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Small Actions: Leading Your Career To Big Success
The Business Book Business Journey Finalist 2022
The "small actions" you take today can put you on the path to big career success tomorrow. If these actions are innovative, intelligent and well-timed, they can make a lasting impact and help you navigate your career journey in the face of uncertainty and disruptions.
A key opinion leader on LinkedIn, Eric Sim shares practical and actionable tips to help you achieve your career goals. He draws these from his diverse real-life experience — from selling street food and training to be an engineer, to becoming a managing director at UBS Investment Bank.
Arranged thematically into 66 bite-sized chapters, this book brings together a series of relatable stories and case studies. You'll learn valuable career lessons, such as why it's important to be a "combo specialist", and how you can influence people and build your personal brand. Whether you're just starting out in the workforce or are looking to get further ahead, let this book inspire you to take powerful small actions of your own.
Readership: Universities students, young and mid-career professionals looking to advance their career.
The "small actions" you take today can put you on the path to big career success tomorrow. If these actions are innovative, intelligent and well-timed, they can make a lasting impact and help you navigate your career journey in the face of uncertainty and disruptions.
A key opinion leader on LinkedIn, Eric Sim shares practical and actionable tips to help you achieve your career goals. He draws these from his diverse real-life experience — from selling street food and training to be an engineer, to becoming a managing director at UBS Investment Bank.
Arranged thematically into 66 bite-sized chapters, this book brings together a series of relatable stories and case studies. You'll learn valuable career lessons, such as why it's important to be a "combo specialist", and how you can influence people and build your personal brand. Whether you're just starting out in the workforce or are looking to get further ahead, let this book inspire you to take powerful small actions of your own.
Readership: Universities students, young and mid-career professionals looking to advance their career.
- GenresBusiness
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2021
About the author
Eric Sim
4 books1 followerSuffering from inferiority complex when I was young, I’ve never made any really bold decisions in my life. The biggest decision I made was taking my entire savings to pay for my studies in the UK.
With no luck in finding any job in London after graduation, I returned to Singapore, only to be hit by the Asian financial crisis. Front office banking jobs disappeared. I went into risk management instead.
I took a series of small actions to develop myself and that led me to eventually move to UBS Investment Bank as a Managing Director.
Today, I have a portfolio career which consists of writing, teaching, coaching and speaking. I founded Institute of Life with a mission to train young professionals to be successful at work and in life.
With no luck in finding any job in London after graduation, I returned to Singapore, only to be hit by the Asian financial crisis. Front office banking jobs disappeared. I went into risk management instead.
I took a series of small actions to develop myself and that led me to eventually move to UBS Investment Bank as a Managing Director.
Today, I have a portfolio career which consists of writing, teaching, coaching and speaking. I founded Institute of Life with a mission to train young professionals to be successful at work and in life.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 9, 2025
If I could give this book more stars, I would! It is packed with practical tips and straight to the point. I especially appreciated Eric's openness about his humble background and how he turned that into an advantage when surrounded by colleagues from wealthier families. Every young profesional could draw incredible benefits from reading such a punchy and memorable guide!
August 13, 2026
Great book for fresh graduates starting work (esp within Banking in Singapore). Career within banking can be very dry and mundane but Eric provides multiple strategies to reframe one’s perspective and thrive in this rat race.
Personally will be using a lot of the lessons found within.
Personally will be using a lot of the lessons found within.
February 3, 2023
I came across this book because the principal author, Eric Sim, has worked with the CFA Institute where I am a member. Like me, he was in the banking business. Now, he is a professional coach and is considered a social influencer.
This book is a quintessential how-to-succeed-in-life best-seller primarily targeting new graduates and young professionals. It is not particularly well written (even the author admits several times in the book that he is not a good writer), more importantly, I find some of the stories superficial and lacking and some of his ideas are not worth sharing. However, there are three take-home messages I appreciate: One, don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself, social risk-taking is often the gateway to new opportunities; Two, brand yourself like a product to meet the needs of others in the professional world; Three, utilise your wealth, skills and time for career advancement and self-improvement. For Sim, Life is a series of tradeoffs. He really believes that apart from professional skills, relationship and connections are important to success in life.
I am giving this book a 2-star rating because the minimal rating is 1 star, and I am adding it another star because I like the fact that the Sim is at peace with his modest beginnings (he comes from a poor family), considering his current success, I find his boasting understandable and tolerable.
This book is a quintessential how-to-succeed-in-life best-seller primarily targeting new graduates and young professionals. It is not particularly well written (even the author admits several times in the book that he is not a good writer), more importantly, I find some of the stories superficial and lacking and some of his ideas are not worth sharing. However, there are three take-home messages I appreciate: One, don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself, social risk-taking is often the gateway to new opportunities; Two, brand yourself like a product to meet the needs of others in the professional world; Three, utilise your wealth, skills and time for career advancement and self-improvement. For Sim, Life is a series of tradeoffs. He really believes that apart from professional skills, relationship and connections are important to success in life.
