According to an article in Kiplinger’s personal finance, there are 7 career killers you should avoid. They are:
1. Procrastinating
2. Having a sense of entitlement
3. Settling into your job description
4. Avoiding office politics
5. Not being a team player
6. Not dressing the part
7. Failing to network
While some of these are obvious, others are not. In my almost 20 years of recruiting, number 2 (sense of entitlement) to me is the one you should really pay attention too. Everybody wants to excel in their careers as quickly as possible. But what happens more often than not, people get impatient after a couple years and try to force promotion and change. Like the article says, workers (especially young ones who just entered the work force) want instant gratification. Careers that have meaning are built over years, not a few months.
Too many people don’t let their careers mature. But if your impatient with your employer and leave your job for another, you are almost starting your career journey over again. I have met many individuals who get into this cycle and before they realize it, they are 40!
You should not get involved in office politics, but you should know what is going on. Information is king!
