Avoid These 6 Career Killers

Waiting

So many job seekers tell me that they want a new job but they are waiting. What are they waiting for? It varies; some are waiting to see if they will get a promotion (that they have been passed up for in the past). Some are waiting to “get themselves together” whatever that means. Other are waiting for the economy to get better.  When you wait, you only miss out on opportunities – the go getters that companies are looking for do not wait.

Blaming the man!

“They ain’t gonna give a job!”, “They don’t want to see me get a promotion!”, “They won’t give me a chance!”, “They hate on me!” Who is “they” anyway? Stop blaming others for your failures, get after it – if you’re looking but getting no callers, then you are using the wrong bait.

Using old tools

I’ve had a couple of job seekers who only have hard copies of their resumes. How can you apply for jobs with only a hard copy resume? Seriously, it’s ridiculous. I’ve had other job seekers that do not want to use social media platforms like LinkedIn. They are dead-set against it. Millions of jobs are on LinkedIn and millions of recruiters begging for applicants, so why are you not available?

Being afraid

Some people are happy to just have a job. I guess that is understandable but if you have a degree, a certification, experience and skills, there is no reason to be afraid. You won’t know what you are capable of if you don’t try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Interviewing can be tough and scary but what’s the worst that could happen? You won’t get the job? Maybe, but you can gain experience interviewing and get more comfortable telling your story to employers – which will land you a great job.

Lying to yourself

I once worked in a place where most of the employees complained about the job and how they hated it but once the company announced lay-offs those same employees cried like babies. Which made me wonder, did they hate it or love it? You either want a better career or you don’t.  You either want to do something more fulfilling or you don’t. Don’t waste your friends’ time complaining about your job and pretending that you are feed up.

Making excuses

“That job is too far away”, “My boss wouldn’t know what to do without me”, “I will lose my vacation time”, “The job market is too tight” The smallest things will make a person stay in an unpleasant situation. Make moves, not excuses.