The Seven things that can really hurt your career

Without even knowing it, there are things that we do that hurt our chances at advancing in our careers or even getting into the right fields. Here is a list from Kiplinger with seven of the worst offenses when it comes to your career:

1. Procrastinating. Putting together presentations and lectures at the last minute may have worked in high school and sometimes in college, but it won’t work out so well for you in the workplace.

2. Having a sense of entitlement. You can’t step into a job and expect to be the big cheese. According to the article, many young workers feel as though they should be promoted more often and have a sense of entitlement due to their level of education.

3. You just settle into your job description; you really have to go above and beyond to advance. You need to be able to see and take the opportunity to show your talents when the time arises. It will show your boss that you have initiative and that you can handle more responsibilities.

4. You completely avoid office politics. Sure, there’s gossipy and catty things that can go on in an office environment, but you shouldn’t avoid everything. You have to build relationships with your co-workers so that you have support from them. You need to show that you’re not just all work.

5. You aren’t a team player. You need to be a team player, but not so much that the things you do individually don’t get recognized.

6. You don’t ever look the part. You have to actually make yourself presentable and dress the part of your career. If you want to be a professional, dress professionally, brush your teeth, and smell good. However, make sure you dress like those around you…you don’t want to go to work in a suit and tie when everyone else looks like they’re going to the Bahamas.

7. You have to network! Networking is the biggest tool that can help you find a job. You need to be able to maintain the relationships you make when you network. Networking doesn’t have to be a daunting task either, you can join an online community through groups.google.com.

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