When it comes to self-growth in your career, it’s usually best to read as many self-help and career growth books as you can. They’re written for a reason – to help you achieve your career goals, whether it’s to become wealthier, be more productive, hustle two to three jobs and so on.

But sometimes, the best guidance for your career comes from unexpected places.

We asked some of our readers what the best piece of career advice they’ve ever received was, and here’s what they said:

“Never stop looking for your next job, no matter how much you love your current job. Despite how (un)qualified you think you are, by applying for that job you would love to get, you might just end up with your dream job.”
– Debbie Williams-Simicich

“Dress for the job/position you want. may sound like a simple task, but I think this puts us into the space and mindset to strive higher.”
– Melissa Leong

“‘No change, no change.’
Works for all aspects of life, not just career.
‘Change’ doesn’t have to refer to some drastic turn-around, but if you don’t start experimenting with doing things differently you’ll never discover what is going to create an improvement in your life. You may not even have to leave your job to create a change – a conversation with your manager about your skills and the growth you’d like to see for yourself can get the ball moving in a different direction. Perhaps there’s a fit in your organization but in a different department, or a tweak in your responsibilities or developing a new project can give you a greater sense of purpose in your current role.”
– Victoria Crispo

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? One of the best and most helpful summaries of career advice we’ve read is by Raghav Haran. He compiled just about all of the most important career hacks we need to know in this infographic created with Visme.

11 Pieces of Career Advice No One Tells You