may arise.

"Don't leave the ball in the recruiter's court," says Augustine. "Create the next step in the process so you have the opportunity to follow up."