Nobody would like to imagine they are doing their career harm and creating future problems, but modern careers bring pitfalls that can snare the best of us. Being aware of some key points to watch for can really help avoid trouble.
To get started, here are eight of the most common broad-stroke career mistakes that executives commit…
1. Never defining their career (path): More than 95% of executives falsely believe a career is progression by doing a great job in their role. Most executives do a great job, but have no plan for actively achieving their aspirations. This puts their career largely in the hands of other parties.
2. Attempting to advance their career solely by working harder: Because most executives believe career advancement is solely dependent on performance, they put all their effort into working harder. All too often their hard work is fruitless, leaving them frustrated and demotivated.
3. Relying on intermediaries to determine and provide their best outcome: Executives should never abdicate control of their career to intermediaries such as recruiters and search consultants. It is impossible for them to know what’s best for you. Moreover, because of the way they’re remunerated, they have neither the time nor the incentive to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
4. Believing their position offers all the access they need: Executives who believe their calls will always be taken, their meetings will always be scheduled and the power of their position will work in any situation are mistaken. Executives out of a job find accessing decision makers vastly harder.
5. Believing they can throw together a resume whenever it’s needed: Resumes and covering letters are critical marketing tools. Excellent resumes are more than mere chronologies. As such, their creation needs time, and substantial effort to uncover and present the core of one’s value proposition. A hastily compiled resume causes higher-than-average rejection rates and makes career transition that much harder.
6. Believing their skills will always be recognised by other executives: Many executives have outstanding talents. However, in front of a recruiter or an important contact you need to crisply and persuasively showcase those talents. If you can’t do this, potential employers will not go out of their way to give you a chance.
7. Failing to network effectively: Those executives with an active and systematic approach to networking are far more likely to be tapped for the best opportunities. Making yourself actively available for networking also allows you to build up credits with contacts and acquaintances. This pays itself back in the future if you happen to find yourself unexpectedly in the same position. And it reduces reliance on third-party recruiters who ultimately have the employer’s interests – not yours – as their priority.
8. Not liking the position and feeling stale professionally, but staying put for security: Often, executives stay in a position for financial security, even though they’re experiencing slow, grinding personal and career erosion. Considering the unpredictability of business and the impact of this subtle self-devaluation on confidence, morale and life satisfaction, this can be one of the biggest mistakes executives ever make.
