Making career mistakes is very common. It’s because as humans we are bound to make mistakes and people do not focus a lot on learning about these mistakes. However, one should always focus on learning from these mistakes and work on minimizing them. In this way, you can have a positive trajectory in your career. Here are four common career mistakes that you should avoid making.
1. Underestimating Yourself
Because of the saturated market, there are very limited jobs available in each industry. It has a direct effect on the thinking capability of employees. One of the most common effects is that people start to underestimate themselves, thinking that they will not get a better job.
However, this can be among one the grave career mistakes that one can make. Underestimating yourself will limit your thinking capacity which would result in a lack of motivation. Therefore, to avoid this mistake, you should be aware of your skillset. Keep a record of all your achievements and give value to whatever you have achieved so far. On top of this, you should never settle for less than what you deserve. Especially don’t focus on how you will not land a job after this. Focus on improving yourself, and the opportunities will find a way. If you settle for less than you’re worth, you won’t get too far in life. However, do not become overconfident too, take a very balanced approach towards your career path.
2. Making Your Company a “Home”
Yes, it is completely okay for you to find a sense of comfort at your workplace. It is because a healthy environment will increase your productivity. However, it is limiting for you to get too comfortable with your workplace. This is one of the biggest career mistakes people commit. As people often quote that nothing great ever comes out of your comfort zone. Similarly, being comfortable with your current job post will stagnate your growth.
Therefore, even if you like your workplace – do not stop looking for better opportunities. Always plan to climb the corporate ladder. On top of this, try to improve your skillset – as the company that you are working at owes you nothing, if they will find someone who is better at the job that you are doing – they will not find it hard to replace you with a new employee. Therefore, getting attached to the workplace and finding a comfort zone will only hinder your career growth. Always try to improve your skills and keep looking for new opportunities.
3. Going with the “Flow”
As the saying goes “only dead fish go with the flow.” Never settle without having a plan for your career. When you start working – think about where you want to end up. It doesn’t have to be a big plan but have a general idea of where you want to be in about 10-15 years. In this way, you will not make any random decisions in your career as everything will be calculated.
Similarly, one should avoid taking up random roles in their career and stick to the roles that will benefit them in the future or will add value to the CV. In this way, each job that you do will be a stepping stone towards your goal. For example, if you want to take a management role in the future, there is no point in you working for another role unless you want to make some extra cash on the side. But, your main goal should be to work towards your future destination, because anything other than that can result in a career mistake.
4. Not Putting Effort into Networking
In this modern time, putting effort into networking is as important as learning new skills. In fact, networking itself is a skill that only a few people know how to use to their benefit. According to a job seekers survey, around 31% of job seekers find out about new jobs through referrals by the people they know in the industry.
Therefore, not investing time in networking can turn out to be a grave career mistake. This is why you should invest time in networking with people. For example, make sure that your Linkedin profile is up-to-date. Follow relevant people and companies on there. So, whenever there will be an opening, you will get notified on time.
It takes a lot to build your career. Long working hours, endless hours of learning, etc. However, some career mistakes can make all this hard work go to waste. Therefore, you should be careful about these things as avoiding them can be extremely beneficial.
For example, do not isolate yourself in the industry, talk to people and focus on networking. In this way, you will be able to build connections that will help you in the future. On top of this, avoid getting comfortable in the workplace, and always seek out better opportunities. Working at the same company without being promoted to higher positions will stagnate your career growth. Hence, avoid making these career mistakes to make progress in your career.
