Career Advice From the Founding Fathers

While career advice is a hot topic these days, it probably was quite a bit different back in the 1700’s. Can you imagine what a helpful career tip would look like back then? Maybe “Don’t shoe an angry horse,” or “Make sure your barber bleeds you often,” or how about “Make sure you carry your firearm to work, because you never know when the British will attack.”

While those may be a bit silly, here are a few pieces of “career advice” from the Founding Fathers that could actually be useful today.

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. -John Adams-

Let’s get a show of hands. Who out there really wants to sit in a cubicle in front of a computer screen all day? Anybody? Nobody? That’s what I thought. Now I want everyone to do something difficult, maybe even painful. Think about what you really want to do in life. Is that life goal a focus of your everyday actions? Read the above quote again. If the freedom to choose a better career and life for yourself is passed up, then the opportunity may never come around again. Never settle for what is comfortable when you have the ability to be and do so much more.

Strive to be the greatest man in your country, and you may be disappointed. Strive to be the best and you may succeed: he may well win the race that runs by himself. -Benjamin Franklin-

At times, I feel like I’m running by myself (and not just because I really do run by myself). I strive to create new goals and challenges for myself, yet I see others settling for just another day. The Founding Fathers didn’t just settle for what they had. They decided to step out alone, put their families and lives at risk, and change the world. Where would we be today if they had not? In your own life and career, run by yourself. If someone else wants to be a partner, that’s fine. But don’t ever let anyone say that going all-out is a bad idea.

A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired. -Alexander Hamilton-

This one is pretty straightforward. While I haven’t had the pleasure of supervising too many people, the horror stories I’ve heard about overbearing, micromanaging, abusive, and condescending bosses is enough to make me wonder how I would supervise others if given the chance. I suppose the advice we can draw from this quote is this: don’t be a jerk at work. Simple enough?

While on the surface these quotes have nothing to do with careers, jobs, or work, their meanings can be modified to help us face our daily challenges. And believe me, if anyone is qualified to give advice regarding challenges, it’s the Founding Fathers. If anyone has another Founding Father quote they love or a funny career tip from the 1700s, please leave a comment!

This is a guest post by Ben Eubanks.