150 Inspirational Career Development Quotes for Employer and Employee

Ever had a feeling that you are at a point in your career life where you need to pause, re-strategize, and plan the way forward? You are not alone! We all have been there at some point too. That feeling that comes with not doing enough, wanting more, or not satisfied with our current position is not peculiar to you alone. When this happens, then, it is time for some career development.

Again and again, the task that comes with doing something about our career development can be daunting on its own. Reasons we need some motivation or a little gentle push towards the right path, and these might come in the form of career development quotes.

Let me say this real quick, these career development quotes were given by great people who have successfully towed this path and finally carved out a niche for themselves in their chosen career fields. So yes! We can pick one or two things from them.

As you approach the decision to build on your career development, which is very necessary for advancing your career, improving your skill, or going for a new job entirely, do not be troubled. I have picked a few career development quotes that can inspire and propel you into achieving your goals. But remember, goals without action are just dreams. Without much ado, let’s begin.

Career Development Quotes

1. “Take the first step in faith, you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Martin Luther King Jr.

2. “Move out of your comfort zone, developed those necessary skills, and go all out for that much-needed advancement.” Abhishek Ratna

3. “It is not what happens to you that determines how far you go in life, it is what you do with what happens to you.” Zig Ziglar

4. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to success is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

5. “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Confucius

6. “Behold the turtle, he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.” James Bryant Conant

7. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” Abraham Lincoln

8. “You can’t just sit there and wait for other people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen.” Diana Ross

9. “Accept the fact that you’re fully responsible for your career.” Abhishek Ratna

10. “Don’t just build a career, build a legacy.” Abhijit Naskar

11. “What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” Dr. Robert Schuller

12. “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.” Anthony Robbins

13. “You miss a hundred percent of the shots you didn’t take.” Wayne Gretzky

14. “Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.” William Feather

15. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill

16. “I want to look back on my career and be proud of the work, and be proud that I tried everything.” Jon Stewart

17. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

18. “Desire! That’s the one secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire.” Johnny Carson

19. “Your career is like a garden. It can hold an assortment of life’s energy that yields a bounty for you. You do not need to grow just one thing in your garden. You do not need to do just one thing in your career.” Jennifer Ritchie Payette

20. “The future depends on what you do today.” Mahatma Gandhi

21. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stow

22. “Your limits are all within yourself.” Brian Tracy

23. “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.” Steve Jobs

24. “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Albert Einstein

25. “There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to possess it.” Napoleon Hill

26. “Where I am today is my starting point. Who I am today is my starting point. My failures and successes of the past, my fears, and hopes of the future are all shadows. Today is my reality and I’ll use it to create my world.” Taylor Stevens

27. “Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.” George Lucas

28. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” Helen Keller

29. “The secret to a happy life is work worth doing.” Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

30. “Be bravely ambitious.” Michelle Kinsman

31. “Nobody but you have to believe in your dreams to make them a reality.” Germany Kent

32. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great, make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain

33. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Earl Nightingale

34. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.

35. “Don’t wait for the right opportunity. Create it!” George Bernard Shaw

36. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs

37. “Start today creating a vision for yourself, your life, and your career. Bounce back from adversity and create what you want, rebuild and rebrand. Tell yourself it’s possible along the way, have patience, and maintain peace with yourself during the process.” Germany Kent

38. “Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” Napoleon Hill

39. “It’s better to move forward at a snail pace than backward at any pace.” Rhonda Begos

40. “Some people think ambition is a dirty word. I’m here to tell you that a healthy ambition is a gorgeous sight to behold.” Michelle Kinsman

Are you feeling motivated by these career development quotes already? Have faith that there’s no stopping you when you set your heart to advancing your career and turning your dreams into a reality. Sooner than you think, you will be proud of your growth.

Furthermore,

This post cuts across so many people seeking motivation for different career goals too. Stick around, you might just find the quote, rightly made for you.

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Quotes About Decision Making In Career

Decision making in a career is an important skill to be learned for every career person. All over the world. people make career decisions that can make or end their careers. Aside from sending a prayer to heaven for help and clarity, I’ve added some icing to the cake too. Just like the career development quotes, I’ve compiled some quotes about decision making in a career that can help put you on the right track. So, here we go.

