You Need to Avoid These Huge Career Mistakes

Members of my career mentoring site will tell you that I believe that you need to manage your career.  If you don’t, no one else will.  This article reinforces that point…

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/07/15/the-worst-career-mistake-you-can-make/

Liz says that “the worst career mistake you can make is to put your faith in any employer, function or industry.”  I agree that this is a biggy.  But she ended her article with what I consider to be an even worse mistake — thinking that good performance is enough.

“They think that getting excellent ratings on their next performance review is the big win. It’s not.  It’s nearly insignificant!”

I don’t think that an excellent performance review is insignificant.  I do think that it is not nearly enough if you want to climb the corporate ladder.  I tell members of my career site that good performance is the admission to the career success sweepstakes.  You have to be a great performer if you want to succeed.  But good performance is not enough.

In my book Climbing the Corporate Ladder I list seven keys to a successful career.

1. Clarity of purpose and direction
2. Commitment to taking personal responsibility for your life and career
3. Unshakeable self-confidence
4. Outstanding performance
5. Positive personal impact
6. Dynamic communication
7. Relationship building

These seven principles have guided me on my success journey, and I’m sharing them with you so they can guide you on your personal journey to the career and life success you want and deserve. Let’s look at them in a little more detail.

There are three keys to developing your clarity of purpose and direction. You have to…

• Define what success means to you personally.
• Create a vivid mental picture of yourself as a success.
• Clarify your personal values.

There are three keys to committing to your success. You have to…

• Take personal responsibility for your success.
• Set high goals – and do whatever it takes to achieve them.
• Choose to respond positively to people and events.

There are three keys to becoming self-confident. You have to…

• Choose optimism. Believe in your heart of hearts that today will be better than yesterday and that tomorrow will be better than today.
• Face your fears and act. Don’t let your fears paralyze you into inaction. Self-confident people act.
• Surround yourself with positive people. Jettison the nay-sayers in your life.

There are four keys to becoming an outstanding performer.  You have to,..

• Update your skills by becoming a lifelong learner.
• Understand that business runs on numbers.  Know your company and industry’s finances.
• Manage your time, life and stress well.
• Live a healthy lifestyle.

There are four keys to creating positive personal impact  You have to…

• Develop strength of character.
• Create and nurture your unique personal brand.
• Be impeccable in your presentation of self — in person and on line.
• Know and follow the rules of business etiquette.

There are three keys to becoming a dynamic communicator,  You have to…

• Communicate well in conversation.
• Communicate well in writing.
• Communicate well in presentations.

There are four keys to building strong relationships.  You have to…

• Understand yourself, so you can better understand others.
• Pay it forward, with no expectation of return.
• Resolve conflict in a manner that strengthens, not damages the relationships you’ve worked hard to build.
• Be a team player.

I know this sounds like a tall order when you see and hear it like this. These ideas can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why I wrote the book.  You can download a free copy at www.budbilanich.com/climbing/  I want you to succeed in your life and career.  This book can help you.

Your career mentor,

Bud