These are the
career mistakes you should stay away from this year
From staying in your comfort zone to letting yourself be
unhappy for too long, don’t fall into these traps.
The start of a new calendar year is a good
time to reflect on the previous 12 months and devise a plan to improve things
going forward. Whether you experienced a few career mishaps last year or
progressed as expected, it never hurts to strive to do better. With that in
mind, here are a few critical mistakes you should avoid this year at all costs.
1. AVOIDING RISKS
It’s not easy to step outside your comfort
zone and put yourself in a position where you might fail. On the other hand, if
you don’t take any risks on the job, you might quickly end up stuck in a rut.
The next time a great idea pops into your head, don’t ignore it. Rather, run
with it and see where it leads. Even if it doesn’t work out, your boss will
likely appreciate your ingenuity.
2. NOT CONTINUING TO LEARN
It’s easy enough to coast at work when things
are going smoothly. After all, why shake things up when your boss seems pleased
with your performance?
But if you don’t push yourself to keep
learning and growing professionally, you’re likely to stunt your career growth
and miss out on key opportunities to get promoted. So figure out which areas you’re lacking knowledge in
and take steps to bridge those gaps, whether it means signing up for courses,
attending conferences and seminars, or enlisting the help of a mentor.
3. GETTING EASILY FLUSTERED
It’s hard to keep your cool at work when
deadlines loom and projects are dumped on you at the last minute. But if you
don’t figure out a way to cope with job-related stress, you’re less likely to
move forward at your company. As you ease your way into the new year, practice
different stress-relief techniques until you find the one that’s most effective
for you. At the same time, train your brain to better handle heated situations
so that you come off as competent and collected.
4. NEGLECTING YOUR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
When it comes to furthering your career, the
people you know are often just as important, if not more so, than the things
you know. That’s why you can’t afford to neglect your business contacts, even
if making time for them is challenging in its own right. Though you may not
manage to sit down for lunch with your various associates on a monthly basis,
you should, at the very least, reach out to each person in your network every few months to check in–especially since you
never know when those folks might have a solid job opportunity that’s perfect
for you.
5. ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE UNHAPPY AT WORK
It’s an unfortunate fact that a large chunk
of workers today are unhappy at their
jobs. If you’ve taken steps to make your role
better and nothing seems to be doing the trick, don’t resign yourself to
another 12 months (or more) of misery. Instead, dust off your resume, reach out to your contacts, and seek out a job that
you’ll find more fulfilling. The longer you allow yourself to stay at a job
that makes you miserable, the more your performance is likely to suffer, and
that’s a good way to hurt your reputation and get yourself fired.
6. NOT ASKING FOR A RAISE
Many people shy away from negotiating their
salaries at work because they don’t want to come off as greedy or anger their
managers. But you know what they say: If you don’t ask, you (often) don’t get.
Furthermore, if you approach that
conversation the right way, you can pull it off in a manner that doesn’t damage
your relationship with your boss. That means researching salary data so you’re
able to present a reasonable number to your manager and going in prepared with
a list of reasons why you deserve a boost. Either way, don’t avoid that
discussion just because it makes you uncomfortable. In doing so, you’ll not
only potentially lose out on money that could’ve been yours, but also create a
situation where you might start to resent coming to work.
Now’s the time to evaluate your on-the-job
habits and strive to do better. Steer clear of these blunders and with any
luck, 2019 will be your most successful one year.
BY MAURIE BACKMAN
https://www.fastcompany.com/90289831/here-are-the-biggest-career-mistakes-to-avoid?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=6&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=01092019
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