Beginning with the right foundation is one of the most vital steps for every successful undertaking, be it building a house that would last many years without caving in on its occupants, or starting a business that would not pack up after its first big sale. A healthy foundation must be created – emphasis here on healthy because beginnings can give such a blinding excitement that sometimes you leap, forgetting to check that you are standing close to a ledge. Building up a career is no different, and like every other venture, it requires a good start, one with the future in mind. We have come up with four important steps to kicking off your career in style and with a start that is bound to give you long-term fulfilment. 1. Be passionate. In the exact words of Steve Jobs, 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. Being passionate about your work would easily translate to being willing to give it your best, being ready to learn and grow, believing in what you do and committing to innovate because you want to see it get better. Granted, the job market is harder to get into now more than ever, and it is tempting to hop on just about any train, but while hopping, be sure to check that this train is going your way, or at least would pass a route that leads there. Take on a career that gives you foresight, so you can begin to build relevant bricks on it as early as your first day.   2. Stick it out. Starting out a career can be both exciting and challenging. It usually isn’t the most familiar territory and can get confusing or tiring sometimes. In her award-winning book, Grit, Angela Duckworth pointed out how important it is to not only have passion for what you do, but be ready to stick it out when the going gets tough, and it will get tough. It isn’t bringing out your best if it doesn’t challenge you and cause you to break a few sweats now and again. To maintain perseverance on a new career path, you need to constantly remind yourself of why you began in the first place. However, sticking it out can turn out a slippery slope. If, with time and new information, you find that you should be on a different path, be quick and unashamed to start over. It isn’t always the popular choice, but it is always best to recover from a mistake made than to perfect the art of making it, and constantly wondering what would have been. 3. Plan. Planning is one of the most underrated keys to a successful career and life. Down to the littlest things, good planning can change your life, literally! Many start out a new day, a new project or a new job without a plan. You must ask yourself, what do I want to be ten years from today? Where do I want to have reached in this career, how do I want my life to look like upon retirement? With a clear-cut career plan, every action you take on your path will foster a deliberate movement to the destination of your dreams.  4. The Helping Hand. You probably have learnt of the saying that it is many drops of water that make an ocean. Building the dream career takes more than just your efforts to thrive. Like a newborn baby, it really does take a village. From the new boss who gives you exciting new tasks to do, to the friend who allows you to crash overnight to borrow his inverter to meet a deadline, to Leadway Pensure, helping you devise a kicker retirement plan that would leave you assured and secured for the future, every single effort goes a mighty long way in building and sustaining, not just a great career, but a path to a wonderful life. Take each helping hand with grace and if you have to, leap a little to catch it. To learn more about how Leadway Pensure can enable your journey towards a secured future, visit http://52.186.27.125