Stop making career mistakes

How do you know if you’re making a costly career error? Experts weigh in on some of the common mistakes you might be making and how you can turn things around —

Not making yourself indispensable

One of the biggest mistakes people make in their career in today’s layoff-prone world is not becoming truly indispensable. Find a task … your boss hates to do and offer to take it over. You might tell the boss you want to do it to gain the experience and to continue your career development, but that’s only part of it. If losing you will mean going back to doing something the boss hates, he or she will fight for you as if you were the company’s most valuable employee.

Not maintaining your network

A common mistakes workers make is networking only when it’s of immediate value. Doing so can appear self-serving and may dissuade contacts from advocating for you.

The best networking occurs when you don’t need something. This is when you can form genuine relationships with people and really learn about how you can help each other. The best networking is mutually beneficial. Besides, you don’t want to become who only reaches out when you need something.

Not increasing your marketability

Once you commit to a career path, you might think that the knowledge acquired at your job is enough to keep you marketable. In this competitive economy, that’s not always true. Find other ways to continue your education and sharpen your skills, so the next time you’re looking for a job, you have an edge.

If your company offers tuition reimbursement, take classes that will enhance your résumé. You might consider getting a certification in your field, since certifications have become very common in many fields.

Being too humble

If you’re someone who puts yourself down — this is probably a stupid idea, but … ­— or downplays your contribution to a big client win — “I didn’t really do much; it was Paul who did most of the work” — stop it now. Sure, you don’t want to come across as pompous, but if you don’t make your achievements known, you may be passed over for promotions or high-profile projects.

It’s up to the employee to position and communicate accomplishments and success, and to identify how they contribute to the success of the team, the department and the organisation.

Not keeping track of career accomplishments

One of the biggest mistakes employees make is not keeping track of all accomplishments from day one. Proof of career wins can land an employee a raise, a promotion and even help them to build their professional brand.

Burying your head in the sand

It might not seem like the best time to quit your job, but staying in a dead-end job may end up causing more harm. In soft economies, may people think it’s safer to stay with their current employer than to risk taking a job with a new company, and often it is. But don’t bury your head in the sand and hope that everything will be okay. Even in the best of times, companies routinely are merged, acquired, imploded and overtaken, sometimes leaving hundreds and thousands of people looking for new jobs. Be prudent and aware of your business condition. — Agencies