Top 5 Career Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them
No one’s perfect, but when it comes to your career, some mistakes can prove more costly than others. With an unstable economy, job security can be shaky for some industries and professionals. Why compromise your career by making an avoidable mistake.
Make an effort to avoid these top career mistakes.
Don’t throw away your career by making foolish mistakes. Here are the top five career mistakes, and tips to help you avoid them:
- Job Hopping – Many people have had employment opportunities that simply didn’t work out; however, if your resume demonstrates a consistent history of job hopping, you are setting yourself up for failure. Barring extenuating external circumstances (eg. companies going out of business, layoffs) — and very bad luck — you should be sure to stay with employers for at least 18 months to two years before making a change. And if you do leave an employer after only a few months, be prepared to back up your decision when you meet with prospective employers.
- Avoiding the Team – Some people are just shy, but you should take steps to overcome your shyness in the workplace. Employees who excessively keep to themselves, avoid team lunches or outings, or don’t engage in occasional office chit chat can appear unenthusiastic and disengaged from the workplace.
- Bringing personal troubles to work – We all have personal baggage to a certain degree, but under no circumstances should personal baggage be brought into work. Personal matters can cloud your judgment, kill your productivity, and can make you appear unfocused and unprofessional. It’s just a bad idea all around!
- Negativity – Have you ever been around someone who complains all the time? Or someone who finds the worst in just about everything? It can be frustrating, and also just plain depressing, to be around this type of person. Can you see where we’re headed with this? Don’t be that type of person! If you’re always complaining, eventually your employers are likely to assume you don’t want to be with the company any longer, and your constant whining could land you in the unemployment line.
- Choosing a job that is too far from your expertise – When it is difficult to find work, some professionals are tempted to take a position that is far from their area of expertise. If your skills can be successfully applied to another industry, that’s great, but if you are overstepping, it’ll eventually catch up with you. Even if you can talk a hiring manager into bringing you aboard, you’re lack of productivity and knowledge will show up in your on-the-job results. Save everyone’s time by going for jobs and opportunities that suit your skills and are a part of your long-term career goals.
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