- Daniel Rizea, director of engineering at Google, shared what he learned
- He said he followed the advice of legendary investor Charlie Munger
- Daniel said it’s important to know what to avoid to move up the ranks
Knowing when to make the right career moves can be tricky — and according to a top Google executive, there are strategic ways to climb the corporate ladder.
Daniel Rizea, director of engineering at Google, says there are many ways to succeed in your career and it all comes down to knowing what to avoid.
In one piece for Business insider, Daniel explained how he had relied on business advice from legendary investor Charlie Munger.
According to Daniel, Charlie’s advice was “surprising, if not simple,” as it urged employees to simply not do things that would set you up for failure.
“Avoiding ruin is better than chasing quick and easy tricks for success, which usually turn out to be wrong,” Daniel shared.
He then listed five things you should never do to have a successful and meaningful career.
Knowing when to make the right career moves can be tricky – and according to a top Google executive, there are strategic ways to climb the corporate ladder (stock image)
Getting promoted too early
Being ambitious is important, but Daniel warns that there may be a point where you can be overly ambitious.
Promoting too early could lead to underperformance if the person doesn’t have enough experience, according to the Google executive.
“Getting a promotion when you’re not quite ready can have a negative impact on yourself and your career path,” he warned.
“I’ve seen many people burn out and quit because they were underperforming at their new level,” he added.
Daniel said many people overestimate how ready they are for more responsibility. He suggests that you first imagine yourself in a more challenging role tomorrow and see how that makes you feel.
‘If [the thought of being promoted] If it surprises you, you’re probably not ready because you don’t see yourself performing at that level,” he suggested.
Don’t fly under the radar
While you shouldn’t overdo your skills at work, it’s also important not to underwork.
‘Doing the bare minimum has several disadvantages. It stops your growth, reduces your commitment to your work and your happiness, and makes you less happy,” Daniel noted.
Daniel warned that completely cutting out certain aspects of your work could lead to people missing out on ‘career-changing projects’.
Daniel Rizea, director of engineering at Google, says there are many ways to succeed in your career and it all comes down to knowing what to avoid (stock image)
Stop avoiding work
Daniel reminded people that no matter how talented someone is, you still have to put in the hours.
“Some people waste a lot of time thinking of creative ways or shortcuts and realize they could have just as well done the job,” he noted.
Don’t job hop
Daniel says that job hopping can have a negative impact on your career because you don’t have enough time to properly grow into the role.
“If you are an individual contributor who wants to advance into a leadership position, you need at least two years to develop these skills,” he emphasized.
Daniel said it was important to show that you can deliver projects and demonstrate good work a few times to build trust within your team.
‘If you change jobs every year, you will never fully develop your leadership skills. You start from the same place several times, but never complete the full cycle,” he said.
Be reliable
Daniel reminded people that it is critical to be trusted in the workplace.
‘Trust is essential. It is hard to get and easy to lose,” he said.
‘When someone new joins a team or organization, the team consciously or unconsciously assesses whether that person is competent and reliable.’