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Bad Career Habits: Why Great People Have
Not-So-Great Careers
by Ross Macpherson, President, Career Quest
Working in the career industry, I see literally hundreds of resumes
and hundreds of people on a regular basis, and I'm never short of
amazed and fascinated at the degree of talent, training, and expertise
out there. And then I ask myself, "If there are so many above-average
people out there, why are so many getting below-average results
in their career?" If I could answer this question, I thought,
I'd have the basis for a very good article (if I could bottle it,
I could make millions and retire!).
The problem actually has nothing to do with how well people do
their jobs; rather, the problem lies in the practice of poor career
habits. We go to school, get our degrees, upgrade our skills, and
earn professional certification, but no one ever taught us how to
succeed. We stay at the very forefront of our respective industries,
but then shoot ourselves in the foot because we either don't know
what to DO with this knowledge and experience, or we keep employing
the same poor habits in our career, hoping that one day we'll get
a different result.
Well, now is the time to change, and the first step is to identify
the habits that are getting in our way.
BAD HABIT #1: LACK OF ENTHUSIASM
How many of you wake up refreshed, invigorated, and ready to take
on the day with a smile, an abundance of energy, and an "attitude
of gratitude"? My guess is, not many. And yet, the most successful
people in our world achieve what they do because they bring to it
the right passion and the right level of enthusiasm. The problem
is, most people approach each day with very little enthusiasm -
they crawl out of bed, drag themselves around the house getting
ready, travel to work in silence, drag themselves home, fumble through
dinner, watch television, pass out, and then look forward to repeating
the whole process again tomorrow. NO wonder you lack enthusiasm!
Solution: Do what you have to to wake up invigorated,
and let those first few hours set the tone for the rest of your
day. Sing in the shower, smile to the first person you see, tickle
your kids, walk to work (or at least part of the way), listen to
music that gets you moving, walk with your head up high (not looking
down), and approach your day like it's going to the best yet. If
you really want energy, start an exercise regime and improve your
diet. It sounds simple, but if it's so simple then why isn't everyone
doing it? You'd be amazed what you can accomplish when you bring
this kind of enthusiasm and energy to each day!
BAD HABIT #2: WISHY-WASHY GOALS AND NO PLAN
Someone once said, "A goal is just a dream if it's not written
down." Many of us have goals, but they are in our head, they're
not specific, and we have no concrete actionable plan to get there
- it's just something we want. If you want it badly enough, set
the wheels in motion by writing down your goal and putting a sequenced,
action-oriented plan together for how and when you will achieve
it. The most successful people always have a plan - you should too.
Solution: Let's say you want to be the National
Sales Manager one day. Put together a plan for what you will need
to achieve in order to make that happen, and be sure to include
a deadline for achieving it. Then, break down what steps you can
start taking NOW to get there, and give each of these steps a deadline
too. Then be sure to schedule these steps into your daytimer or
whatever method would work best for you to stick to it. It doesn't
matter how big or small the step is, as long as it's on the right
path, you'll get there!
BAD HABIT #3: POOR SELF-MARKETING
Many people approach their career as if someone else is responsible
for their success. It's the boss's fault if you don't get a promotion
or raise, it's the market's fault if your resume is not getting
results, it's the interviewer's fault for not asking the right questions,
and so on. In order to be successful, you must realize that YOU
are responsible for marketing yourself, AND YOU HAVE TO MARKET YOURSELF!
Too many talented people either fail to market themselves, or try
to do it using outmoded techniques. Your resume and cover letter
have to be spectacular and market your value, you must be able to
communicate this value in an interview no matter how competent or
incompetent the interviewer is, and you must make certain that you
and your achievements are known by the right people. Once you employ
and master effective self-marketing in your career, YOU become the
person in charge of your career and the doors start opening.
Solution: Make certain that all of your career
marketing documents are top-notch and up to date. If you feel your
communication skills could improve, take a class or get some coaching
to make certain that you can sell yourself at the drop of a hat.
And lastly, make certain that the right people know who you are,
what you've done, and what you can do. Believe it or not, your boss
doesn't necessarily have the best insight into your achievements
and value, so let him/her know as you achieve them, volunteer for
projects that get you in front of top people, and start marketing
yourself!
BAD HABIT #4: TRYING TO DO IT ALL ALONE
Somewhere along the way, while no one ever told us how to have a
successful and rewarding career, we nevertheless came up with the
idea that we have to do it all by ourselves. We don't necessarily
think we need to fix our cars by ourselves, or re-patch the roof,
but somehow people think that their own personal and professional
success is a solitary venture. The truth is successful people almost
always have a supporting team of individuals to help them reach
their goals. They also surround themselves with positive and enthusiastic
people who can keep the fires burning inside - a negative group
can deflate you even faster than a positive group can inspire you.
Solution: Get yourself a mentor, a coach, group
of colleagues, etc., to help you achieve you career goals, surround
yourself with positive people, and get assistance where you think
you need it. Essentially, you're building what I call a Success
Team - an invaluable resource to help you achieve your dreams (to
see our article on building your Success Team, click here).
BAD HABIT #5: GIVING IN TO FEAR
Without question, the biggest thing that keeps talented people from
achieving their goals is their own self-imposed fears - fear of
failure, of success, of embarrassment or humiliation, or of just
trying something they've never tried before. The fears and doubts
that keep us from taking any action will not go away unless you
refuse to listen to them. Shakespeare said, "Our doubts are
traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing
to attempt." It was true 400 years ago, and its true now.
Solution: Change your mindset. Instead of thinking
about what could go wrong if you DID take action, take a good look
at what would happen if you DIDN'T. Really think about it and the
consequences. If you don't take a bold new step to get that new
job, what will happen, or not happen? Don't fear trying...fear NOT
trying, because that's the real failure. Be strong, be willing to
fall down occasionally, be willing to learn from mistakes, be ready
to enjoy your successes, stay positive, and boldly move in the direction
of your career dreams. Once you start, it creates a chain reaction
and a momentum that will move you in the direction of your dreams
faster than you can imagine.
"Whatever you want to do, or think you can, begin it.
Boldness has beauty, power, and magic in it"
- Goethe
© 2005 Ross Macpherson
About the Author
Ross Macpherson is the President of Career Quest, a Certified Professional
Resume Writer, and a Career Success Coach who has helped thousands
of motivated professionals advance their careers. To receive more
valuable career advice, sign up to join his monthly newsletter "Career
Accelerator" by visiting www.yourcareerquest.com
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