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For most of your life you’ve probably heard that you should acquire as much education as you can to succeed. Particularly in today’s competitive job market, education is a key component to achieving success and preventing yourself from failing. However, education is only part of the success equation.

It’s very important for you to understand that just because you don’t take a traditional path to success by attaining tons of education doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Think about some of the most famous college dropouts such as Microsoft’s Bill Gates, tennis star Tiger Woods, entertainment magnate Russell Simmons and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Although they decided to walk away from a traditional classroom education, they still managed to become very successful.

Here are top tips I learned from these wealthy college dropouts. Keeping these tips in mind will help you navigate your way through your unique career path and professional endeavors:

1. Challenge the status quo through innovation: Many of these leaders were all game-changers because they revolutionized their respective industries with ideas that had never been thought of or fully developed before. Use your innovative skills and mindset to bring some fresh ideas, products, and results to your job or industry.

2. Get your hustle on: Oftentimes, the word hustle carries a negative connotation. But according to Dictionary.com, hustle means: “to proceed or work rapidly or energetically or to be aggressive, especially in business or financial dealings.” Keep these definitions in mind and start getting your hustle on.

3. Fully commit to your goals: Sometimes you’ll have to be radical in order to fully commit to your goals. Occasionally people won’t understand some of the risks you take, but you have to do what’s necessary for you to realize your goals and dreams.

Antoine Moss, Ph.D., (@2PositiveTweets) is a nationally recognized resource on internships, early career achievement, leadership and motivation. CEO and founder of CEO Style Consulting L.L.C., Moss empowers professionals and organizations to reach their full potential, and serves as speaker, workshop instructor and consultant. The author of Learn to Intern CEO Style, Moss has been a featured expert on outlets including Fox 8 TV News and George Fraser’s 2011 Power Networking Conference.

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Leaders are only as great as their teams, and most successful managers know that empowering subordinates to take on key roles at a company leads to long-term wins.

In terms of team-building for the greater good of the company, coaching those who work toward your agenda often creates a win-win situation, where workers are motivated and can take things off your plate for you to make room for your own advancement.

But how do you position a good worker to be a great manager? Entrepreneur Paul Spiegelman details how for Inc. He writes:

It’s noble to try to “promote from within,” but irresponsible to promote without preparation. In some cases, you may not have the resources available to train your next leaders, and when that happens, it may of course be necessary to look outside. Or maybe you hire someone who can train your next generation of leaders.

If you’re going to commit to advancing the careers of your best workers, and one of those opportunities moves them into a leadership position for the first time, always do the following:

Read more at Inc. …

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There’s that common saying: Your network is your net worth. But what does this really mean in the grand scheme of things? Have you ever taken account of the people in your personal and professional circle and their role in helping you advance in life? This is something successful leaders do all the time, taking account of their relationships and team of advisers to ensure they’re constantly growing and moving in the right direction.

Executive Lewis Schiff details a step-by-step strategy for recognizing the value of your network and how to maximize it. He writes:

1. Write down a list of a dozen key people.

These are the people you would go to tomorrow for help in finding new work of the kind that you do best. Last week I wrote about how luck always favors people with focus and purpose. That’s especially true with networking. You first need to identify your ideal work situation or type of business deal. Only then are you ready to take stock of whom you’ll need to help find it.

Read more at Inc. …

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It’s often said that only workers who are unhappy leave their jobs, throw fear to the wind and hustle for their own, making their own rules and taking control of their lives. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s simply a better idea for career advancement and fulfillment. Brazen Careerist offers four smart reasons you should give your 9-to-5 the axe and start making self-employment a reality:

Freelancers have a higher opportunity cost. This should be a no-brainer. For the most part, no corporate ladders remain. The gold watch era has ended. Abundant opportunities to ascend the corporate hierarchy no longer exist. Salaries are stagnant and have been for quite some time, even though worker productivity has jumped 23 percent since 2000. During the same time period, hourly pay has remained mostly flat.

What does that mean to the average worker? It means corporate America is happy to have more productive workers, but the concept of working hard and obtaining steady raises during your career is unlikely.

Yes, people all over the world get raises and promotions daily. But most workers don’t have the ability to increasingly earn more. They’re stuck.

Consider the alternative to your 9-to-5. You can set your own (reasonable) rates as a freelancer. Instead of collecting the same biweekly paycheck, month after month and year after year, you can collect payments throughout the week from multiple clients. As an entrepreneur, you determine your own worth.

