Practical Tips to Avoid Common Career Mistakes
Navigating Your Career
Progressing in your career can feel like a maze sometimes, right? In this journey, there are certain mistakes that many of us stumble upon. But worry not! By raising your awareness about common career missteps and ways to tackle them, you can invite ease into your career.
As a career coach, I help my clients learn about these common career mistakes and develop the skills and habits to get past them.
Common Career Mistakes and What to Do About Them
1. Not Being Clear About Your Desires
Ever feel unsure about what you truly want in your career and your life? You're not alone.
You probably have ideas about what you want, but fear is holding you back — fear of failure, fear of what people might think, fear that it’s impossible or improbable, fear that making changes will not improve your situation, and so forth.
Solution
Step back and reflect to figure out what drives you. By reflecting on your goals, what you value, and what you're passionate about you can find the North Star to guide your career compass.
The trick is to not let your fears prevent you from imagining a wide range of possibilities. Once you clarify what you truly want, generate a long list of ideas. Prioritizing the possibilities comes later. If you don’t let yourself brainstorm, you won’t have anything to prioritize!
2. Uncertainty Regarding Your Strengths
We've all been there, questioning what we're good at and where we fit in. You might be skeptical if there are opportunities that will enable you to make a good living using skills you enjoy applying.
Solution
Instead of getting caught up in self-doubt, let's take a practical approach. What do you excel at AND enjoy? (Hint: Recall the types of tasks that energize you and help you achieve a state of flow.)
Your strengths are like tools in a toolbox—knowing how to use them effectively is key. Through structured storytelling, a coach can quickly help you identify the skills you enjoy using.
3. Ambiguity About Your Personal Qualities
Understanding your personal qualities is like knowing your secret sauce in the professional world. But sometimes, it's hard to see ourselves clearly. You might feel unsure of how to speak positively about yourself, but it’s a crucial skill to develop for your sense of identity and ability to convey what you’re capable of.
Solution
To overcome this, a career coach can help you use storytelling to illuminate your personal qualities like empathetic, collaborative, analytical, and so forth.
In addition, it can be valuable to ask for feedback from friends, family, and past and/or present colleagues. Their perspectives might surprise you and help you embrace your unique qualities with confidence.
By receiving feedback, you can affirm certain things you know about yourself and raise your awareness about other qualities.
When you’re looking to work with a career coach, find out how they might support you in requesting feedback and creating meaning from it.
4. Lack of Clarity About Possibilities
Ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of career paths out there? It's normal.
Solution
Instead of getting stuck in analysis paralysis, let's explore with curiosity.
By developing exploration plans, you can create structure and break things down into tangible, actionable steps. For instance, you can research different industries, roles, and opportunities.
Remember, it's okay not to have all the answers—sometimes, the best discoveries come from trying something new.
Working with a career professional can help you identify and then prioritize possibilities you’re curious to explore.
Conclusion
Navigating your career doesn't have to be daunting. By recognizing and addressing common mistakes, you're already ahead of the game.
Take the time to clarify your desires, leverage your strengths, embrace your uniqueness, and explore new possibilities with curiosity.
Support for your career journey
Your career journey is always a work in progress, so let's navigate it together, one step at a time.