We’ve all made one or more of these mistakes at some point in our careers. It’s time to learn from them.
A friend of mine has had eight jobs in five years. And the same thing would happen at every one. She’d have a honeymoon period at the new job. Things would be fun and interesting. But then she would get a little bored and then a little tired of the work.
“They don’t get me! They don’t appreciate my talent! I hate my boss!” Then she’d would quit and start a new job. But the same problems from the last job would show up at the next one. What she didn’t realise was that she was the problem, not the job. Here’s what she and a lot of us do wrong.
COUNTING ON YOUR BOSS
“Your boss is not your mother or Std 4 teacher. They don’t all care about your personal development and career growth,” says Archana Manchanda. An educator, Archana’s learnt the hard way that you can’t wait for your boss to notice your talent and reward you with what you deserve. Managers are too busy worrying about the bottom line and fighting bigger fires. So create a thorough list of your achievements with corroborating evidence and go knock on that glass cabin to get your due.
HAVING A BAD ATTITUDE
“I don’t want an employee who brings negativity to the table, constantly focusing on why an initiative won’t work,” says Manisha Dhingra, assistant general manager of digital and social media content at an education and training firm. “A little criticism helps you cover your bases, but always looking for reasons why something is a bad idea is pointless.” Also, proof of a bad attitude is complaining how another team’s performance is dragging down yours.
HITTING PAUSE
The degree is only the first step. “I’m always amused at how newbies go on autopilot mode the minute they’re hired,” says Neha Singh, an HR executive at a major multinational. Knowledge and skills in any domain are fluid and changing, and it’ll hold you in good stead if you’re up-to-date, especially when you have to prove to a new employer that you’re an asset.
APPEARING DISINTERESTED
If you swipe in at the nick of 9, and out at 5 pm, it’s going to look like you’re only doing the bare minimum. Don’t hesitate to see a project through just because it keeps you at work past clock-out time. Don’t show callousness towards your work, whether it’s in terms of doing a spell-check on a report or rechecking research. Your employer needs to see you as dependable. Ami Rajkotia, a senior consultant in risk advisory for the financial sector, concurs, “If I’ve assigned someone a project report, they should know everything about it. I don’t want to see them blaming other team members during the review. Lack of ownership for one’s work is my biggest peeve with a subordinate.”