Richard Branson and 16 other successful people on what they wish they knew at 22

Richard Branson and 16 other successful people on what they wish they knew at 22

RACHEL GILLETT, JACQUELYN SMITH, BUSINESS INSIDER – December 2016

At 22, you were just graduating from college, entering the “real world,” and embarking on your professional journey.

Looking back, maybe you’d rewrite your past — or, perhaps you’re content with the decisions you made at that time in your life. Either way, there are probably a few things you wish you knew then that you know now.

That’s exactly what LinkedIn asked its network of top minds across all fields to write about for its “If I Were 22” editorial packages.

Successful thought leaders — also known as Influencers — shared original posts filled with pearls of wisdom for young people based on what they wish they had known at 22. Here’s what 17 successful people had to say:

Angela Ahrendts – Senior Vice President of Apple Retail

Honour humility

Suze Orman – Personal finance guru

It’s OK to take time to figure out what you want

Jim Kim – President at the World Bank

Get to know people from every income level and understand their worlds

Robert Herjavec – ” the “Shark Tank” investor

Dream bigger

Clara Shih – CEO and co-founder of Hearsay Social

The most coveted jobs may not be right for you

Arianna Huffington – The Huffington Post founder and CEO of Thrive Global

There’s enough time for the important things in life

Adena Friedman – Nasdaq president

It’s OK to change your mind

Ian Callum – Director of design at Jaguar

Work 10% harder than everyone else

Sallie Krawcheck – The owner and chair of Ellevate Network and a former top executive on Wall Street

Things won’t get easier, but they’ll get better

Richard Branson – The Virgin Group founder

Everyone deserves a second chance

Rachel Zoe – Celebrity fashion stylist

Don’t look at the clock

Marc Lore – Jet.com co-founder and CEO

Money isn’t everything

Deepak Chopra – Author and founder of The Chopra Foundation

Embrace the wisdom of uncertainty

Maynard Webb – Yahoo chairman

Dream big, execute bigger

Eric A. Spiegel – The president and CEO of Siemens USA

Position yourself to shape this new world – not just be shaped by it

Naomi Simson – founder of RedBalloon and a former Apple manager

Work won’t remember that weekend you didn’t give it, but your friends will

Walt Bettinger – President and CEO at Charles Schwab

Recognise the value of building trust

Rachel Sugar and Kathleen Elkins contributed to an earlier version of this article.