It’s funny how age and where you are on the career ladder go hand in hand – it makes sense.  The more experience and skill you have, the higher up the career ladder you can go.  But where should you be, and what should you be doing?

Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba, gives some great advice about what you should be doing at what age.

20-30

‘Follow a great leader, learn how to do things right.’

Having a great leader gives you the foundations of how to do things the right way in business and in the professional world.  This is the age where you should be learning as much as possible from professionals around you. Find what’s right and what’s wrong for you so you can be more confident in making decisions.  Work for a company which is going to teach you the best aspects of the professional world and invest in your learning and development.

30-40

‘If you want to do something yourself – just do it, you can still afford to lose.’

You have the knowledge you need to go it alone if you want to.  Take risks and continue to learn. Focus on developing yourself through all the knowledge and experience you have absorbed through the last 10 years. You can still afford to make mistakes, and if you do, it’s not the end of the world. You can pick yourself and start again if you have to.

40-50

‘Do things you’re good at – and avoid jumping into new things.’

Focus on what you’re really good at, applying the knowledge and experience you have gained over the past 20-30 years. Become an expert in your field, whilst continuously learning. Focus on self-improvement and specialising.

50-60

‘Spend time training and developing young people from the next generation.’

Become the leader and educate people. You’ll most likely have people under you, so spend the time adding value to their experience of working with you.  Share your knowledge and experiences.

Do you agree with Jack? What are your thoughts?