10 Career Success Quotes That Inspire You To Be GREAT!

If you’re feeling stuck in your professional journey, Career Success quotes can help. When the goals you’ve set for yourself start to feel out of reach, it can help to glean inspiration from others. Especially those who have walked the same path before you.

Motivational quotes speak words of wisdom and insight into our lives. They encourage us to stay the course, even when things get hard. At the same time, they also inspire us to reach down deep and channel our own inner voice.

Surrounding yourself with positive, uplifting messages is a great way to get out of a career funk. If you’ve been spinning your wheels lately, we’re here to help you get back on track. Today, we’re sharing 10 Career Success quotes to motivate you and move you forward.

What Is Career Success?

Before diving into our Career Success quotes collection, let’s take a step back. When we talk about Career Success, what do we mean?

While it might sound like an obscure ideal, the basic definition is simple.

Career Success is experiencing financial health and work you enjoy, while feeling fulfilled in your peer community and life choices.

Of course, this will look different for everyone. There isn’t a specific formula to follow or a method to use. Rather, it requires looking inward and setting your own goals and intentions.

It’s a journey, but it’s not one you have to take alone. You can check out our Career Success Guide to learn more about this concept. It includes actionable steps you can start taking today. Aside from reading these Career Success quotes, that is.

Download Our Guide: What Is Career Success

Inspirational Career Success Quotes to Remember

No one ever suffered from too much motivation or encouragement. We are navigating a society that can be intimidating. Especially after the thousandth TikTok highlight reel, or impressive LinkedIn update. There’s never been a better time to refuel your tank with some positivity.

1. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” - Albert Einstein

Especially in the corporate world, it can seem like perfection is the gold standard. No wonder why we feel so dejected, then, when we fall short of that ultimate goal. When you start to reframe mistakes as learning opportunities, every step is part of your Career Success journey. Yes, even the ones that pull you off-track.

This is especially the case when you put yourself out there and try something new. Applying for a different position, or changing careers altogether means entering unfamiliar territory.

It’s easy to misstep when you’re still finding your footing. Make room for grace and be kind to yourself as you venture out there. You’re doing big things, and you don’t need the added pressure of perfection weighing you down.

2. Growth and comfort do not coexist. – Ginni Rometty

It’s called your comfort zone for a reason. Staying in your happy spot might make you feel comfortable and secure, but real growth can’t happen there. When you remain in a job that leaves you less than fulfilled, it stunts your current and future potential.

Growth happens when you step that first pinkie toe out of the safe zone. Sure, it’s risky. You'll encounter plenty of challenges when you make yourself vulnerable to rejection. But, there’s also an open sky there, and room to fly.

As business executive Rometty reminds us, you may have to sacrifice a bit of security on the path to success. Yet, the act of letting go is liberating, and you deserve the freedom it creates.

3. Nothing will work unless you do.” - Maya Angelou

Poet and activist Maya Angelou knows what you can achieve when your focus is in the right place. You can create a smooth path to Career Success. But it will only come after you’ve worn those paving stones down yourself.

No, it’s not easy. Yet, nothing worth striving for is easy. It may take long hours and sacrifices. You may be ready to quit or take the first exit you can find. If you decide to stick with it, you’ll soon realize that’s when the real growth begins.

4. Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” - George Addair

George Addair was an American WWII war veteran, minister, and motivational speaker. This quote reminds us that fear can play two important roles in your Career Success journey.

First, a healthy degree of fear is what drives you. It’s that little ball of nerves in your gut when you show up for an interview. It’s what you feel when you email in that application or make that first professional connection. It’s the voice that tells you, This is scary but you’re showing up and doing the right thing.”

Left untethered, that same fear can threaten to usurp everything you’ve worked to achieve. It can make you question every next step. Or keep you stuck in place, worried about potential rejection. Progress happens when you prioritize your future success over short-term nerves. Only then can fear inspire, not immobilize.

