We all strive to be successful at what we do for a living. Some are only happy to keep their job for as long as possible because they are primarily focused on having a steady income, while others are much more ambitious and wish to climb the career ladder as high as possible. Regardless of what group you belong to, you need to know that there are many factors that influence your career and that numerous obstacles, some less obvious than others, may destroy your career, which would most certainly have a profound impact on both your professional and private life. So, if you’re interested in some of the most common, yet possibly not so obvious mistakes that might ruin your career, take a look at the following list, which explains the problems and gives suggestions on how to prevent them.
Neglecting relationship with colleagues (and bosses)
Your skills and qualifications are rarely enough for you to secure a promotion. They are always the necessary precondition, but in order to have a progressive career you will need much more. Having a good relationship with your colleagues and superiors is high on the list of those needed extras. Actually, it seems to be one of the most important elements nowadays. Namely, if you aren’t on good terms with colleagues and superiors and you firmly believe that it’s just enough to do a great job, there is a every chance that you’ll be out of a job soon.
Being involved in sexual harassment
One of the worst things that can happen to you is to be involved in sexual harassment in the workplace (or outside your workplace). Luckily, people are becoming much more aware of this problem and many countries, such as Australia, have adopted various laws and regulations to deal with such instances. Bear in mind at all times what constitutes sexual harassment: making unwanted requests for sexual favors or dates, making inappropriate comments about someone’s body or appearance, saying bad things about someone or all people of a certain gender or sexual orientation, making vulgar, offensive, or explicit jokes about sex or sexual acts, etc. Unfortunately, some of the most renowned criminal lawyers in Sydney have an extensive record when it comes to dealing with this problem. That’s why you need to know what actions and comments can be interpreted as sexual harassment and avoid making them.
Neglecting the importance of rest
There have been days when you really needed to work longer hours, when you had to cancel private arrangements due to work and when you probably didn’t get much sleep. You might have even been motivated by the idea that sacrificing sleep is necessary to achieve your career goals and objectives. Unfortunately, you were wrong if thought that. To begin with, lack of sleep is very detrimental to your physical and mental health. On the contrary, getting inadequate sleep leads to the same effect as being drunk, in a way that it diminishes your performance and reduces your cognitive abilities.
Not being careful about your social life
It’s no longer really true that what you do in your private life has little bearing on your career. In the age of social media and fast information transmission, where most information posted online remain there permanently, it could prove a costly mistake to not be careful about what you post. Not only can you lose your current job, but you’ll also be much less likely to land a new one in the future. So, be careful what you post.
Needless to say, you shouldn’t believe that the list of mistakes that could ruin your career ends here. There are other potential bumps on the road and you really need to do your best to avoid them. Remember, your career depends on both how well you do your job and how you behave.
