In honor of Heath Ledger’s death, I wanted to point out some great career lessons taken from A Knight’s Tale. For many reasons, A Knight’s Tale is my favorite movie that Heath starred in. I loved his charm, wit, determination, and cute smile. Plus, what woman doesn’t like a handsome guy jousting for his career! I love the Medieval time of chivalry, royal courts, and a turkey leg for dinner…
Heath Ledger plays the role of William, a jouster’s aide who finds himself unemployed when his boss dies. William realizes that with the help of the other two aides and 13 silver pieces, that their lives could change for the better… as William puts it: “a man can change his stars.”
The key career lessons from A Knight’s Tale, include:
- When an opportunity presents itself, take it!
- Even if you don’t have all the skills, have faith in yourself to learn and try.
- It’s much easier to accomplish goals when you have a couple loyal supporters.
- Get cleaned up, a hair cut, buy the right clothes and dress for the position you want.
- Sometimes you need a little PR and re-branding to better position yourself in the marketplace.
- Keep going! Sure, doing something new may be hard, but keep at it and eventually you’ll develop your own style.
- If you experience success, be careful about your ego.
- Along the way, gather additional supporters who can help you grow even more.
Watch A Knight’s Tale again and see for yourself the inspiring message about taking control of your career destiny that Heath delivered with his role as Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland. RIP Heath… Thank you for bringing enjoyment to us movie-goers.
What will you fight for in your career? How will you change your stars?