Moving to the top of the career ladder is a dream of most employees in the modern business world. One step ahead, and you get more money and recognition from future employers. Every career path has its own twists and turns as there are no two identical careers in the business world. How to invest in your career without making mistakes while climbing the proverbial ladder? Check the most popular mistakes an average employee makes on their professional journey.
How to Avoid Mistakes on Your Career Journey?
Humans make mistakes. This is the axiom that all recruiters understand. Yet, the important thing is how you cope with these flaws. You might have failed your performance evaluation, but have you improved your performance later? You might get professional help with a professional resume and win your dream job. However, your job-hunting victory doesn’t mean you’re safe from falling victim to old stereotypes.
If we divide the career mistakes into categories, the possible ones will be as follows:
- People-related mistakes. Have you ever been a victim of gossiping or initiated one? Yeap, this is where some of the communication problems arise;
- Finance-related. If you have accepted an offer with a high salary while completely ignoring other job aspects, there is a problem;
- Performance-related. Missing a deadline once is not a problem. However, missing a deadline one month after another does no good to your career.
So, you’ve learned the core types of career mistakes. Now let’s dive into the details.
Opting for Gig Jobs
Any career advice expert will tell you that the gig economy doesn’t give you the same perks as traditional jobs do. There are no retirement plans or insurance packs. In the end, the gig economy provides you with less social and financial safety. Meanwhile, you might never get your dream job if you opt for gigs only.
How can one avoid getting into a gig trap?
- Ask the employer for social and financial perks the job gives;
- Ask whether the job is legal and which regulations defend you as a standard employee;
- Check how the job might raise your professional qualification.
Food for Thought or Never Leave Your Mind Hungry
If education wasn’t important, your student loan baggage would have been lighter. However, this is the price you pay for nailing a great job in the future. Whether you’re a student or not, leveling up your skills is vital. All because every industry is undergoing constant changes. If you’re not informed about the changes, you’ll fail in your professional competence. Once you quit your current job, you won’t be able to compete with other job seekers.
How to constantly improve your key skills?
- Join a local conference;
- Find online courses (the good news is that most of them are free);
- Stay in touch with professionals who have succeeded in your field;
- Read professional development books.
People are Everything
Whether you like it or not, people are a link between you and your dream job. Too often, an applicant forgets that half of their success depends on communication. Imagine you’re an entry-level specialist. To land an interview, you’ll have to get acquainted with professionals and employers who are already a part of the industry.
If you’re a reserved and shy person, you can always send a resume to the recruiter. You might even contact a professional resume service and craft a winning resume. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you’ll be free from a one-to-one job interview with a hiring manager. Therefore, never forget about your communication and interpersonal skills.
Not Taking Responsibility for Words and Actions
How many times did you miss a meeting, arriving with different excuses again and again? How many times have you failed a task and blamed others for that? Well, real professional takes responsibility for their actions. To get more interviews, you’ll have to persuade the recruiter that you’re a reliable person. If you already have a job, keep working on your personal qualities.
- Never make promises you can’t keep;
- Team playing is important. Stand for your team players each time they need you;
- Make sure you can follow the deadlines;
- If you’ve failed the team, take responsibility and solve the problem.
Avoiding the ‘Money Talk’
Imagine you sent a job application and got an interview. The recruiter is overjoyed with your outstanding work experience and skills. It seems like the staff is friendly, and the job responsibilities are fine. Everything sounds like a dream job. However, no one talks about money. What does it mean, and should you be the one to start the conversation?
- Settling your salary question is vital. Unless you’ve decided to volunteer for the company;
- Ask the recruiter about the performance evaluations and the opportunity for pay raise;
- Find the information about the company’s bonus system.
Burning Bridges After Getting Fired
Once you slam the office door, don’t think the job you’ve just quit won’t squeeze through your Experience section. The biggest mistake an individual can make is that the old job means nothing once you leave the company. In fact, your previous job means everything in the job search. Don’t forget you need that referral letter. Hence, don’t let the whole leaving process get ugly.
Final Thoughts
Making mistakes is a part of being a human. Because corporations hire humans, you’ll never be safe from making big mistakes. The good news is that now you know the most popular career-related mistakes. If you recognize the mistakes, you’ll know when and how to avoid them.
We hope the article was helpful to you. Good luck!
