Nobody is above mistakes but when it comes to your career, this is not an excuse. You have to go for your career dreams and be deliberate about them. To maximise your career, you have to be mindful of certain pitfalls to avoid. These includes:
1. Not having career goals
Your career goals serve as a compass. Imagine going to a place but you have no direction, you would get lost or end up anywhere. A person without career goals has no direction in life. While spontaneous jobs may work out in the short term, it is important to have career goals. People who map out their goals accordingly face less stress with a more transparent future.
2. Not investing in personal development
Learning is continuous. The more you go up the career ladder, the more you need to increase your capacity. This can be achieved by investing in personal development. You will only achieve real success by stepping out of your comfort zone. Opportunities are likely to pass you by if you don’t keep your eyes open and continue to look for ways to grow and develop. You need to rely on your present self to get access to future opportunities. You are to prepare for opportunities and not be caught unawares.
3. Not having support
Please don’t do life alone, it is draining. You need a healthy support system- it could be a co-worker, family or friend. Your support system should be made up of people who are genuinely interested in your growth and development.
4. Not network
Your network is your net worth. In fact, most people get job offers through their network. The Holy book says if you want to be wise, move with the wise. There is another proverb that iron sharpens iron. You may want to access your network: Are they the kind of people that would help you in your career plans? If not, you need to break away and form new networks.
5. Neglecting your life outside works
Don’t ever neglect your life (and your relationships) outside of work. If you are one of those people who spend all hours of the day glued to your office desk (which is a common mistake among young professionals), then trust us, you won’t get much work done in the long term. You should create time for other interest and your ‘me’ time.