Social media is great isn’t it? It bridges the gap between celebrities and normal folk, allows customers to connect directly with companies, and can make even the most unsuspecting people famous. The latter happened recently on Twitter, with the hashtag #NugsForCarter.

If you haven’t heard of this, it all started on April 5th, when Carter Wilkerson tweeted at Wendy’s wondering how many retweets it would take for him to get free nuggets for a year. The response was a staggering “18 Million.” For most, such a large number would deter them from taking the challenge, satisfied at the fact that such a large company even responded. Not Wilkerson. Before he knew it, he became a household name, appeared on TV, and even started his own business.

So, what career lessons could you learn from this 16 year-old social media influencer? Quite a bit. Here are four things we can learn from Nugs for Carter.

Determination

Reaching 18 million retweets would mean getting 5% of all Twitter users in existence to share Wilkerson’s post. Most people probably would have given up hearing such a large number but not Wilkerson. In fact, it pushed him even more to reach the goal. With only 150 followers on Twitter, Carter took a photo of the conversation, pinned it to his feed and started tweeting at everyone. The next morning, he woke up with 50,000 retweets. And he just kept going from there.

Similarly, when it comes to advancing your career, or even just looking for a career change, determination is everything. Take initiative to enroll in courses, seek mentors, or look for other ways to progress in your career. Be determined to acquire new skills and increase your knowledge.

Motivation

Of course, Carter wanted a year’s worth of nuggets, but if he kept going, it was because of another motivation: he wanted to be the world record for retweets. At the time, it was held by Ellen DeGeneres at 3,440,403.

To find the perfect job (or to be the best you can be in your industry), you have to find your own motivation. Whether that’s a fat paycheque, working for a good cause, or simply being passionate about your industry, it’s essential to have something to works towards. Not only will that improve your job satisfaction, it will make sure you always stay determined and focused on the long-term goal.

Collaboration

Carter couldn’t get to 18 million retweets alone, he needed help from fellow Twitter users. By tweeting at other companies and influencers, they started to join in the fun. Eventually it became a bit of a game, with companies like Microsoft tweeting at Amazon and Google, helping to push Carter into stardom.

All that to say, when it comes to finding your next career or getting ahead at work, you can’t do it alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or reach out to others in your network to heed their advice. They do say that networking is one of the best ways to land a job, especially with the “hidden job market.”

Competition

When Ellen DeGeneres, Actor and TV host, found out that Wilkerson was aiming to claim her title as the world record holder, she declared war. She did everything within her power to try and stop him. Ellen even released a public service announcement with Bradley Cooper looking for more people to retweet her Oscar selfie.

Competition in the workplace can be a good thing, collaborative competition that is. Working together with coworkers can help to push one another to achieve goals, especially true in sales. At the same time, if you’re looking to change jobs, being competitive with others in the market is a good way to try and push yourself. Things like: participating in more volunteer activities, working on building your personal brand, or taking more courses to add to your resume will help you stand out with future employers.

After all was said and done, Carter didn’t quite reach Wendy’s goal of 18 million retweets but he did beat Ellen DeGeneres with a total of 3,607,154 (and counting) retweets. He got his nuggets for a year, a new business, and international recognition. As for Wendy’s? They got a significant amount of free press.