I am giving this book a 2-star rating because the minimal rating is 1 star, and I am adding it another star because I like the fact that the Sim is at peace with his modest beginnings (he comes from a poor family), considering his current success, I find his boasting understandable and tolerable.
January 1, 2022
Excited to read this book which offers practical tips on how to build networks and develop career success. I agree with the fact that passion in job is too romanticised and perhaps it is better to look at a job as a way to contribute expertise for bread and butter. It will help us to be more satisfied with work rather than chase the incompleteness. Author was candid with practical tips on how to build one’s network with superiors and also offer steps on making self experiences worthwhile as a story to share with followers.
Read this book if you are keen to further your career. Be courageous and audacious, keeping sight on what you want and moving forward.
Read this book if you are keen to further your career. Be courageous and audacious, keeping sight on what you want and moving forward.
April 29, 2022
Horrible content. All the author cites are how he help his boss and colleagues about setting up a Mac, how to create videos, organize networking events and very importantly bring clients to good restaurants.
On the section of leveraging of tech, he cites how he uses keyboard shortcuts, which is really trivial and definitively not at a thought level of management.
What is the message he is trying to portray here? That you can get ahead by doing these simple things in life?
Perhaps these things work effectively in the banking industry, however I struggle to find it relevant in other industries.
Not the book for me.
On the section of leveraging of tech, he cites how he uses keyboard shortcuts, which is really trivial and definitively not at a thought level of management.
What is the message he is trying to portray here? That you can get ahead by doing these simple things in life?
Perhaps these things work effectively in the banking industry, however I struggle to find it relevant in other industries.
Not the book for me.
March 27, 2022
Like any other people out there who long for life hacks, I continuously on the lookout for such miracles. What I found in Eric's book instead is a progressive, doable acts that cultivate habits in a genuine way. And I also like the tone and simplicity of the sentences throughout the book - another appealing feature one can get.
February 2, 2025
Eric Sim’s *Small Actions* feels like a mentor’s honest guide: “Master your current role before chasing promotions” and “Turn small talk into meaningful connections” stuck with me. Backed by his journey from humble beginnings to UBS MD, Eric’s advice is refreshingly practical. Full of relatable stories and tactical wisdom—this book quietly empowers you to build success, one step at a time. Perfect for anyone feeling stuck but eager to grow!
August 22, 2024
Low four stars. Practical advice, though at times the fact that these are 60+ LinkedIn articles stitched together shows up quite a bit. Alternatively, I could have been reading 60+ newspaper columns. Also, the current events citing does prevent the book from having high staying power. Still, it was nice to see other people's examples being cited; it reminds me of the Dale Carnegie writing style.
December 5, 2024
Eric Sim, my friend, inspires me and I am presently writing and editing a book for Caregivers, entitled "Life & Death - Caregivers' Stories" that will be an essential guide for all caregivers' worldwide.
Currently I am looking for a working and reputable Publisher to team up with.
Thank you.
Dr. Julie Angel Chan
5 Dec 2024
Currently I am looking for a working and reputable Publisher to team up with.
Thank you.
Dr. Julie Angel Chan
5 Dec 2024
December 2, 2021
buy this book
Thing big but do small actions over time. This is an essential book for students, young adults and anyone looking to improve themselves. A sharing on how starting from failure does not mean stoping there. Inspiring story. Practical applications.
Thing big but do small actions over time. This is an essential book for students, young adults and anyone looking to improve themselves. A sharing on how starting from failure does not mean stoping there. Inspiring story. Practical applications.
April 20, 2022
Practical handbook for work and life
Eric shares openly about his life and career. He offers very practical tips (small actions) that anyone can start doing. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to make changes and improvements to their lives!
Eric shares openly about his life and career. He offers very practical tips (small actions) that anyone can start doing. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to make changes and improvements to their lives!
March 15, 2022
Nothing special. Not convincing. Doesn't stand out among millions of books belong to the same genre
February 28, 2022
An easy to read book with interesting anecdotes. It is no easy feat to survive in a cut throat banking environment and we could all learn some survival tips from Eric. The key takeaway for me was MMHH!
February 6, 2022
Eric Sim's 'Small Actions' provides 66 small steps all of us can take to change our lives - both personally and in our careers. Before reading this book, people often tell me to focus on the "big picture" to become successful. It was only after reading this book that I have learnt that it is the "small actions" that we take, like compound interest, that reaps huge benefits in the future.
The personal style employed in this book makes it seem like I am having a conversation with an expert who is imparting his wealth of experience and knowledge.
Written for anyone who wants to experience change in their lives, Eric Sim's 'Small Actions' is truly a timeless masterpiece.
The personal style employed in this book makes it seem like I am having a conversation with an expert who is imparting his wealth of experience and knowledge.
Written for anyone who wants to experience change in their lives, Eric Sim's 'Small Actions' is truly a timeless masterpiece.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews