Putting Dale Carnegie to work in your job search.

There is a book I have and continue to recommend to everyone I believe who shows promise of potential, to people needing a change in direction, to job seekers, to friends, to family, and to complete strangers.

Is Dale Carnegie out of date in 2025? Maybe the story examples might seem “historic” at worst; however, the underlying themes, principles, and messaging are as valid today as they were when it was first written. I am not the only person who believes this, as the book continues to thrive today, having been in continuous printing for all of that time. Today, in addition to print versions, there are courses, podcasts, audiobooks, and YouTube videos.

Not only can Dale Carnegie help change your life, but it can also be invaluable to anyone seeking a new job or career.

Keep a positive attitude – Believe that you can accomplish what you choose to do, cultivate optimism, and don’t allow negative thoughts or people to distract you. If you create a plan, execute it, modify it as necessary, and seek help; you will be successful, and you will accomplish this much faster with a positive outlook.

Smile genuinely – Smiling costs nothing and will make you and everyone around you more relaxed and happier. Potential employers and co-workers will notice.

Find joy in the little things – Developing your ability to notice and appreciate people, simple pleasures, and meaningful moments in life and at work will make you a better person and a better employee.

Be kind to yourself – Treat yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend. Job seeking is stressful and allowing yourself to be human is important. Few of us are perfect the first time, remember to strive for progress, not perfection.

Avoid unnecessary regrets – Learn from mistakes and move forward. Do everything to the best of your ability in all things, ask for feedback, listen to it, learn from it, and apply it the next time.

Find a purpose – Have a “magic wand” job goal and make a multi-step plan on working towards whatever you have chosen for yourself. Remember to only use SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific).

Stay curious – Ask questions constantly, listen, appreciate, and apply, and always be open to learning from others regardless of age and/or experience. It’s okay to change your mind on anything; that’s why you have a mind.

Choose your friends wisely – Surround yourself with supportive, positive people, and you do this by trying to be supportive and positive to the people around you.

Give without expecting anything in return – You work for yourself, your reputation, you’re your sense of who you are. Hopefully, you will be recognized for your efforts, but if you are not, appreciate generosity without strings attached. In fact, expect ingratitude; you are not a martyr; however, part of perspective means appreciating other people may have issues consuming them that will cause them to only focus on themselves meaning, they may not notice you and your efforts; that does not mean you shouldn’t keep trying.

Avoid criticizing or complaining – Employers are interested in the solutions you can provide, not the blame and excuses that you share. Focus on being the solution to an employer’s problems.

Talk in terms of other people’s interests – When you can see and frame conversations from someone else’s perspective, you have an advantage over people who can only see their point of view.

Ask questions instead of giving direct orders – In a supervisory role, empower your people to think and solve problems. Empowerment means supporting them even when they make mistakes and giving them space to grow.

Focus on people’s strengths – Acknowledge someone’s good qualities rather than their flaws and always avoid gossip by speaking well of people to build a supportive culture.

Stay humble – You can be confident without arrogance; humility builds stronger connections.

Work with passion – Be a person who builds energy and enthusiasm in the people you work with and in everything you do.

Adapt to change – Be open to and embrace new ideas and evolving environments. Resilience and the ability to reinvent yourself is especially important for older job seekers.

Prioritize tasks – I believe traditional multi-tasking is a myth, I prefer to believe that using tools such as KANBAN, constantly prioritizing 3-5 tasks, and replacing them as they are completed is the key to delivering value; early and often.

Take action – Worry is often the result of inaction. Being overwhelmed often results in inaction. Taking small steps toward solving a problem can relieve anxiety. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, when you can,” and he wasn’t wrong.

Dale Carnegie’s principles will not only help you find the job or career you seek, but it will also help you become a better person; it has for me as it has for uncountable others in all the years since it was published. I am very grateful to my mentor and former employer, Bruce Beattie, for introducing me more than twenty years ago to this book; I have tried to repay his mentorship as often as I can to help my job seekers and friends on their own employment and personal journey. Even if you never read the book, applying these lessons will make a difference for you.

Good luck,

Paul

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