8 Common career mistakes and how you can learn from them

The good thing about life is that you are allowed to make mistakes and learn your lessons but do you know the bad thing? Well, you cannot afford to make the same mistakes again and again. That’s why the successful alumnus of MM(DU) got together and shares their life lessons which they have learned while making 8 common career mistakes. The article will benefit the young and vibrant generation which is ready to begin their career. Life is too short to make all mistakes on your own. Wisdom lies in learning from the mistakes of others. Sharing the 8 most common career mistakes made by the youth in their early years –

1. Not taking an opportunity seriously – It’s true that the opportunity always comes dressed up as overalls which means young ones often make the mistake of not recognizing a lucrative opportunity. For example, if you’re invited for an interview to another city and you are not ready to move out of your comfort zone; you would choose to miss it. But that opportunity could have taken your career to a new high and you end up regretting it later on. If you have also made such a mistake, you need to learn to take every small or big opportunity seriously and take the risk by moving out of your comfort zone. 
2. Saying “I will do it” to too many things – Aren’t we all too eager to please our teams and bosses whenever we join a new profile or company? So this is one of the most common mistakes made by freshers in a bid to please their teams as the new entrants. They try to bite more than they can chew. In other words, they are eager to take up as many responsibilities as they can and then they end up messing them up because they are not able to perform to the best of their abilities or do justice to all such responsibilities. So now the lesson to be learned is that train yourself to say no or take a step back because it is important to work as per your bandwidth. You don’t need to impress someone just for a month. Career performance is a long-term deal and hence it is advised to increase your contribution in a company gradually.
3. Locking horns with the “I am always right” kind of boss – The boss is always right but that doesn’t mean that you should not correct your boss or put forth your opinion. This only means that you need not argue with the boss to prove your point or to prove him or her wrong. A special piece of advice for the enthusiastic cutlets – “Do not try to show your smart opinion or observation when you are in a meeting with such kind of boss.” So if you have already made this mistake and earned your boss’s wrath, the lesson to be learned is that peace of mind is more important than ego. 
4. Covering up your mistakes rather than coming clean – This mistake should have come on number one because all of us from very childhood are taught to cover up or hide our mistakes. It takes courage to own up the mistake and come clean on that but rather than doing so, we tend to dust it under the carpet and thus never grow! The lesson to be learned is that such mistakes would show up sooner or later and can be traced back to us. And that embarrassment may cost you your job. So when you mess up, be the first want to get up and on it. This would save your time and your job too!
5. Treating your colleagues as friends – Colleagues are not your competitors; they are your team. But they are definitely not your friends which means that you should not share your personal life with your colleagues. There has to be a thin line between your professional and personal life. Most of the time over trusting your colleagues may put you in embarrassing situations at work so if you have already made this mistake, the lesson to be learned is that treat your colleagues with respect and affection but do not get friendly or get drunk with them and spill all your life secrets. 
6. Choosing a job solely for money – Money is one of the biggest motivations indeed but that doesn’t mean that you should choose a job only to add to your bank balance. End of the day, it is personal satisfaction and work gratification that would keep you motivated coming back to the same office day after day. And if you have already chosen the job just for the sake of money, remember it’s never too late. If you are unhappy at work, quit right now and look for an opportunity or a work profile that would make you happy. Work won’t give you stress or burdens if you fall in love with it and treat it as a passion. 
7. You stopped upgrading your skills – Another very common mistake! Once people get a plum position, they stop investing in their training and upgrading. This especially happens with the managerial team who think that they have got good pay and a very nice position so there is no need to upgrade their skills. But training has to be a continued part of your career. If your team leader is not arranging for your training, you should enroll for individual programs provided by many digital platforms. Investment in upgrading your skills will pay you better returns than anything else. Training is important for those who are working in the digital and marketing space as both these aspects continue to innovate and change every month.
8. Sticking to a job because you are afraid of change – Magic happens outside the comfort zone. You would grow when you take chances, when you explore opportunities and when you are ready to do more or different than the current work profile. Sticking to a job just because you are comfortable and understand the nitty-gritty of it would hamper your growth. Because if you continue to do so, you would always remain in the same position. For example, if you are a copywriter working in an advertising agency, you would not graduate to the level of a visualizer or creative director if you do not try new profiles or experiment with your work. The less to be learned is that never be afraid of doing new things.

Also Read- How Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed To Be University) Helped Me Carve My Career Path?