Five career mistakes to avoid on your way up
What you need to know:
- You may have remained stuck in one position for long at your current workplace, and this gives you stress and anxiety.
- You don’t feel fulfilled. You hate the job. But, it is a well-paying job so you won’t let go of it.
- This is wrong. We all need to find fulfilment and satisfaction from our jobs. This will keep you motivated.
Like most people, you have planned your career goals well ahead of time. But with time, you begin to lose track of your vision, career aspirations and strategy. Here are some of the career blunders that derail you from your vision.
You can’t progress to the top smoothly
Yes, you have worked in that career and you believe moving through the rungs to the top will be as smooth as riding an escalator. That is far from reality. In most instances, you’ll find yourself in a snake-and-ladder situation where you seem to move up only to come down to where you were. Given, there are some golden instances where you can shoot to the top suddenly. If this happens, chances are that there are no defined roles in your career, meaning that you can even move sideways or even backwards in your career journey.
Sticking to one career choice
This is a common mistake. Many employees narrow their scope and are reluctant to explore other interests. What happens when you abruptly lose your job or need to change it? You should always aim at growing in your job, and if there are other opportunities for this growth outside your industry, don’t be shy to try.
Losing sight of your career goals
When you are uncertain about your work-life strategy, you can be tempted to take any opportunity that comes your way. You may focus only on the attractive salary or the ideal work location. When you do this, you may lose sight of the opportunity for future growth since your only focus will be on getting a job. It pays to evaluate that opportunity before taking it. Ask yourself hard questions like, what new skills do I stand to learn? Will the new skills I will gain be beneficial in my long-term career? Evaluate the positives and negatives of that job opportunity before deciding if it is worth it.
You are unhappy in your workplace
You may have remained stuck in one position for long at your current workplace, and this gives you stress and anxiety. You don’t feel fulfilled. You hate the job. But, it is a well-paying job so you won’t let go of it. This is wrong. We all need to find fulfilment and satisfaction from our jobs. This will keep you motivated.
Making it look like it is all about you
It is alright to take credit for some achievements in an organisation, but what if it was the effort of an entire team? Just because you are the supervisor doesn’t mean those below you haven’t contributed to the success. Don’t make it look like it is all about you. Build relationships with your colleagues as this will improve your interpersonal and communication skills. You can ask them for a review of the work that you’ve completed and appreciate the help they have provided.
