Listen to people like Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/), work hard, don’t whinge, don’t whine, do more than expected, surprise, build trust, make friends, know your place, and show some respect.

There are many things that contribute towards a successful career as a creative person. One of them is ego.

As the Skyhooks (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Skyhooks) sang all those years ago, ego is not a dirty word (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=Xpm9xwb5VnY). It is however something that needs to be managed.

So even though you might think you’re more talented than many of the people who have jobs, it doesn’t entitle you to go slagging them off on blogs or Twitter.

And just because someone doesn’t love your folio, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send them a thank-you card for looking at your work.

Why is all this sort of stuff important?

It just is. Ok.

Because the people you meet as you climb the career ladder are often the same people you will meet as you descend that ladder.

So be nice. Show respect. And one day in the future, when you need to ask a favour, you’ll have no shortage of people willing to help you.