Plus, by producing good work over time for longstanding clients, it’s reasonable to negotiate a better rate from project to project. It’s almost as if you’re being financially rewarded for your past efforts, which brings us to the next point…

Read more at Brazen Careerist …

Cast, The Gossip Game (Image: VH1)

VH1’s The Gossip Game follows seven urban media professionals, as they navigate their way through the New York entertainment industry. From Power 105 to the Source Magazine, these women are on top of their game. However, there is a lot to be learned from how these women interact with each other both personally and professionally.

Here are five career tips from episode 7 of The Gossip Game:

.1. Work Will Always Be There

Kim Osorio seems to be struggling with work/home balance lately, and more often than not seems to find herself bringing more and more work home. It happens, especially in this business, but it’s to forget that the work will always be there tomorrow. If The Source let Kim go tomorrow, her kids will still be there the job won’t. It’s important to prioritize work and home life, especially when they start to become one.

2. Don’t Be That Person

There’s always one person in the group that isn’t liked by all, and in this case, it’s Ms. Drama. Throughout the season, the woman properly known as Candice has managed to piss off the majority of The Gossip Game cast without blinking. In her head, things are never her fault, and everyone else is just crazy. Don’t be that person. Like last week, it’s all about accepting responsibility because once you have that label, it’s hard to shake it off.

3. Know There’s Always A Time & Place

K. Foxx may have had good intentions when bringing Ms. Drama to Sharon’s birthday party, but that wasn’t the time or place to play Dr. Phil. Public settings are never ideal when trying to solve a world war, especially when it comes to women in the entertainment industry. While Sharon may not be the class favorite either, inviting an unwanted guest to her party wasn’t the smartest idea—the plan was doomed from the beginning. Use good judgment when trying to work out other peoples’ problems.

4. Have A Heart to Heart With Yourself

It’s easy to get lost in this industry. The lights, the carpets, the celebrities, it can go to anyone’s head from time to time. People often change if they’re not careful, and it looks like Ms. Drama may have lost herself along the way. Every week, viewers see Ms. Drama as the “instigator” and the “agitator” as Jasfly puts it, but last night people got to see a different side of her—the real her. Aside from popular vote, it seems Ms. Drama does have a heart and does care about the ways she’s perceived, it just took half a season of the show to realize it. If people are constantly checking you on your comments and actions, maybe it’s time to sit with yourself and have a heart to heart about what’s really going on.

5. It’s All Smoke & Mirrors

At the end of the day, everyone on The Gossip Game is human, and the façade the entertainment industry has to offer is just a magic trick. People on the outside may think the celeb lifestyle is the most wonderful thing in the world, but it’s just a corporate illusion. The bottle popping and photo opps may look like fun, but at the end of the day people just want to go home and be themselves—most people anyways.

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The process of finding a new gig can be quite long and frustrating, leading to feelings of stress and desperation. And reportedly, some companies are taking advantage of unemployed workers just looking for their next way to make a living. Ebony.com reports on four employment scams to avoid:

The Online Entrepreneur Inc.

This business claimed people could make money via their own website—a seemingly appealing offer.

But the FTC says The Online Entrepreneur falsely told people that, for a $27 fee, they would enable consumers to affiliate with the websites of “big companies” like Prada, Sony, Louis Vuitton and Verizon.

Allegedly, consumers were supposed to earn “commissions” when Internet users clicked through the consumers’ websites and bought products from these retailers.

The only problem was, after consumers bought the program, their websites often didn’t work, or they could only actually use their website if they also purchased a domain name and expensive hosting services.

Read more at Ebony.com…

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Many workers loath that key day of the week, when the weekend fun is over and its time to grind. Some people call it the Monday Blues, bringing feelings of depression, sadness, frustration and fatigue. But, leaders often see Monday as just another day to make more boss moves, driven by their next chance to really upgrade their career and their lives.

Inc. contributor Suzanne Lucas writes about turning Monday Blues into motivation and finding ways you can love the first day of the week a little more:

Monday is full of possibilities. Monday gives you a whole week to look forward to! I like to take time on Monday morning to review my schedule and plan for the week. See what is coming up, with whom I need to speak, and what needs to be done. I do try to wrap lots of things up on Fridays so I don’t get hit with old stuff on Mondays (although that isn’t always possible). But, Monday is the time to start fresh.

