Build An Epic Career by Ankur Warikoo

Build An Epic Career is all about helping you find the right path for your career whether it’s finding the right job, joining a business, starting a startup, or doing a Government Job. Ankur Warikoo’s fourth book gives you everything you need to know to build a successful career.

• Does this book offer something new?
• Does Ankur Warikoo share out-of-the-box ideas?
• Should you read this book?
• Who is this book for?
• Is it worth your time?

We will find out everything in a moment, but before we do that, let me give you five key ideas from the book:

Book in Five Sentences 

1. The first question you need to ask yourself is: What do you want to do? Don’t hold back. Write everything you want and choose one thing that fits well. Remember, to follow your passion, you don’t have to quit your job.
2. Fix your mindset, be more aware of what you’re doing, and don’t be harsh on yourself. Remember, life has only one end: death. Whether you want to get healthy, make money, or find a career, the most important thing is habits. Choose the right ones because you have a choice.
3. You have 24 hours in a day, so make the most of it. That doesn’t mean working like a machine—manage your time and do what needs to be done instead of just doing what feels easy. 
4. You don’t live only once; you live every day. So don’t get stuck thinking, “I’m going to die one day, so I will do whatever I want.” 
5. In the end, always focus on the process, not just the outcome. As Ankur Warikoo puts it, “If we don’t know what we truly want in life, then we’ll want everything! And no one gets everything.”

Build An Epic Career Summary

Build An Epic Career basic self-help book than a business book. Ankur Warikoo talks about finding your “WHY,” how to manage your money, how to make the most of your 24 hours, tips for giving the best interview, why habits are important, the perspective of your parents, and the lessons he’s learned throughout his life.

This is perfect, right? A single book that covers everything you should know if you’re just coming out of college or even studying in 12th. 

As someone says, it’s always better to learn from others than make the same mistakes.

Finding Your Passion

In this chapter, the author explains that career happiness comes from two main things:

1. Career Growth: Are you learning and growing in your job? Are you earning enough to live comfortably?
2. Personal Fulfillment: Are you happy with your work? Do you care about what you do?

If you’re struggling to answer these questions, it could mean that while you might be making money and working hard, you’re not truly happy or satisfied with what you’re doing.

To help you overcome this, the author introduces The Career Compass, a guide to help you find the right direction in your career.

Ankur Warikoo says he was once in a golden cage — making money, but feeling empty inside.

The first step is self-awareness. Pay attention to yourself every day, from the moment you wake up to when you go to sleep. The best way to do this is by writing down how you feel at the end of each day. This will help you figure out what you really want to do.

As the author says, “You have today. And the rest of your life. Do not look at the life you’ve lived already. Look at the life left.”

So, use The Career Compass and make changes.

Career Choices

This chapter has 10 questions you need to ask yourself to find the right career path. Starting from “Should I pursue an MBA after graduation or gain experience first?” to “Should I just get a government job?”

When it comes to pursuing an MBA, Ankur Warikoo says you should first work somewhere and learn how business works. This way, when you’re sitting in a classroom, you’ll have a clear understanding of everything based on real-world experience.

You’ll have a better idea of how business runs in the real world instead of just reading about it.

As for a government job, if you want a stable life without too much risk or stress, it’s a good option. You’ll get a paycheck every month, no matter what.

So, choose what’s best for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with taking risks or if you prefer a stable life.

The author also says there’s no right or wrong answer—look at things from your perspective and think it through before you make a decision.

The 10 questions are,

1. Should I pursue an MBA after graduation, or should I gain work experience first?
2. Is it better to join a business or start my own startup?
3. Should I build my career in India, or should I go abroad for better opportunities?
4. Should I stick to my core field, or should I explore a different field?
5. Should I choose a government job or work in the private sector?
6. Is freelancing a good career option for me?
7. Should I focus on mastering one skill, or should I learn multiple skills?
8. Should I prioritize work-life balance or career growth in my 20s?
9. Should I take a break and focus on my personal growth?
10. Should I prioritize job satisfaction or earning potential when choosing my career path?

Parents: Not The Villain

As Ankur Warikoo puts it: Parents are humans first. Parents second. This means they can be wrong, they can be toxic, and they can be unreasonable sometimes.

It’s true, we live in a different world than our parents did, but one thing remains the same — they want the best for us. They want us to do well in life and live a good life.

While doing so, you might feel like they’re controlling your life, but if you just slow down and have a simple conversation about what you want, they’ll definitely understand.

I’m saying this from my own experience.

No one loves you more than your parents, so just talk to them about anything. They will understand if you help them see what you want to do.

Build An Epic Career Review

Build An Epic Career Quotes

“One skill that everyone should acquire is critical thinking.”

“Awareness is everything. Every choice should be made once you have explored all the options and selected the one that works best for you.”

“Quit your job to follow your passion. That’s poor advice. Don’t quit your job. Stay in your job. Get that income. That stability. And then hustle on your passion during nights, weekends, and holidays. Just for the joy of it. For the love of it. That is when your passion doesn’t feel the pressure of making money from Day 1.”

“Output = what you are supposed to do. Outcome = what you are supposed to achieve. Own the outcome. Not the output.”

“Good people pay a higher price for being good than bad people pay for being bad. “

“Don’t be harsh on yourself. Everyone is struggling. Everyone is figuring it out. There is only one end in life. Death. Until then, there is another chance, another moment, another opportunity. You will be fine.”

“And oh, before you ask… no, you won’t run out of content. 60% of your content should be copied (or inspired) from your top influences. 30% should be curated from your readings, observations, and learnings. Only 10% should be created and original. I call it the 3C model of content, Curate, Create. 60:30:10!”

“Saving is hard. Being broke is harder. Learning about investments is hard. Suffering from bad investments is harder. Paying off debt is hard. Letting your debt compound is harder. Budgeting on a salary is hard. Living paycheck to paycheck is harder. Building an emergency fund is hard. Facing unexpected expenses without one is harder. Choose your hard.”

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