What is the worst career advice you’ve ever heard?
Have you heard some bad career advice? From mentors, bosses, leaders, experts, etc? Share the worst career advice you ever received!
Good Answers (40)
1. "you are being too ambitious"
2. "don't take risks by thinking outside of the box so much"
3. " schmooze tactically "
these are horrible and were voiced many times to me over the last 20 years by various people...great advice to stay static and to offend people by sharking them...
Tom R
Director, Supply Chain STO P/L
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Hi Peter,
It just has to be ...
You're set for life!
I've head this so many times especially when someone has just taken a job in the public service.
Set - yeah, like a jelly is set!
Regards
Tom
Dmitry P
Computer Software Professional
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get a degree in accountitng
Hi Peter,
That most have been when I was 18 and interviewed for my military service. "So, you want to be a lawyer?!! Get a real job first! Work in a factory for some years, to see the real life!" I didn't follow the advice...
Regards,
Petter
Dawn R
President and Chief Résumé Architect - Pathfinder Writing and Career Services LLC
Best Answers in: Resume Writing (3)
Actually, the screaming sound of silence once I graduated from my college. There was no career advice... I walked onto the commencement stage, accepted my degree into my hands, walked off the stage and.... and.... and.... well, that's about it for a few years.
At the time, my alma mater didn't have anything remotely resembling the career services center it has now. Thank heavens the university realized new graduates desperately need some guidance and direction in order to transfer their 'book learning' into real world experience.
The worst career advice is not to have any when you are first starting out, especially with the graduation door slamming shut on your rear -end on the way out!
1976, upper midwest, town of 7,000, 10th grade - you guys don't need to learn to type...typing is for girls.
How's that worked out for you guys?
Liza H
Television Person
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"Listen, I know you have a staff job but I think you should take that really great, totally secure freelance position!"
"Seek advice from random strangers on the Internet."
L.J. B
Integrated Visual Communications
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Hello.
Good question.
1) Apply for every job you see that remotely fits your job search
2) Lie on your application just to get the interview
3) Become a generalist
4) Become a specialist
5) Start at the bottom, become indispensable, and you'll move up
Good luck!
Toby Marie W
Independent Consultant, Acclivus PDP
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I agree with Beth... we're all typing now and the guys who didn't learn to type in school struggle to this day. I'm amazed at the number of people who hunt and peck to this day.
Kelly K
Owner, Karius & Associates Conflict Resolution Consultants
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In a counselling setting:
Don't worry if people don't come back, they just didn't like what you said to them. (of course I worried about why they didn't come back.)
In a government job:
Don't leave, there's a lot of job security. (I left)
In private practice:
You don't have enough experience to do that. (I have it now!)
You have to not work so many hours. (But I love my job and am enjoying myself so much)
Obviously I didn't listen to any advice offered from these caring people. (And they were caring people, that wasn't intended to be sarcastic)
Excellent question Peter!
Kelly
I
Links:
Mario L
Senior Financial Analyst | Blogger | Project Manager
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"Your neurosis problems are making you fail in your job..."
26 years later, I still try to find out if I have neurosis problems and I have found nothing... Well, I think so...
Regards.
Mario Lopez, CPA
Mexico City, Mexico
Scott B
Author, Artist, Director of Business Development
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"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Yes, it is a question, but it implies that you should have a 5-year plan, Total BS this day and age.
Scott
Links:
Janice K
Technical Writer with Science and Programming Background
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Always say you have extensive experience doing X when someone asks you if you've done X before.
The last time I heard a variation of this it completely derailed an otherwise interesting conversation I was having with a neighbor. She mentioned a specific type of experience, wondering if I was interested in doing that type of work. I said something like "I've done that in the past although not recently. I'm sure I'm more than capable of performing those tasks if given the opportunity but someone looking at my current resume might not see a lot of evidence of that." I would have phrased that a bit differently in a more formal situation, but we were having a casual conversation about the job market and the process of looking for work (that she started with a request for candid advice about her employment situation) so I wasn't watching the way I phrase certain things in the same way I would in an interview or other more formal setting. I wouldn't have claimed to have massive amounts of recent experience doing that type of work in any situation, though, because I haven't. Her response was to tell me I was too negative because I didn't jump all over the mention of that type of work and losing opportunities because of it. Pardon me for believing I should be honest but in such a way that I express interest and capability when such exists. I want to be as honest as possible within the constraints of the interviewing process because it's in my best interests (and my nature) to do so. It doesn't help anyone if I claim to have 20 years of experience analyzing bond markets if I barely know what a bond is.
