My Top Tips for Career Success

As a new group of graduates enters the workforce and our summer internship program at Cboe begins, I find myself reflecting on my first few years at work and the lessons I learned that have made the biggest impact on my career to date. 

When I headed to university, I knew from the start I needed to work hard to make my way in the world. Throughout my career, one thing has become increasingly clear: there is no substitute for hard work. Not only is there no substitute, but there is also nothing quite as rewarding as achieving a goal knowing that you gave it your best effort.   

A strong work ethic sets the foundation for everything else, but there are a few other lessons I learned about building a career — and a life — that have stuck with me.  

Follow Your Strengths

In my view, the best way to find your career sweet spot is to follow your strengths. For me, my strength was in maths, which led me to a career in Finance. As I took on new projects early in my career, I discovered additional strengths, especially in leadership. Each role revealed new opportunities to lead, and I found that I genuinely enjoyed it. Understanding what motivates people, combined with my leadership interest, gave me the confidence to accept more leadership roles. 

By focusing on my strengths, I built a career where I could leverage my abilities and stay engaged with the work I enjoy.  

My advice to you: identify your strengths, embrace them and let them inform your career path. This approach not only helps you excel but also keeps your work interesting and fulfilling. 

Be Open and Ready for Unexpected Opportunities

After university, I took a job that promised broad experience in the industry. Early on, I was asked to go to Milan for a few weeks, which turned into a year of re-platforming the Milan Stock Exchange. This experience allowed me to learn extensively and prove myself. Following that, I was sent to cities like New York, San Francisco, Copenhagen and Brussels. 

Traveling the world at such a young age was something I never imagined. And while challenging, these opportunities helped me build skills, knowledge and a solid reputation. I explored cities I might not have visited until much later and met fascinating people from around the globe. 

These years taught me the immense value of being adaptable and resilient. For me, it meant being ready to go wherever needed—even if it was halfway around the world. Being adaptable looks different for everyone and doesn’t have to mean constant travel. It can be as simple as pitching in on a last-minute project or assisting a customer when you planned to catch up on emails. Adaptability not only helps you helps you build credibility within your organization but also pushes you out of your comfort zone, opens new doors and builds valuable exposure. When those doors open, embrace the opportunity and step through them. 

My advice to you: Be open to unexpected opportunities, be ready to adapt, and embrace the challenges—they might lead you to incredible experiences and growth.

Say Yes and Figure it Out

In my early career, I often found myself presented with opportunities I didn't feel completely ready for. However, I wanted to gain as much new experience as possible, so, I adopted the approach of saying yes and figuring it out along the way. For example, re-platforming an exchange was something I had never done before, but with my understanding of technology and markets, I was confident that I could work my way through it with the help of a solid team. I did, and by taking on this project, I learned a lot, built new skills, gained confidence in my ability to problem-solve and proved myself as someone who can handle important projects and significant challenges. Decades later, as the leader of a global exchange operator, I still draw on that foundational knowledge I gained from that experience.  

When you take on a new project or job, give it your full attention. Excel at what you're doing now, and that will equip you with the skills, experience, and credibility for the next step. 

When new opportunities arise, be ready to seize them. Raise your hand, speak up about your accomplishments, and express what you want for your career, but make sure to do the work first.  

Self-starting, staying focused and learning how to find answers to what I didn’t know helped me build a reputation as someone who gets things done. Which brings me to my next tip: be someone people can count on. 

My advice to you: When new opportunities come your way, be prepared to grab them with both hands.  

Be Someone People Can Count On

Reliability is the cornerstone of a successful career. When you are known as someone who consistently gets the job done well, you become the go-to person for important projects and big opportunities. Like openness and adaptability, reliability does not have to come in the form of grand gestures. It is about consistently delivering on what you said you would do in a timely manner and stepping up to solve problems when you can.  

As you progress in your career, reliability may take on another form. You may become a manager or a team leader, or you may even find yourself running an entire business. After years of working around the world, I returned to London as a founding member of a company called Equiduct. Suddenly, a team of 40 people were dependent on the success of our company, and therefore relying on me to help ensure that success. The business faced its ups and downs, but because we fostered a culture of reliability, our team stuck together through hard times, and we emerged stronger on the other side together.  

My advice to you: Build a reputation for reliability. It will open doors for you and build lasting professional relationships. 

Use Your Voice. It is One of Your Biggest Assets.

It can be incredibly daunting to be one of the youngest people in a room filled with senior leaders with decades of experience. When I was starting out, I often held back from asking questions, fearing I didn't know enough. Inevitably, a more senior person would ask the very same question I had in mind, sparking a valuable discussion.  

Confidence to speak up grows with time and experience, but you can accelerate this process by pushing yourself to start now, even if you don’t feel fully ready. Many people wait to feel confident before they act, but the truth is, confidence comes from taking action, not the other way around. It takes courage, but remember, your fresh perspective is hugely valuable and appreciated by senior leaders.  

My advice to you: Don't underestimate the power of your unique viewpoint. Share your ideas and questions and you’ll likely make a meaningful contributions that will build your confidence,.   

Set Yourself Up for Sustainable Success

To achieve sustainable productivity, identify the activities and people that invigorate you and make it a priority to include them in your life regularly. They are not just a break from work; they are essential fuel for the bigger picture and your long-term success and well-being. 

Sustainable productivity isn't just about working harder; it's about working smarter. When you consistently engage in activities that recharge you, you're not only maintaining your energy levels but also boosting your creativity, resilience and overall effectiveness.  

My advice to you: Make time for activities and people that rejuvenate you. It will enhance your career growth.