41. “You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.” Mitchell Obama

42. “Don’t entrust your future on others’ hands. Rather, make decisions by yourself with the help of God’s guidance. Hold your beliefs so tight and never let go of them.” Hark Herald Sarmiento

43. “I’ve met a few people who had to change their jobs in order to change their lives, but I’ve met many more people who merely had to change their motive to service in order to change their lives.” Peace Pilgrim

44. “Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes, your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.” Brian Tracy

45. “We have a choice to plow new ground or let the weeds grow.” Jonathan Westover

46. “Action is the fundamental key to success.” Pablo Picasso

47. “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” Oprah Winfrey

48. “Your power to choose the direction of your life allows you to reinvent yourself, to change your future, and to powerfully influence the rest of creation.” Stephen R. Covey

49. “Analyzing what you haven’t got as well as what you have is a necessary ingredient of a career.” Grace Moore

50. “Don’t wait for opportunity to come knocking on your door, go out and give it directions.” Anon

51. “What is it that you like doing? If you don’t like it, get out of it, because you will be lousy at it. You don’t have to stay with a job for the rest of your life because if you don’t like it, you will never be successful in it.” Lee Iacocca

52. “Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But not knowing which decision to take can sometimes be the most painful.” José N. Harris

53. “It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide on what to do.” Elbert Hubbard

Quotes for Job Seekers

What could be more exhausting and frustrating as job seeking? Going for countless fruitless interviews and facing rejections can be really exhausting. If you are in this category, I hope your search becomes fruitful and the time you spent seeking, becomes rewarding. No matter how long it takes, your tenacity will pay off eventually. Here is a list of quotes for job seekers I believe can be of help.

54. “If you pump long enough, hard enough, and enthusiastically enough, sooner or later the effort will bring forth the reward.” Zig Ziglar

55. “Every experience in your life is being orchestrated to teach you something you need to know to move forward.” Brian Tracy

56. “I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.” Estee Lauder

57. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” A.A Milne

58. “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” Arthur Ashe

59. “You’ll never please everyone, but you only have to please a few people to get an offer.” Harvey MacKay

60. “To make our way, we must have firm resolve, persistence, tenacity. We must gear ourselves to work hard all the way, we can never let up.” Ralph Bunche

61. “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” H. Jackson Browne

62. “Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s level of aspirations and expectations.” Jack Nicklaus

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First Day of New Job Quotes

Yes!! You made it out of the dreadful searching waters and you’ve finally landed your dream job. Your labor of tenacity paid off and it’s time for you to show up and show your worth. But as your first day on the new job draws near, you find yourself getting nervous and breathless, and wondering if you’re actually the right person for the job.

Take some deep breaths and exhale slowly. Right here are some quotes that can help you overcome your anxiety and help you look forward to your great day.

63. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.” Zig Ziglar

64. ” “I can’t do it” never yet accomplished anything; “I will try” has performed wonders.” Thomas Jefferson

65. “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

66. “Feeling confident or pretending that you feel confident is necessary to reach for opportunities. It’s a cliché, but opportunities are rarely offered, they are seized. Sheryl Sandberg

67. “If we all did the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas Edison

68. “I just love doing what I do. I know every career is fleeting and there will periods when I don’t get the opportunities that I’m getting right now, so I am taking advantage of them.” Leonardo DiCaprio

69. “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” Helen Hayes

70. “Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” Alan Cohen

71. “I always say follow your passion, no matter what, because even if it’s not the same financial success, it’ll lead you to the money that’ll make you the happiest.” Ellen DeGeneres

72. “I still get the jitters every time I start a new job. I love it. Makes you feel alive.” Camille Guaty

73. “Don’t set compensation as a goal. Find work you like and the compensation will follow.” Harding Lawrence

74. “Every single job is a challenge. You are walking into a new set, a new character, creating a world, and trying to get comfortable to do your best work.” Felicia Day

75. “Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work is the only way to accomplish results that last.” Hamilton Holt

76. “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” Stephen King

77. “A new job is like a blank book and you are the author.” Unknown

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Funny Career Quotes

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl!

More than we choose to admit, the rigorous process of making smart career decisions and career development moves, have robbed us of the ability to chill and let off steam. Not to worry, alongside our career development quotes, I have here, a few funny career quotes that can put a smile on your face, even if it’s for a brief moment.

However, the aim of these wise sayings is to remind you that happiness is a necessity in building a great career. Let these funny career development quotes help you to keep smiling while you work towards your goal.

78. “The first rule of leadership; everything is your fault.” Anon

79. “It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours, he can’t drink for eight hours, he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.” William Faulkner

80. “The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.” Sarah Brown

81. “Early to bed and early to rise probably indicates unskilled labor.” John Ciardi

82. “I like work, it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” Jerome K. Jerome

83. “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” Bill Gates

Career Quotes For Students

As I mentioned earlier, career development quotes cut across to everyone. Here are some career quotes for students to motivate and help navigate your path towards making the right career decisions.

84. “I do not want yes men around me. I want everyone to tell the truth even if it costs them their jobs.” Samuel Goldwyn

85. “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” Anon

86. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln

87. “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” Anon

88. “Study while others are sleeping, work while others are loafing, prepare while others are playing and dream while others are wishing.” William Arthur Ward

89. “Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” Christian D. Larson

90. “Success comes in cans. Failures come in can’ts.” Wilfred Peterson

91. “Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Herman Cain

92. “Wise people learn when they can, fools learn when they must.” Arthur Wellesley

93. “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for.” Socrates

94. “Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pocket.” Mark Caine

95. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it from you.” B.B. King

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Inspirational Quotes For College Girl

Ask around, life has never been too rosy for a college girl. The hassle of putting things together and putting up a brave front each morning to class, even when it’s that time of the month. It’s okay to be in your feelings or be tired. Soon, it will be over. Know you’re stronger than you think!