5. The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand

Keep this quote close and reference it any time someone tells you that there is limit to your potential! Critics challenged and even mocked writer and philosopher Ayn Rand for her ideals. She pressed ahead anyway.

You don’t need anyone else’s permission to pursue the career and life of your dreams. You don’t have to stay in a dead-end job that doesn’t bring you alive simply because it’s comfortable. Yes, even if the benefits are good. You can and should step out in confidence. Turn your vision for Career Success into a beautiful, fulfilling reality.

6. I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” — Stephen Covey

When you look around, it might seem as though Career Success is an unlikely goal. Current circumstances may leave you feeling tied to the present. You might find yourself consumed by immediate worries and unable to look too far ahead. Past mistakes or the events that shaped you may also plague you.

Educator and author Stephen Covey reminds us that those moments are temporary. There are certain things that can affect your Career Success journey, but they don’t have to derail it.

You can make decisions that change the trajectory of your life. Don’t discount your ability to navigate the waters in front of you, as choppy as they might seem right now.

7. Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” - Oprah Winfrey

Like mistakes, challenges are roadblocks on our path to Career Success. Yet, not for the reason you might think. Most of the time, it isn’t the specific challenge that sets us back. Rather, it’s how we react to the challenge, and how we allow it to shape us.

Every time you receive a rejection letter or fail to score a follow-up interview, you can choose what to do next. If you fight back and become bitter, you’ll fall even farther behind. By allowing those setbacks to re-route you, you’ll find that they lead to better opportunities. The next time you hear no” or your progress seems to be stalling, do what Winfrey does. Open the gift, adjust your position, and press ahead.

8. There is no passion to be found in playing small — in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela

There may come a time in your Career Success journey when you feel tempted to downplay your goals. If you’ve set your sights on something that feels out of reach, it’s easier to go for the low-hanging fruit. The only problem? You’ll still be hungry once it’s done.

Don’t settle for less than what you want and deserve. True, it might bring you momentary satisfaction. Yet, it will never lead to total fulfillment. This is something that Mandela, a South African activist understood. Especially as he fought against challenging forces that threatened to quiet his passion. This included decades of imprisonment.

There will always be a gnawing inside of you that knows you’re capable of doing and achieving more. It’s louder than any naysaying voice on the outside. Don’t be afraid to live boldly and proudly. Surround yourself with others who encourage your pursuits, especially the big ones.

9. 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

Look down at that iPhone in your hand. That’s the product of Jobs leaning into what he loved and knew he was great at. One man’s talent and fervor changed society as we know it. Can you say that you’re chasing your career dreams in the same way?

If the answer is no, don’t stop! Keep searching for that goal, and once you find it, work hard at it. That’s the only way you can produce something of value. Going through the motions leads to mediocre results, and you’re built for so much more.

10. The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

When your journey starts to feel directionless, it’s easy to hyper-focus on how long and winding it seems. If there isn’t a clear end in sight, you may wonder what all your work is for, and where it will lead.

It’s important to keep a long-term perspective. Remember that you don’t have to travel the entire journey in one stride. In fact, that’s a great way to burn out.

Instead, remember that it’s best traveled one step, one foot, at a time. The actions you’re taking now are getting you closer to your goals, even if you can’t feel that forward momentum. Every Course you take, and networking event you attend is propelling you forward. Allow the work to work on you, and be open to where it takes you.

Your Go-To Source for Career Success

As you work toward your goals, use these 10 Career Success quotes as a starting point to inspire you. When times are great, they’ll help you keep the positive vibes flowing! When you’re feeling down, they’ll also be there to encourage you. Remind yourself that there’s hope ahead and you’re in great company.

Along the way, Uvaro is here to support you and help you grow your career. We offer live Courses and Workshops that run daily, designed for all ranges of tech sales roles. With these resources, you can land a job and progress faster in your Career Success journey. Join the thousands of Uvaro members who have already made this leap.

Download our Career Success Catalog today to learn more!