Always have a career plan, no matter how vague and set your self targets/goals that you want. Be flexible though, as sometimes you may need to take an indirect route to get to your next goal. Opportunities will come along that might not be an exact fit to the plan, sometimes you will use your head and other times your heart to choose whether to take up an opportunity but keep the plan in the back of your mind at all times. Its good to always consult your friends or colleagues, be prepared to be challenged, embrace this though, do not fight it. You should always listen and take account of both sides an argument, that way you can make and take informed decisions and actions. No such thing as failure and do not be afraid to make mistakes, no matter how careful you are, they will happen, so don't stress it, use that energy for getting things done. When mistakes do happen, own them, be accountable and learn from them. Your mistakes and those made by others are all part of what makes you. They are as important was your successes and make sure you add them to your building experience and knowledge. These lessons can be applied anywhere and will increase your personal resilience. You own your career, no one else, take those opportunities that fit.

I was once told your network is not everyone you know but instead everyone you have helped as these are the people who are likely to help you when need be. This was excellent advice. Always help others when you have the capacity to do so, of course your day job still must be done also which is where this can get challenging but also doable! It is often tasks outside of my job description I find rewarding. On top of this it is great for both personal and career development to work across different functions when given the opportunity.