When it comes to your job, you show up to the office on time, remember everyone’s name, and you’re the only person who actually refills the coffee pot. So when it’s time for a promotion, why did Helen get it instead?
If you’re making any of these five mistakes, you could be harming your career in the long-run.
1. Wasting time and energy
You’ve got a lot on your plate—you need to update that spreadsheet, create a proposal, and tackle the 80 emails sitting in your inbox. But are there smaller projects that could be delegated to others or even tasks that could be eliminated with a little streamlining?
There are a limited amount of hours in the day. If you spend too much time on tasks that don’t serve the bottom line, you’re wasting energy on that could be used for bigger, more meaningful work.
2. Failing to seize new opportunities
Maybe the reason you got passed over for that upcoming assignment was because you simply did not ask to be considered for the role.
Offer up your expertise on a particularly challenging or lengthy task. Try something like “Hey Melanie, I know you’re super busy with the Aloha Coffee proposal. If you want, I can work on crunching the numbers and reviewing the finalized copy.” Even if they don’t take you up on every offer, the next time a promotion comes up, they will remember who was willing to step up to the plate.
3. Burning bridges
Hawaii is a small community where reputation is everything, so steer clear from this career mistake. Even if you only worked at a company for a week before being let go, you should never lash out on your supervisor. Always keep it professional and courteous. You never know who knows who, or when your paths will cross again.
4. Coasting
People notice when you’re taking initiative on projects and tasks that weren’t in your job description, going above and beyond to help your company succeed. If there aren’t a lot of tasks that need attention on your usual to-do list, find other work to do or ask for more responsibilities.
Coasting will let you keep your job but won’t help your chances of being considered for another position any time soon. No one is going to promote someone who appears to only be there to collect a paycheck.
5. Staying in the wrong job
Maybe you got into marketing because you were given an opportunity by your uncle’s brother-in-law. Maybe it’s great, but maybe it’s not. Don’t stick around in the wrong job just for the sake of it.
If there’s another field or industry you’re passionate about, it’s never too late to make a career change. It’s much easier to succeed when you’re actually motivated by the work.
[Related: Are You in the Wrong Job? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions]
ALTRES Staffing can help you find the right job. We believe that you should be working with a great company in a position that you love. Check out our jobboard to see what opportunities are available!
Find a job
If you’re not happy with your job or career path, ALTRES Staffing may be able to help. We understand the local job market and match qualified candidates with Hawaii’s leading companies every day. We offer jobs you won’t find anywhere else, and one interview will give you access to hundreds of jobs. Best of all, our services are FREE for jobseekers. You can search our current positions, or just reach out if you need guidance. We are happy to help!
Sign up for our newsletter
Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.
When it comes to your job, you show up to the office on time, remember everyone’s name, and you’re the only person who actually refills the coffee pot. So when it’s time for a promotion, why did Helen get it instead?
If you’re making any of these five mistakes, you could be harming your career in the long-run.
1. Wasting time and energy
You’ve got a lot on your plate—you need to update that spreadsheet, create a proposal, and tackle the 80 emails sitting in your inbox. But are there smaller projects that could be delegated to others or even tasks that could be eliminated with a little streamlining?
There are a limited amount of hours in the day. If you spend too much time on tasks that don’t serve the bottom line, you’re wasting energy on that could be used for bigger, more meaningful work.
2. Failing to seize new opportunities
Maybe the reason you got passed over for that upcoming assignment was because you simply did not ask to be considered for the role.
Offer up your expertise on a particularly challenging or lengthy task. Try something like “Hey Melanie, I know you’re super busy with the Aloha Coffee proposal. If you want, I can work on crunching the numbers and reviewing the finalized copy.” Even if they don’t take you up on every offer, the next time a promotion comes up, they will remember who was willing to step up to the plate.
3. Burning bridges
Hawaii is a small community where reputation is everything, so steer clear from this career mistake. Even if you only worked at a company for a week before being let go, you should never lash out on your supervisor. Always keep it professional and courteous. You never know who knows who, or when your paths will cross again.
4. Coasting
People notice when you’re taking initiative on projects and tasks that weren’t in your job description, going above and beyond to help your company succeed. If there aren’t a lot of tasks that need attention on your usual to-do list, find other work to do or ask for more responsibilities.
Coasting will let you keep your job but won’t help your chances of being considered for another position any time soon. No one is going to promote someone who appears to only be there to collect a paycheck.
5. Staying in the wrong job
Maybe you got into marketing because you were given an opportunity by your uncle’s brother-in-law. Maybe it’s great, but maybe it’s not. Don’t stick around in the wrong job just for the sake of it.
If there’s another field or industry you’re passionate about, it’s never too late to make a career change. It’s much easier to succeed when you’re actually motivated by the work.
[Related: Are You in the Wrong Job? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions]
ALTRES Staffing can help you find the right job. We believe that you should be working with a great company in a position that you love. Check out our jobboard to see what opportunities are available!
Find a job
If you’re not happy with your job or career path, ALTRES Staffing may be able to help. We understand the local job market and match qualified candidates with Hawaii’s leading companies every day. We offer jobs you won’t find anywhere else, and one interview will give you access to hundreds of jobs. Best of all, our services are FREE for jobseekers. You can search our current positions, or just reach out if you need guidance. We are happy to help!
Sign up for our newsletter
Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.