Established Professionals: They Were Once in Our Shoes! (Part 2)

By Trish Vega, Toppel Peer Advisor

In my last post, I had the privilege of interviewing Mary Anne Viegelmann, the Global Employee Experience Manager at LinkedIn. She shared some of her experiences during college and offered some great advice.

Today, I’m excited to share some more thoughts from small business owner, Daniel Tomizaki. Daniel, referred to as “Sifu Tomizaki” by his students, who is the founder and owner of Tomizaki’s Champions Kung Fu Institute, a school established in 2007 that is dedicated to teaching martial arts and general well-being to children, teens, and adults. Read on for his take on what college students can do to pave the way for an awesome career journey!

What can college students do to prepare for their careers while they are in school?

1) Develop good study ethics; 2) Apply yourself 100% in all matters; 3) Volunteer work; 4) Paid work; 5) Network with peers

What qualities do you believe makes a career-ready individual?

1) Discipline; 2) Great disposition; 3) Initiative; 4) Eagerness to learn; 5) Great work ethics

Shift happens throughout careers and throughout life. How have you learned to deal with unanticipated changes in your career journey?

1) Stay focused on the destination. The journey may change though;

2) Be open minded, many times opportunities present themselves in strange ways;

3) Keep walking forward, despite the adversities;

4) Don't burn bridges;

5) Treat everyone with the utmost respect

Any other advice?

Ask when you don't know, hold on when you are falling,and always smile!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Sifu Daniel Tomizaki for his words on hard work, openness, and drive! Now what do you think? In your college career, what great work ethics have you developed or hope to develop?