Regina Y
Award-nominated Communications Professional with a Social Conscience
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"You're a Rhodes Scholar! You're all set! What could go wrong?"
Answer (5 years down the road): Plenty. It's called "Life"
Still, I'm glad things went wrong - keeps me grounded and free of the sense of entitlement that plague many an ivy leaguer/oxbridger/prestigious scholarship holder.
How many times have you heard : You deserve better, they are just exploiting you. If you resign, we will immediately take you...
Needless to say that words vanish like smoke....
Not receiving any when i desperately could have used anything to stimulate the mind
" When you are a fresher, better stick to your company atleast for one year" this was the advice by my seniors now, i followed it and the result is i am here from the past three years in spite of the fact that i did not want to work for financial sector, coz my qualification do not support the field i am in but i took it as a challenge that i will do it atleast for one year. i am scared of Finance but unfortunately i am into financial sector from the past three years.
I've heard things such as, "Do whatever your manager tells you to do, even if it's unethical." In the audit world that will not work.
However my favorite would have to be the advice that was given to me while having a career path discussion with a Sr. Manager, "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Management will notice." I was thinking 'yeah I want to be known for my clothing and not my experience or education.'
Susan S
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., financial marketing writer.
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Anyone remember THE GRADUATE with Dustin Hoffman?
Here it comes.
"Plastics."
John W
Process Management Strategist
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Peter,
Great question, maybe because I have heard the same piece of advice over and over again just recently. I have been trying to get out my current position for a little over two years now, because it is a total wrong fit and whenever I talk to people and ask for some advice the line I get is "at least you have a paycheck." And I think to myself, great, what do I do with this?
don't push to have a managerial post, just settle to become a secretary a top noch one, though.....
Kelley R
President, Fearless Selling. Author of "The Secrets of Power Selling", sales consultant, trainer & speaker
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Hi Peter,
After listening to a speaker at a conference I approached him and asked how I could move into that career (I was already a trainer for a company). his response..."Just do it guy." Like that was supposed to be helpful...
Cheers!
Kelley
"In order to become a Genetic Engineer, you have to study Civil Engineering!"
Words of wisdom provided to me from a career counselor in high school...
Seth M
Strategies for Succesful Development
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"You'll be limited if you don't have a degree"
Degrees are great and I wish I had one. But the years I spent working is worth a lot more actual value than the 5-8 years my colleagues spent getting BS, MS, and PhD after their names.
I certainly wouldn't tell someone to skip college. The lesson I learned was "You're limited by what you know and what you can do; if people care about what money you spent enough to pass you over for someone who can do less, you don't want to tie yourself to that team."
Roy P
Entrepreneur | Professional consultant | Business owner
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"You have to wait for your turn and grow your wings before you can be considered for leadership positions. It's the same with other companies."
Clarification added 10 months ago:
Here's another that absolutely cheezes me:
"Closing three small deals is better than going for that big ambitious project."
Chris W
Senior Financial Services Professional
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Hi peter,
You have so much potential - hold out for 2 more years and you will go places! usually said by managers who cannot live without you and are incompetent without you...
This happened to me in a global bank. Leaving there was in hindsight the best career move i made...
Some managers are just terrible..
Chris
Ariel R
Motivational Professional
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I was working at a lab in Philadelphia, and I was studying for my MBA at the time, and wanted to get make more money, and I was taken to the side by a Senior Chemist, and he explained that... "around here, you are nothing more than a strong back; get about a good 8 years of experience in the lab, and then you can break into the 60k salary tier!" Thank G-d for recruiting, and commission just a year later. I make twice as much as him, and am half his age working less hours, and making others more money in the process!
Tina P
Customer Focused Project Manager
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Stay at a job your unhappy with - you have too much tribal knowledge.
Never stay where you are unhappy - you end up displaying the unhappiness in ways you'll never know.
I arrived for what a thought was a job interview and turned out to be a head hunting firm. Looked at my resume calculated I had been in the work force over 25 years and said you have one good job left in you. I didn't work with him. Working for the same telecom company for twenty years then being riffed was bad enough, then to hear I had one job left in me shook my confidence to the core. Hope he reaps what he sowed.
