Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, you need inspiration, knowledge, and guidance when the going gets tough in your career. Lucky for you, you live in a time when you can click a button and have unlimited and free access to the world’s greatest influencers, thanks to social media. Here is a list of nine influencers that you should be following to gain some inspiration and guidance for every aspect of your career.
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Happiness + Balance
1. Brené Brown, #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, Scholar, and Public Speaker
Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, but she is best known for her impressive work on vulnerability, namely her two best-sellers: Rising Strong and Daring Greatly. Brown’s advice is a great source of inspiration for your life and career, because she teaches you how to use seemingly negative things like vulnerability and failure to become a wiser and stronger individual.
2. Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul, Talk Show Host, Actress, Producer, and Philanthropist
Deemed by many one of the most influential women in the world, Winfrey offers inspiration and guidance through her “Super Soul Sunday” series, in which she interviews some of the most renowned spiritual and inspirational thinkers and influencers from around the globe. Winfrey is a great person to follow for daily inspiration and guidance on how to live your best life.
3. Simon Sinek, Leadership and Management Author, Speaker, and Consultant
Best known for his books Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action and Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, Sinek is one of the best thought-innovators and influencers of our time. He has studied some of the greatest leaders in the world to find their commonalities and patterns, and he teaches the rest of the world how to think, act, and communicate like the best of them.
Career Guidance + Development
1. Kathryn Minshew, CEO and Co-Founder of The Muse, Contributor to HBR, WSJ, and Bloomberg
Who better to follow for inspiration about career development and guidance than someone who built a career-development platform that just so happens to be wildly popular and successful? Minshew was named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Media list, as well as listed on Inc.’s 15 Women to Watch in Tech – so, you can bet she’s kind of a big deal. The Muse (formerly known as The Daily Muse) provides professionals and entrepreneurs career-related advice for every stage of their careers. (We also love that Minshew is being the change we need to see for women in tech and paving the way for younger generations of women.)
2. Hannah Morgan Founder of Career Sherpa, Job-Search Expert, Author, Speaker, and Blogger
Hannah Morgan is the founder of Career Sherpa, which dishes “out all kinds of advice on job search, careers, social networking, personal branding, developing and improving your online presence,” as she states on the site. Morgan is a great resource to have at any and every stage of your career, whether you are an entrepreneur or work for an employer, especially if you’re looking for some guidance on building your personal brand.
3. Abby Kohut, Founder of AbsoluteAbby.com, Motivational Speaker, Author, and Recruiter
Recently named one of CEO World magazine’s Top 25 Women To Follow On Twitter For Your Job Search, Abby dishes out valuable and useful information on all things related to job searching. Everything from resume help to job search and interviewing tips, Kohut covers it. No matter where you are in your career, it’s nice to know that you have a resource like Kohut to keep you on top of your game, if and when the time comes that you need to find a new job or make a career switch.
Entrepreneurship + Leadership
1. Richard Branson, Founder at Virgin Group, Investor, and Philanthropist
Branson knows a thing or two about being an effective and relatable leader. He has overcome great adversity in his life to become one of the most recognized and successful serial entrepreneurs of our day. Branson has managed to maintain a humble and generous persona, despite the grand success his 400-plus companies have experienced. Most notably, Branson goes the extra mile for his customers and employees and always keeps their needs and wants at the top of his priority list – as it should be in business.
2. Marie Forleo, Owner of Marie Forleo International, B-School, and Host of MarieTV, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Author
Forleo’s career took her from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, to working for top-tier publications such as Gourmet and Mademoiselle, to bartending and teaching fitness and dance classes to make ends meet while building her business-coaching startup. Today, Forleo’s little startup has grown into an international brand that has captured the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey. Forleo’s infectious energy and witty personality provides the perfect dose of joy, inspiration, and confidence every professional and entrepreneur needs in his or her career.
3. Elon Musk, Founder, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX; Co-Founder, CEO, and Product Architect of Tesla Motors; Co-Founder of PayPal; Serial Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Engineer
Elon Musk has one of the most impressive business portfolios out of any serial entrepreneur we’ve seen in a while. In addition to the notable companies listed above, Musk is also the co-founder and chairman of SolarCity and founder of Zip2. What’s more, Musk is the epitome of turning one’s passions into reality, because each and every business venture stems from one of his deep-rooted desires to make the world a better and safer place.
Last, but not least, be sure to follow PayScale to stay up-to-date on the latest career news and salary data, so that you have a leg up on the competition. Also, take advantage of the many career resources provided by PayScale that will help you figure out your worth as a professional, pinpoint what job is best for you, learn how to negotiate your salary like a pro, educate yourself about the ins and outs of the gender pay gap, and so much more.
Tell Us What You Think
Do you have anyone you’d like to add to the list? Head on over to Twitter and share your career influencers with our community, or feel free to leave a comment below. Sharing is definitely caring.
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