Costly Career Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

I recently read a comical article in Forbes describing different career mistakes that we are all familiar with and how to avoid them at work.

I found the article very interesting and it’s something I see in myself and around the workplace from day to day…

1. Being overly apologetic.
   

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   I think that this is still something I do without realising and sometimes just because I don’t have the confidence!
   (and regularly picked up on by my Directors – ahh) ‘Sophie, be more confident and others will start believing in you too‘

   Having only been in a corporate environment for a year after Graduating in 2015 hasn’t given me
   the most confidence yet (especially when talking to all those ‘big people’),
   and yes, I don’t have more experience than others.

   What we need to get out of habit is sounding like it.

   You don’t have to be senior to sound like it – and the more you start acting like one
   the more the seniors will believe you are one.

   Whilst attending my CIPD classes I met the UK recruitment manager at Chanel.
   There was a way in which she spoke with such confidence and like she knew everything that we all believed her.
   She might not have been the most senior in the class but she sure sounded like she was!

   And that’s really it.
   Just speaking up and sounding like you know what you’re talking about is already the first step.

   Confidence can be gained, but first you have to believe you can do it.

   Be less apologetic. Cutting out ‘just’ in your vocabulary. Stop asking for permission.
   Be concise and be clear.

   
   2. Too much time in meetings

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   Meetings can be useful when necessary but should never use up too much of your time.

   The problem in Recruitment is that there are so many candidates and clients to see.
   Then you have to prep before, get to the location, wait for the other person, order your coffees, have your chat, talk your points.. on and on..

   What we need to think about is whether this meeting is necessary and will it be useful?

   Of course, sometimes it might not be as useful but you need to build rapport, in which case it is absolutely necessary!
   But there is always another way…

   You can Skype, Facetime and Odro (An online video platform – watch this space)
   Which does the job! You get to have your meeting “face to face” and have your chat.
   You can meet up with candidates/clients that are too far to travel to whilst seeing their faces – reading their mannerisms and expressions.
   When in the video call you can examine the candidate and find the best match for the client, all in all saving time and money!

   

   To read the full article on Forbes click here by Jon Youshaei

Written by: Sophie Lee  22nd Feb 2017
Administration and Marketing Executive at Williams Kent

 Sources: Jon Youshaei
Full article on Forbes
Odro

Tags: Career Advice , HR Categories: Uncategorized