INTRODUCTION:
We all know what it feels like to make a mistake. Career-related mistakes can have lasting effects on our quality of life. So, today, I am sharing with you, the first of a two-part series on six career-related mistakes that you should avoid. Doing so could have a big positive impact on your career success.
1. Not Having Career Goals:
You should have at least a general idea of what you want to achieve in your career. Ask yourself which career fields do your strengths work best in. What type of work do you get fulfillment from? Would you like to be your own boss? Would you like to manage people or programs? Do you enjoy being highly-visible to company executives? Would you like to work for particular employers that you admire? Would you like a career that allows you to travel or move often?
Believe me, you don’t want to waste your most-productive years. So, your answers to these questions will keep you focused to achieve your dream career. Otherwise, employers may see you as a “Jack-of-all-trades,” but the “Master-of-none.” As a result, you might find it difficult to compete with more focused competition.
2. Not Sharing Your Career Goals with Your Manager:
Your manager can be your biggest career-building asset. Many employers have succession plans or career tracks. These roadmaps build internal pipelines and help employees get to the next level in their career while still meeting business needs.
For example, I realized less than one month into my human resources career, that I wanted to work in Employee Relations. It seemed somewhat unlikely with my Compensation background. Then, I was selected to train in Employee Relations during my then employer’s new cross-training program. Afterwards, I was selected to replace one of his team members who left. I had to take a slight pay cut, but After six years in that position and an MBA, I landed a role as Employee Relations Manager. So, it was a win/win for me and them. Your employer may be willing to assist with the cost of any training you need to achieve your goal. They may also help you to avoid areas that are not your cup of tea.
3. Not investing in continuous development
Processes, tools, etc. change too quickly for us to not invest in continuous development. Otherwise, we can quickly become irrelevant. Some core areas of development that you should focus on are communication, data analysis, negotiation, emotional intelligence, business writing, project management, process improvement, and technology related to your respective area of expertise. Regardless of the advances in AI, human beings will still be needed to impart many of these skills in the workplace. Remember that continuous development does not have to be expensive, formal, or time-consuming. Free and low-cost webinars are offered everyday on platforms like BrighTalk, WBECs, Building Champions, Udemy, Teachable, Thinkific, etc. They offer quality content that is often self-paced. So, there really is no excuse today for not investing in yourself. Believe me. That Bachelors degree you earned in 1980 is of very little value today without continuous professional development.
CONCLUSION:
Think about it. You want to provide a comfortable life for you and your family. You’ll spend many of your waking hours building your career. So, it’s important that you are good at what you do for a living. It’s equally important that you enjoy what you do. Research your field of interest. Talk to others who have a career doing what you want to do. Commit to doing what it takes to build your career. In other words, make sound, well-informed decisions that will help set you up for personal and professional fulfillment and success.
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My goal is to help you live your best career life. So, as always, career search success to you. Go Get Your New Job!
