Billionaire Bill Cummings has revealed his top tips when you apply for a job to make sure you land the role.
Cummings became a billionaire off the back off starting his own real estate property in 1970 - having graduated from Tufts University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
He grew his business from one building to a whopping '11 million square feet of commercial real estate in 11 cities and towns north of Boston', according to Cummings Properties website.
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The 86-year-old philanthropist has reportedly never borrowed any money, growing his business solely off his own back, but what advice would he have for others wanting to carve themselves a career on their own?
Cummings released a book called Starting Small and Making It Big: Hands-on Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, which offers advice to people just starting out in the world of work, but he's summarised some of his top tips too.
Love what you do
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Look, we've all done and do jobs we don't reallyyy want to do. It's like brushing your teeth or having to take out the trash - no one wants to do it, but it has to be done nevertheless.
The same goes for jobs - particularly amid a cost of living crisis - we can't always pick and choose what we do for work when there are bills to be paid.
But, if you can, it's always best to try and carve yourself a career path doing something you love, because otherwise you'll 'struggle to muster the requisite commitment,' Cummings says.
"I loved what I was doing - opportunistically creating value and jobs - more than any financial return," he tells the New York Post.
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"The secret of entrepreneurship is doing something you look forward to when you wake up in the morning."
Be ambitious.
To all you TV series binge-watchers out there - guilty - would you be prepared to give up some of your Netflix sessions to focus on your career goals?
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Cummings argues: "Nothing is as important as hard work, desire, persistence and dedication.
"What idle pleasures are we willing to give up to achieve what we really want?"
Show respect to everyone around you.
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This one should really be obvious, but sadly it does sometimes fall by the wayside.
When most people begin their life in the working world, they tend to start out polite and humble, treating others how they wish to be treated.
Alas, as some people develop and make their way up the corporate chain, P's and Q's can get lost along the way and ego and arrogance can take over.
We're all human and not going to get it right all the time, but Cummings warns: "Work regularly at developing a system of strong values, even though we may regularly fall short of those values in our daily lives.
"All people have differing skills and abilities, just as we all have our unique flaws and shortcomings."
Ask questions.
Asking questions shows interest, passion and ultimately shows that you care.
"Infinite curiosity about how things work will be a strong portent of creativity," Cummings notes.
Spot problems and present solutions.
Even if you're just starting out, speak up if you see something you think could be improved - and don't just stop there, come up with a suggestion of how to make it better too.
Cummings says: "The most valuable colleagues in any firm are typically those who quickly recognize problems when they occur, and then deal with them.
"Job candidates with curiosity and ingenuity can often do great work."
Make sure you communicate well in your writing.
You've heard it before and you'll hear it hundreds of times again. The warning haunted you throughout school and uni and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
Re-read, re-read again and re-read for a third time - saying it aloud really helps too.
Or if it's an area you really struggle with, then be able to hold your hands up and get someone to read it for you to make sure your writing reflects you as best as possible.
It's not just about spelling and grammar either but tone, being succinct and whether or not you have a good attention to detail.
"If somebody can express him or herself, if they can put their thoughts down on paper, they’re probably smart enough to do a lot of other things, too," Cummings notes.
Don't wait around expecting something to fall into your lap.
Unless you're born into an affluent family with multiple contacts and have the joys - but let's be fair, there are also a fair few pitfalls - which come with being a nepotism baby, there's only so much luck you'll get.
If you want a career badly enough, you're going to have to work for it, and so if a good opportunity comes along, be 'smart enough and prepared enough' to not wait around to grab it, Cummings resolves.
Poppy Bilderbeck