Having the apt motto ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ TED Talks is an effortless and quick way of learning something new! These talks are renowned for being fascinating, captivating, and packed with useful information. Want something to motivate you or help you advance your career, there’s a TED talk for that, or rather, there are hundreds of them!

Don’t worry, we did the legwork for you so you don’t have to spend hours looking for the finest talks. Below listed are 9 TED Talks that will channel your outlook and stimulate your mind in the direction of the professional advancement that you seek.

#1 The secrets of people who love their jobs

Doubtful about your career? Do you wish for a new challenge, a new mission to keep you going every morning? If this resonates with you then this TED Talk is definitely for you! “The Secrets of People Who Love Their Jobs” by Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., explores what makes us happy.

It comes as no surprise that our jobs have a significant impact on the extent of contentment in our lives. Based on the psychological studies and anecdotes from his own family, Lopez gives an enlightening speech on the subject. He presents an alternative perspective from the one that many people have, which holds that grabbing a perfect job is the ultimate secret to liking it. Instead, Lopez makes the argument for opting for a profession that fits your skill set and gradually honing it to become your own. And the result will be the best-suited role that you created for yourself!

#2 The best career path isn’t always a straight line

We learn early on that a successful professional path is one that proceeds logically and in a straight line. But what if what we’ve learned is flawed, constraining, and out of date?

Professional development experts Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper believe that the greatest professional path is ‘squiggly’, or follows a winding route that is more representative of life, rather than being a straight ladder with a clear way up and down.

The linear career ladder notion originated more than a century ago, as Ellis and Tupper point out, and is thus outdated at this time. They contend that it isn't really appropriate for the needs of the twenty-first century, since our jobs may lead us in a variety of meandering ways and may teach us a variety of things. Squiggly professions, in Ellis and Tupper's opinion, serve as a reminder that everyone is a student and a teacher. 

#3 Be an opportunity maker

Do you brag about your accomplishments or experience shyness when doing so? If the latter, spend some time watching "Be an Opportunity Maker." In this moving TED Talk, author Kare Anderson describes how she overcame years of debilitating shyness. However, everything for her changed when she began networking and encouraging the people she met to accept their inherent gifts and abilities.

Anderson discusses how a lot of us go about our daily lives—working and enjoying our leisure time—without ever stopping to think about how we may make things better. She gently suggests that we should always seize fresh opportunities. To achieve this, all we need to do is remember the three characteristics that opportunity-makers share: they engage in a variety of endeavors, form relationships with others, and continually look for areas of overlap with others.

#4 Why specializing early doesn’t always mean career success

Journalist David Epstein examines the subject of professional specialization and questions whether or not specializing early might boost your chances of success using the cases of two of the most well-known athletes in the world, Tiger Woods and Roger Feder. 

According to Epstein's analysis of the data, the common "10,000 hours rule"—according to which, in order to become proficient in a specific skill, you must practice it for at least 10,000 consecutive hours—is flawed. Instead, he thinks people who specialize later in life collect more information and abilities that may be used in a variety of situations. In summary, late bloomers are ideal for the requirements of the modern job, where you must stay adaptive and versatile.

#5 How to find work you love

Scott Dinsmore has spent a significant amount of time trying to understand why some people are more passionate about their work than others. He lists one of the numbers that has always impressed him as the Deloitte research that indicated that 80% of individuals don't genuinely like their employment.  

Dinsmore believes he has discovered an approach to help you discover the kind of work you enjoy based on his communication with people who have fulfilling professions and those who don't. You must first get to know yourself and identify your specialties, or the things you excel at most. Second, you must identify the factors that influence your decision-making and pick the values that guide how you determine which items to prioritize. 

#6 The habit that could improve your career

Paul Catchlove has held a variety of positions during his varied career, including that of Catholic priest, opera singer, and management consultant. He has played a variety of parts, but one thing has been a constant across them all for him: his habit of introspection. 

Reflection, according to Catchlove, is a crucial component of professional development and personal growth since it enables you to look at your life objectively and critically in order to make improvements. 

#7 How to get back to work after a career break

After being out of employment for 11 years, Carol Fishman Cohen gained a lot of insight into the process of returning to the workforce. She currently works as a career reentry professional who supports others in relaunching their careers. 

With their great expertise, well-honed abilities, and desire, Fishman Cohen thinks career relaunchers have a huge edge over other sorts of job applicants. However, they must show potential employers how they would benefit an organization the best. In this talk, Fishman Cohen investigates how programs that simulate an internship may be a good way for relaunchers to get a job.

#8 How to know if it's time to change careers

In the previous 15 years, Chieh Huang has held a variety of positions. ranging from practicing law to creating video games to selling toilet paper. Finding the junction between what you want to do and what you are excellent at is what Huang believes is necessary for having a successful career, and he believes this to be more difficult than it may appear. 

It's normal, in Huang's opinion, to occasionally wish to switch occupations, but before making a major career transition, you must be certain of the authenticity of your objectives. He discusses some of the important signs and offers advice on how to handle the process effectively in this brief talk. 

#9 Why you will fail to have a great career

If you just pursue your passions, you'll find an excellent profession, Larry Smith is the anti-hero of this trend. When choosing a career path, passions don't, in Smith's opinion, count very much. Larry is adamant that the fundamental reason why so many individuals contend that they aren't doing a great job is because they do not have a complete interest in the topic at hand.

The distinction between a profession that is only "adequate" and a career that is genuinely "great" is explored in Smith's engrossing, humorous, and thought-provoking talk. 

You shouldn't be satisfied to just pursue your interests. Your passion should be your guide.

In this straightforward talk, he addresses the different excuses we make for not pursuing goals that may advance our professional lives. 

You're unlikely to hear one of the funniest, most incisive putdowns of a typical reason offered for not going for your ideal career in a public lecture, but it's absolutely true!

TED Talks will help you advance in your career!

The next time you find yourself fidgeting with your fingers, use them for something productive by clicking on one of these speeches. TED Talks are a quick, entertaining method to learn novel concepts that are always instructive. Listening to these talks will inspire and motivate you to achieve more out of your profession  Press the play button now!