I was having a clear out recently and came across some old paperwork from one of my first jobs. It got me thinking about how I was in those jobs. There was some good, some bad but it got me wondering how things might have been if I knew then what I know now. 

So I thought about if I were giving advice to someone who was striding through the door to their first job, what would I say? Quite a lot (!) but here are four of the big things I find come up when I talk to clients. 

• Not everyone is as confident as they look – when you look around the office it's easy to think that everyone is confident and know what they are doing. They aren’t and don’t. Of course, some people will be very assured and comfortable with what they are doing, but the majority of us will doubt ourselves and think others know more. That’s normal. It's fine not to know everything or to have done something before.  

• No one is as bothered as you think –  when you say something in a meeting and it goes quiet or stumbled over your words in the presentation earlier, don’t let it live rent free in your head for more than a few minutes. Notice it, get some perspective and move on. Even if they noticed, it probably hasn’t crossed their mind anywhere near as often as what they will have for lunch today. Think about it, do you remember what anyone said in your last meeting? 

• Nothing is perfect – when you’re working on something like a report or proposal, or looking for a new role, remember that perfect doesn’t exist. Striving to produce or get something that’s perfect will exhaust and distract you. Learn to stop when its good enough and to take note of successes and what’s good.  

• Accept that some things will not going according to plan – you can do everything right like weighing up all the evidence when making a decision or preparing well for an interview and it still not quite go according to plan. Accept the only part you can control is the effort you put in and the care you give to something.