31 Career Development Quotes to Spark Motivation

Career Development 

It may seem silly but reading quotes brings me a lot of motivation. In my career development journey, quotes have inspired me to keep pushing forward. It only takes a few words of encouragement to bring on inspiration.

Career development, or professional development, has been a passion of mine since I began working. I don’t like to stay stagnant, so I’m always trying to learn and grow. Yet, developing in your career can mean something different to everyone. 

One lesson I’ve learned is you need to grow at your own pace. There is no timeline or agenda for reaching certain career goals. While it’s important to set goals and aim to achieve them, it doesn’t need to happen overnight. 

You also need to remember to weigh what’s best for you. I truly believe you shouldn’t take a job just for more money or leave a job because of a bad boss. There are many factors that go into career development and professional growth. 

No matter where you are in your professional journey, these career development quotes are sure to spark motivation.

Career Development Quotes

Here are 31 best career development quotes to motivate and inspire.

1. “There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in a different direction.” – Oprah Winfrey
2. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently than everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
3. “Delete the negative; accentuate the positive.” – Donna Karan
4. “Dreams are lovely, but they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” -Shonda Rhimes 
5. “Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.” – Michelle Obama
6. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey
7. “When you really want something, you will find a way. When you don’t really want something, you’ll find an excuse.” – Rachel Hollis
8. “If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.” – Beyonce 
9. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
10. “Stay in your own lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.” – Brene Brown
11. “We think mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of the time we put in at work, instead of the quality of the time we put in.” – Arianna Huffington
12. “Failure I can live with. Not trying is what I can’t handle.” – Sanya Richards-Ross
13. “Write your own book instead of reading someone else’s book about success.” – Herb Brooks
14. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain
15. “You must see your goals clearly and specifically before you can set out for them. Hold them in your mind until they become second nature.” Les Brown

More Career Development Quotes

16. “I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” – Abraham Lincoln
17. “Not taking failures personally allows us to recover — and even to thrive.” – Sheryl Sandberg
18. “The cynics will be the loudest voices, but I promise you, they will accomplish the least.” -Barack Obama
19. “Be ready to revise any system, scrap any method, abandon any theory, if the success of the job requires it.” – Henry Ford
20. “Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
21. “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
22. “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
23. “It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.” – Winston Churchill
24. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
25. “I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.'” -Toni Morrison
26. “You can start where you are with what you’ve got and go to wherever it is you want to go.” – Zig Ziglar
27. “The best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.” – Dale Carnegie
28. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” – Dolly Parton
29. “You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
30. “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates
31. “I think your worst weakness can become your greatest single strength.” – Barbara Corcoran

Putting Quotes into Action

Quotes are amazing for inspiring us to do more. But we need to put these words into action. All of the people quoted above were successful and famous for a reason. They showed up everyday and worked hard. 

You can find success in your career, too. No matter what your career path looks like, you can apply these to your daily life to feel motivated. Take the next step to learn something new, ask for more responsibility or apply for a new role. 

Here are some ideas for putting these career development quotes into action. 

• Pick your favorite quote or quotes, write it down and pin it to your workspace.
• Write a quote at the top of your to do list every day.
• Use a quote as a daily journal prompt throughout the week.
• Share your favorite quote on your social media channels. Ask friends and followers to comment with their favorite career development quote or a personal tip.
• Put your favorite quote at the bottom of your email signature to inspire others. 

Final Thoughts

I hope these top career development quotes help motivate and inspire you to take action in your career. Remember, there is no set formula for success in career or life. Make your own success plan, work hard and take steps to be better than you were yesterday.

No matter what your career goals look like, you can achieve them! I hope you feel motivated to take the next step in your professional development journey.

What quote from above is your favorite? Are there any career development quotes you love that I missed? Let me know in the comments below.