Look at these quotes and be inspired to push forward.

96. “When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so long and so regretful upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” Alexander Graham Bell

97. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve

98. “I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times, hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” Marilyn Monroe

99. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

100. “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserves your love and affection.” Gautama Buddha

101. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” Kurt Cobain

102. “Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.” George Lucas

103. “Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Anon

104. “There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. Every single circumstance of your life can change.” Ritu Ghatourey

Character Quotes

Irrespective of your social status and your religious belief, good character sets you apart and places you high atop the crowd.

Here are some great character quotes to keep you inspired.

105. “A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt

You got this girly! keep pushing beyond your last limit.

Staff Development Quotes

Even though staff development can be tasking and challenging. Still, it has to be achieved. Aside from other reasons, the advantages trump the disadvantages in a work setting.

More so, a little motivation to help propel this task forward won’t hurt.
Let me.

106. “If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.” David Viscott

107. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

108. “If learners think it looks bad, you may have lost a good percentage of the battle in getting them to pay attention.” Patti Shank

109. “In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn.” Phil Collins

110. “I do not diet and exercise. I eat and train.” J. R. Rim

111. “The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” Sugata Mitra

112. “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” John F. Kennedy

113. “Great mentorship is priceless.” Lailah Fifty Akita

114. “Leaders will be those who empower others.” Bill Gates

115. “You cannot dream yourself a character, you must hammer and forge yourself one.” Henry David Thoreau

116. “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” Albert Einstein

117. “Be more concerned about your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” John Wooden

118. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln

119. “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” Thomas B. Macaulay

120. “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it, the tree is the real thing.” Abraham Lincoln

121. “Courage. Friendship. Kindness. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasions, to greatness.” R. J. Palacio

122. “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” Albert Einstein

123. “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing to him.” James D. Miles

124. “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.” Albert Einstein

125. “It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” Mark Twain

126. “Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.” August Wilson

127. “Most people say that it’s the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong. It is character.” Albert Einstein

128. “Courage is the most important of all virtues because, without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” Maya Angelou

129. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” Helen Keller

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One Step Closer To Your Dream Quotes

That’s a fact! we truly dream big. But most times, we lack the courage to pursue and make a reality out of our dreams. And we reluctantly choose the easy way out and grudgingly settle for less. This should not be so because living out your dreams can be the greatest achievement of a lifetime.

These are inspirational quotes to help you get back on track and move one step closer to your dreams.

130. “Today is a new day. A new opportunity to get better, stronger, faster, smarter, and closer to your goals and dreams.” Joel Madden

131. “If you hear a voice within you saying ‘you can not paint,’ then by all means paint, and the voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh

132. “The beauty of hoping lies in how much our efforts and struggles push us closer to our dreams every day.” Terry Mark

133. “Commitment leads to action and action brings your dreams closer.” Anon

134. “The most successful people are those who are good at plan B.” James Yorke

135. “Be consistent. Do something every day to make your dreams closer to reality. Hard times are no excuse to quit.” Ritu Ghatourey

136. “Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you imagine it.” George Lucas

137. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” Henry David Thoreau

Career Change Quotes

This category is for anyone in the middle of a career change, in search of fulfillment or happiness. No matter how loud the career or hustle change is, or how quiet. Because yes, not all hustle is loud. You still need some motivation to successfully go through that process.

Largely, your happiness is tied to your job or career. If you really need to make that desired change, get to it. Then, work hard and be proud of what you achieve.

To help out, I have a number of great career change quotes carefully selected for you.

138. “Our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” M. Scott Peck

139. “Don’t be afraid of your fears. They are not there to scare you. They are there to let you know that something is worth it.” C. JoyBell C.

140. “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” Barack Obama

141. “I’ve learned that ‘making a living’ is not the same thing as ‘making a life’.” Maya Angelou

142. “Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” Stephen R. Covey

143. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs

144. “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” Seth Godin

145. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” Amelia Earhart

146. “Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell them ‘certainly I can’. Then get busy and find out how to do it.” Theodore Roosevelt

147. “Take responsibility for your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.” Roy T. Bennett

148. “A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

149. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” Albert Einstein

150. “Aim high in your career but stay humble in your heart.” Unknown

Now that the motivation you seek has been found through these career development quotes, set your goals with a burning zeal. But then, It should not end at setting unachievable or meaningless goals because goals without action are just dreams. Kick them off and never sleep on them. Work smart and watch it. Soon, you’ll be proud of your growth.

Hey! Don’t forget to leave a comment and share these classic career development quotes with friends.