Rachel Zoe Gives Amazing Career Advice

Fashion entrepreneur Rachel Zoe might be a household name now, but there was once a time when she was just another young girl pounding the pavement in New York City with nothing but a dream, rock hard determination, and (presumably) a killer sense of style.

Now Rachel is sharing her hard-earned career lessons in a post on LinkedIn (which, as she rightly points out, would work for any profession).

Her first bit of advice is to put the hours in. "Never pay mind to the clock," she writes. "When you are first starting out at a job (and even when you are settled into a company), stay as late as you can and also always be the first person to work in the morning...you must understand that putting in the extra time will move you closer to what you want to do."

Secondly, it's important to know both your strengths and weaknesses. "When you identify your shortcomings, you are empowered to ask for help and pair up with others who will lend a hand while also benefitting from your strengths," she writes before sweetly name-checking her husband. "Find the yin to your yang! I found mine in Rodger who has always been by-the-book business savvy while I bring to the table a more creative outlook and gut instinct."

Prioritizing is another big piece of Rachel's success, which makes sense for the woman who juggles being a wife and mom with being a designer, stylist, and editor-in-chief of her own fashion website. She also advises professionals to "rise above drama," writing from experience that "conflict in the workplace is inevitable. Especially when you work in a creative field and there are a lot of emotions or passions at play. If there is someone in particular who is weighing you down, my best advice is to kill them with kindness and smile your way through it."

Rachel even gives pitch-perfect advice for how to stand out in an interview. "My advice for making yourself stand out in a stack of resumes, other than dressing the part in an outfit that is both professional and personal, is to go in prepared," she writes. "Study not only the position you are applying for, but the person you are interviewing with as well. Have thoughtful questions ready. Be confident but not arrogant."

As part of her advice to LinkedIn users, Rachel shared this gorgeous throwback photo from her early days as a stylist. Check it out:

Related Stories:
•Why Rachel Zoe Dropped Out of Fashion Week
•Rachel Zoe Shares Adorable Family Portrait
•Rachel Zoe Introduces Newborn Son