Fatal Career Moves

You love your job and you love your career, but are you making an effort not to make a fatal career move? Now, if you are making a fatal career move, it’s not the end of the world! Read over the following fatal career moves and if you’re making them stop, and if you’re not making them, don’t start: Fatal Career Move #1: Isolating Yourself Isolating yourself from the rest of the group or office can negatively affect you in many ways. You can be viewed as not having an understanding of the topic, thinking you are better than the rest of the office, thinking of leaving, not liking the individuals you work with, and many more!  Fatal Career Move #2: Lacking People Skills Not only can this affect how people in the office view you, but it can also affect how customers see you. They may view you as not being knowledgeable or as being snobby! Fatal Career Move #3: Conducting Personal Business While On the Clock This is a big no-no! If your employer found out you were scheduling doctor’s appointments or tax sessions, they wouldn’t be too happy. Save your personal stuff for before work, your lunch break, or after work! Fatal Career Move #4: Starting an Office Romance You are in a new environment, working with new people and, have a crush on a co-worker. This of this, what happens if you break up? What happens when you find out that individual has had three other relationships with co-workers? What happens if that individual is still having a relationship with a co-worker? Not only are you sacrificing relationships with friends, but you might end up giving up the job of your dreams! Fatal Career Move #5: Not Having Any Goals If you aren’t working towards something, why are you even working? Goals are set to help drive you so if the only goal you have is to make money, you might consider a different career! Go to work happy or go home. Fatal Career Move #6: Missing Deadlines Chances are, your employer won’t let this go on for too long. Not only do you have a responsibility to your co-worker, but the rest of the office, and the company’s clients as well. Think of it this way, how would you feel if you were supposed to move into your apartment on the first and the day you go to move the real estate agent says it will be another few weeks? Or, you are ready to sign the divorce papers but the lawyer doesn’t show up?  Fatal Career Move #7: Showing Up Late I know, it is a bummer the world doesn’t evolve around you. Showing up early will get you a raise, showing up late, well, that will get you fired. If you can’t complete a basic task, what happens when you are given a difficult one? Fatal Career Move #8: Not Being a Team Player Let’s face it, some people do know more than others but if you don’t like being told what to do, what makes you think someone else will? The more you listen the less you work, so at least a bad idea just landed you a ten minute break! On a more positive note, you just may learn something! Fatal Career Move #9: Fearing Failure The more energy you invest into fear, the less energy you are investing into success. If you do fail, don’t look at it as failure, look at it as a lesson. If you know what you did wrong, you won’t do it again. Fatal Career Move #10: Neglecting Your Image Perception is reality. If you show up to a meeting with ripped jeans and a tank top you can bet the attention will be on you, and not in a good way. Dress for success, don’t arrive for failure. For more of my job search, job interview and career articles, visit my blog.