With summer coming to an end, for many, the trials and tribulations of exam season are becoming a distant memory. But for some people, the shockwaves of not getting the exam results they’d hoped for can occupy every thought. It can be easy to think that this is a pivotal moment and that your grades will dictate the course of the rest of your life. This mixed with the low self-esteem that can come with dyslexia can make this a very difficult time.

The truth is though, that things may not be as bad as they seem. Many who have found themselves in this situation have gone on to greatness, even every doing better their classmates with higher grades. One such dyslexic is Will Wheeler, Director at Evolution in Leadership. In this blog post, he share 10 tips on how to make your way in the world of work when your grades aren’t something to shout about.

It’s interesting when I think back to when I finished school all those years ago and it amazes me how far I have succeeded in my career compared to others I went to school with.

At the time when I finished, I had received the lowest mark in my whole year and I remember it being the talk of the school. Finishing with such a low grade and knowing I was dyslexic I felt really alone and uncertain as to what my future held for me.

I remembered that a big thing said in school was that you have to get good marks and go to university or you will never achieve anything in life and because I failed school I thought that my life was heading nowhere. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

A lot of things that I realised is that once we finish school its not about the final marks you got at all, it’s more about who you are as a person and your attitude towards everything.

Here are 10 tips on what you can do to excel in your career if you don’t get the grades you want.

  1. Build Confidence – First of all you need to build your confidence and start stepping outside of your comfort zone. I have found that many dyslexic people can’t progress as fast because they are constantly doubting themselves. Confidence is important in achieving the next steps on your path to success.
  1. Career Plan – Having some type of career plan can help as it can give you a direction. What I found over time is that as you grow in your career development your plan will change as you will find new and interesting areas you will want to work in.
  1. Identifying your strengths – Identifying your strengths for a dyslexic person can be the most powerful information you can have. Your strengths are what you can be most proud of. Finding a job that suits your strengths will help you reach success faster.
  1. Leadership – It’s very common that dyslexic people have natural leadership skills, as these are the skills we have developed over time because of our dyslexia. This could be such skills as being great at problem-solving or be able to think outside the box. What I have learnt over time is that a lot of people don’t even know they have these hidden skills and don’t reach their full potential because of it. So building your knowledge and leadership skills will help you get noticed and gain respect from others.
  1. Technology – With so much great technology at our fingertips it’s amazing how many great things dyslexic people can now do. It’s important that we start getting into the habit of using certain types of technology that can help us achieve tasks faster.
  1. Networking – Now this is where we really need to focus on if you want to progress in your dream career. A lot of people I meet in business really lack skills in this area and don’t see the benefits to it. But networking is what is going to help you excel more than anything. It’s a common fact that only a small amount of jobs are found online, where word of mouth or knowing the right people is what will help you get your foot in the door sooner.
  1. Building a Professional Brand – Building your professional brand is the easiest and cheapest way for you to get recognised in a career you are passionate about. Once people start viewing you in a certain way and can associate you with what you want to be, you will start to see opportunities come your way. Professional Branding can include things such as what you wear or how confident you are and most of all your attitude towards learning and growing in your career.
  1. Utilising Social Media to build a Professional Brand – Utilising social media is one of the easiest ways to build your professional image and network. It’s not about posting a million photos, it’s more about interacting with other professionals and building your network online. It’s also a great way to build professional relationships online, so when you meet in person it makes the process so much easier as you already know that person.
  1. Goal Setting – Goal setting should be something that everyone has in place but I see so many people with no goals at all. It’s important to get into the habit of writing down goals and working towards them.
  1. Attitude – Having a great attitude towards everything is what makes people stand out from the crowd. You could be the smartest person in the world but if you have a bad attitude, no one will want to know you. Businesses are always looking for new staff who may not have all the skills to do the job, but have a great attitude to learn. By employing someone with a great attitude, business owners know that it will be easier to train them into exactly what they are looking for instead of employing someone who thinks they know everything.

To learn more about the leadership, confidence and career building advice Will provides through his company Evalution Leadership, go to www.evolutioninleadership.com/dyslexic-new-school-leavers/

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