Career Mistakes Everyone (From Intern To Executive) Should Avoid In Their Career

Recently, I’ve been asking the people I’ve been interacting with - from internal management, candidates I’ve worked with, and people I’ve met via twitter:

“What early career mistake would you never make again?”

Let me tell you, this was an eye opener. While I have 9 years of experience, there are a lot more people out there with more experience than I have.

Asking this question to people who’ve been around the block shows you an entirely new perspective. I take notes every time I have one of these conversations (Apple Notes is my go to). From what I’ve gathered, here are the top five mistakes everyone (from intern to executive) should avoid in their career.

Let’s dive in:

Mistake #1: Only networking when it’s too late.

Too often, people wait until it’s too late to build their network.

They’re already employed. They think just because they’re comfortable at their job, they don’t need to go out and meet new people. As we’ve seen the past year or so, this is a profound mistake. People get laid off, have 0 professional connections, and start their job search cold, without any leads or anyone to help them.

Instead,

You should be networking before you actually need to. Aim for 1 meaningful connection every week or two. The goal should be if you got laid off right now, do you have at least 3-5 people who can refer you into a job application?

Mistake #2: Burning Bridges without thinking of the implications.

It feels good to burn a bridge, doesn’t it?

You hate your job. You hate your boss. You give no notice. You stick it to the man, and move onto your next job.

But one question: have you thought about the implications? For example, let’s say 3 years later you end up looking for another job.

The manager you worked for previously is now a director at the company you worked for. You can kiss that opportunity goodbye.

Ok, but maybe you don’t care because you hated that guy anyways. What about the team members that were indirectly effected when you quit on the spot, and all that extra work with no knowledge transfer got thrown on their lap?

One of those members now works at the company you interviewed for. Again, you can kiss that opportunity goodbye.

The world is much smaller than we think…

Mistake #3: No professional development only to get left behind.

This is a huge one, especially in tech.

People think just because they’ve been employed, they can stay in their comfort zone. Again, we are learning that with this new job market, people who get caught lacking get left behind.

Seemingly every few years, new technologies, and versions of technologies, are released. Let’s take angular for example, almost 10 versions have released since 2014. And most companies don’t recognize your angular experience if you haven’t worked on anything earlier than v. 8/9.

Don’t get caught lacking in your comfort zone. Stay up-to-date with technologies within your skillset.

Mistake #4: Fear of the unknown, paralysis by analysis.

Fear can be paralyzing, preventing you from pursuing new opportunities or taking on challenges. Whether it's fear of failure, fear of rejection, or fear of change, letting these emotions control your decisions can hinder your career advancement.

Some people are so afraid of the unknown, they would rather stay in their current job for years on end, even if that means crippling depression, zero room for advancement, and a lack of respect from their company.

Don’t forget, loyalty doesn’t exist in corporate America. Companies can, and will, replace you at a seconds notice.

Embrace a growth mindset, face your fears, and take calculated risks to move forward in your professional life.

Mistake #5: Failing to set clear goals for your career.

Not having clear career goals can lead to aimless drifting and lack of focus. It's important to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to guide your career path and help you stay motivated and driven.

Don’t just look at your career one day at a time. If you do that, years will pass by and you’ll be in the same exact spot you’ve been in.

You need to have short-term goals and a long-term vision. What can you do today that will get you where you want to be 5 years from now?

Thanks for reading. As always, some discounts for you guys.

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