Top 5 Career Mistakes You Must Avoid!

I’ve always been of the belief that there are three things you can do when you make a mistake: kick yourself, repeat it, or learn from it. I’ve been sashaying down my career path for many years now and I have made enough mistakes to go around! However, I swore to myself that I would always reflect and learn from my mistakes.

There are also those mistakes that are made by not doing anything at all – missed opportunities that you might have grabbed if only you knew what to do at the time! I’ve had my share of those too.

I don’t want you to waste any time becoming the best and most powerful version of yourself that you can be so I want to talk to you about a few common career mistakes that, if navigated around, could totally change your trajectory for the BEST!

1. Not finding a career you love

I truly believe that the biggest mistake you can make in your career is to chase a paycheck rather than happiness. Of course, the paycheck does matter in some capacity, but focusing too closely on the dollar amount can put other important factors out of focus – like office culture, career advancement opportunities, peace of mind, and the quality of your relationships in and outside of work.

When you choose a career path that you’re really passionate about, you wake up every day with the motivation to go out there and get things done! You’re more likely to be productive and less likely to feel that pang of dread when your alarm clock goes off in the morning.

If you’re stumped on which career is best for you, I’ve found that personality tests are a great tool for figuring it out! I recommend the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, The Big 5 Personality Test, and the MAPP Career Assessment Test.

2. Becoming too close to colleagues and/or direct reports

It’s beneficial to have good relationship with the people you work with but fraternizing with colleagues and/or direct reports is explicitly discouraged in most employee handbooks. I know that employee handbooks can be a bit dry, but all of those guidelines are laid forth to protect you and the organization. It’s a good idea to brush up on what’s expected of you as far as relationships go, especially when you find someone that you think you’re really connecting with. Anti-fraternization policies are difficult to write and even harder to police. At the end of the day, companies want to have an engaged workforce that delivers results and not be comprised by inappropriate behavior. Here are a few guiding principles for maintaining professional office relationships:

•  If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not - avoid compromising your integrity

• Do not act in a way that could be perceived as distracting to yourself or your colleagues

• Never let a personal relationship impede your ability to deliver results

3. Not investing in professional development

It’s very important to be able to communicate what you can bring to the table and how. More importantly, you have to have something to bring! Some organizations will have continuing education opportunities for their employees, but more often than not, it will be up to you to seek growth and development.

Here are some examples of how you can invest in your professional development:

• Seek out a mentor

• Take online or in-person courses that are applicable to your profession

• Seek employment with organizations that have career development programs

• Negotiate a professional development budget when joining an organization

• Strengthen your professional network

• Self-care (Yep! Finding a work-life balance is KEY to professional success. Go get a massage, girl.)

Always keep your ultimate career goal in mind when you’re seeking these opportunities. Too often I hear of people who are spending all of their time and money in hopes that they’ll find their direction. Having a clear picture of what you want your future to look like will allow you to choose appropriate opportunities and really get as much out of them as you can.

4. Lacking a personal brand

Developing a personal brand doesn’t necessarily mean you need your own professional Instagram handle and website (although, it doesn’t hurt!). It really means that you have consistency – people know what to expect when your name comes uo.

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room,”

- Jeff Bezos

Developing a personal brand also helps you become a person of influence in your industry. That might look like being the expert on a certain topic, becoming the face of an initiative, or a team leader. Morgan Chaney, Head of Marketing at Blueboard.com, says that networking within your organization (specifically with higher-ups) is the key to developing your personal brand at work. “People promote the people they know, trust, and who they see stretching beyond their immediate duties,” she says. “Interacting with other teams and their leadership gives you a household name and creates opportunities for you to become a more well-rounded contributor to your business.”

5. Not going the extra mile

Last but not least, number five is for those that desire to continue to thrive or possibly do more in their career. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go through companies throughout my career, and I can say with confidence that the people who pick up extra tasks here and there are the people who stick around the longest and get promoted the most.

Only working within the confines of your job description essentially tells employers that you’re perfectly comfortable where you are, and they may not consider you for promotional opportunities because of this. This can cause feelings of complacency and stagnation – A.K.A. boredom. Companies that are committed to moving forward will continue to raise the bar (standard expectation) so even if you want to stay put, you must (at a minimum) grow at the pace of the company. If not, you will be outperformed and at risk.

Extending yourself out into other areas of work can bring a little bit of excitement and challenge to your position that you didn’t even know you were missing! In the end, you’ll get better at your job, become more valuable to your organization, and start to stand out from the crowd.

We still have the back half of the year ahead of us and I want you to challenge yourself to make this year your best year yet! Really think about these 5 mistakes and if you’re making one or more of them right now.  

What small changes do you think you can start making in your career TODAY so that by the end of the year you’re nestled snugly into the career of your dreams?