I find most career advice shared online to be common sense, pop psychology, or simply naff. LinkedIN is full of it.

Be bold, think different, follow your dreams, and you too could be Richard Branson who apparently sits on his private island typing out a new Top 10 Thoughts on Success every few days.

This article, The best career advice of 2017, for instance, has the enlightening idea to ‘stay humble and work hard’. Riiight. Thanks mum.

But with cynicism rising as I scrolled down, I admit I did stop at this piece of advice…

Take concrete steps to establish a strong work-life balance that works for you

For Google’s SVP of platforms and ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer, work-life balance isn’t just a buzzy phrase.
That’s because Lockheimer takes concrete steps toward achieving what he considers a good work-life balance.
For him, that means dedicating time to doing things that he cares about – liking dropping his kids off at school, watching shows with them at the end of the day, and carving out time in the day to exercise and think about the big picture.
At the same time, he often gets some work done before heading to bed.
“I don’t know if this is good advice or not – but I’m just being honest how it is for me – for me in many ways my personal life and my work life are kind of intertwined,” he previously toldBusiness Insider. “It’s hard to separate those things.”
Lockheimer’s schedule might not be for everyone, but his approach of pursuing a routine that works for him is something everyone could learn from.

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Now, putting aside that his kids get too much screen time (ha!), I reckon personal and work life are getting intertwined and I don’t think that is something to be feared these days. But this does presume a few things; you know how to switch off, your employer is understanding and your workload is manageable.

When I worked at Sunrise, I live-tweeted the show from 6am in my pyjamas, then went to work after 9, worked till 3, and finished off at night when needed.

These days, my job lets me drop kids at school on some days and I take regular calls at night. Clocking off at 5pm is not the reality for most people and I have been lucky enough to be able to split my hours where it benefits the business as well as my personal life.

I think the value of that flexibility in a job doesn’t get nearly enough status, or media coverage. I now rank it very highly in my job searching criteria.

Employees should be encouraged to find what works for them and employers should be ready to negotiate.

It’s not naff. And sadly, it is not common sense. Yet.

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The best career advice of 2017 – Business Insider Australia
https://apple.news/Ah22WxvApRKqF1BqVt_tScg