Most people live in fear of making career mistakes and ruining their chances to a great career. This is completely understandable. However, you should know that mistakes are normal and part of learning and most mistakes rarely leave a permanent mark anyway.
The career mistakes that should worry you are the seemingly subtle and hard-to-notice ones that burrow into your character and ultimately affect your employability. Here are 12 of the worst career pitfalls you should avoid.
Complacency
The greatest disservice you could ever do to yourself is thinking and feeling that you have achieved all you need to achieve and are now just basking in the glory of your achievements forever. It doesn’t matter where you are in your career journey, never settle and feel like you don’t need more growth. Strive to learn something new each day and grow.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
Over-promising and Under-delivering
The opposite of complacency is over-promising and under-delivering. You might set your goals and aspirations extremely high and get disappointed. People will always expect you to deliver on your promises and when you don’t they might write you off. Be careful not to over-promise but learn to manage the expectations of people you interact with.
Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture
What was you initial career dream? Where did you envision yourself today five years ago? Where are you today? Be careful not to get lost in the everyday bustle and lose sight of your initial career dreams and aspirations. If you always wanted to work in a certain department industry and are not yet there, use what you have now and where you are now to get you there. Work every day towards your career dreams.
Sitting on Your Skills Till they Become Obsolete
In the ever-changing world of technology and changing trends, time and tide will not wait for you. If you don’t gain new skills constantly, you are going to become obsolete or average real quick. There is a lot of competition in the average corner because people there all look alike with the same qualifications and skills, fighting for the same opportunities. The skills you gain here and there elevate you and make you stand out. Take classes, network and stay abreast with what is hot in your industry.
Job hopping
Grass is not always greener. The habit of always checking out other companies and industries thinking that they are more exciting or they pay better will hurt your career. There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing jobs, but you cannot be on a constant job search mode all year. When will you actually settle and learn your job enough to grow in the role? Be strategic when looking for another job and ensure you go to a better company. Do your homework and find out all the pros and cons then make a decision.
Second-Guessing Yourself
Confidence is key and self-confidence is crucial for any undertaking in your life. This is not just about your career journey, but all the spheres of your life. You need to believe in yourself to excel and perform as expected. People won’t believe in you if you don’t. Whatever esteem issues you might have, start working on them to increase your confidence level.