Read more at Inc. …

Mary Chatman, President and CEO, BlackBride.com (Image: Chatman)

We have good news for you. You can have a cool career and make a good living. No need to choose between loving your job and paying your mortgage. The following profile, part of the BlackEnterprise.com Cool Jobs series, offers a peek into the nuts and bolts, perks and salaries behind enjoyable careers.

The It Factor: Mary Chatman, president and CEO of BlackBride.com, has a passion for all things romantic, meshing her background in business development and enthusiasm for the bridal industry to provide a key online resource to brides of color. Along with tips for minority wives- and grooms-to-be and entrepreneurs in the industry, the company hosts bridal shows offering participants a chance to interact with vendors and get advice from industry heavy hitters, from makeup artists to event planners.

Filling a Void: The road to helming the site was quite unique for Chatman, who acquired it after writing features on romance. “Our site was initially founded by a white woman who identified a need and saw that black women are very rarely featured in high-end magazines on the runways or on TV [in terms of the bridal industry],” Chatman says. “I started writing for them in 2010, and when the site was up for acquisition, I just felt like it was meant to be, with me having a major love and passion for the bridal industry. I thought, ‘This is a key moment to be there for black women and just support women in general for what is one of the most important days of their lives.’”

Dispelling Myths: It’s often reported that black women are the least likely to marry and that they are doomed to a life of being single, but Chatman seeks to dispel that myth. “It’s [an untrue stereotype] that black women are not getting married and not going on fabulous honeymoons,” she says. “We go to Bali, Greece, Paris …. Black women are spending $1.6 billion per year getting married, so there’s definitely a market need there.”

Chatman loves that she can be a resource to women on their special day. “There’s no greater feeling than facilitating the process of finding the perfect elements for their weddings,” she adds. “Just that aspect of providing resources for women for the most important day of their lives gets me going.”

Connecting Black Businesses: Chatman also seeks to put a spotlight on black love and marriage and give brides the opportunity to support other entrepreneurs of color who can provide top-notch services. “For our bridal shows, vendors connect and work together, and some are businesses that would not otherwise get prime exposure.” At shows, Chatman says, the company also provides resources for entrepreneurs of color that will help them forge partnerships and tips on marketing and business practices.

Turning Passion Into Profession: To be a bridal industry professional, she suggests having perseverance and being great at networking to build longlasting relationships. “The wedding industry is a tight-knit market. Wedding pros really stick together,” she says. “You have to go to different events, hand out those business cards and really connect with people.” Also, if you’re just getting started, she adds that you might want to consider offering services for free, initially, to get brand exposure and recommendations.

Winning Advice: For young professionals, she says professionalism should be a top priority. “Once you leave that impression on someone that is not professional, they’re not coming back to you. Sometimes you only get one shot. Try to be professional in everything you do, from your appearance to your dialogue. Always be at your best.”

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Many young professionals are often eager, full of ideas, competent and fearless. But some have also commonly been perceived to be overzealous, arrogant and unwilling to pay dues. It can be difficult to suppress the desire to be great while still making boss moves, but here are a few tips on how to be confident without being cocky—and avoid losing advocates early in your career:

DO…

Speak up and share your knowledge on topics your generation knows about:
Businesses with social media are a good example. Social media is an area your boss may still be trying to learn, so he will look to you to be the pro.

DON’T …

Become a martyr: Nothing is more annoying. If you volunteer to walk your boss’s dog or lend a hand on a company sales presentation, the whole office doesn’t need to know about your sacrifices. Your extra hard work won’t go unnoticed.

Read more at Brazen Careerist…

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Now’s the time students and graduates are gearing up for summer internships. During your experience, you want to make the most of your time and gain the skills you need to advance to the next phase of your career. Check out these tips on just how to do that:

An internship is a six-week interview. Many internships will offer some full-time jobs to recent graduates at the conclusion of the internship program. So if you think you want a permanent role in the company, your internship is the best time to prove to your managers that you’re the right choice. Even if you don’t get a job straight away, you can still build up contacts for later down the road.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. The internship will be over before you know it, so it’s important you plan exactly what you want to get out of it. By letting your manager know upfront what you want to do, it will be a lot easier to design a program tailored to your interests. Be firm, but not demanding; they might not give you much “real work,” but at least you can let them know which types of roles you want to oversee.

Try to set up brief weekly catch-ups with your manager so you can update them on your progress or flag any concerns you have. Use this time to steer the direction of your internship if you feel it’s getting off track.

Read more at Brazen Careerist …