How to avoid ruining your career

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You have worked so hard to get where you are that it would be a shame to lose it all because of a simple mistake. There are several things that permanently damage your career. It might be one event or a series of events adding up over time. It does not have to be dramatic but small things that you brush of can get you into trouble. If you know what these things are, you can avoid them and safeguard your career and grow your professional network.

Here is what you can do to avoid ruining your career.

Avoid playing politics

It takes a lot of hard work to build good work relationships. It is easy to break it all down because of playing politics. “Playing politics” refers to spreading rumors, starting conflicts, undermining workmates and anything that you do which would embarrass you if others knew about it. Instead, engage in activities that show your colleagues that you are not into office politics and they will respect you more.

Do not be complacent

Do not get too comfortable that you become complacent. You should look for ways you can improve yourself. You can get more information on professional courses or new skills online that will guide you. In this technological era, change is inevitable. Being complacent will render your services obsolete. However, constantly upgrading your skills will ensure that you are ready for whatever life throws at you and can even get a promotion.

Adapt and grow

Nothing ever stays the same. It is common to want to do things the way you are used to. However, you need to be open-minded and be ready to accept change. To be successful, you need to be ready to adapt to change as it comes. Even if you do not like the changes at first, adapting will make you grow. You also learn new things and you might come to love the change.

Be honest

Dishonesty does not always mean fraud or theft. It can be the white lies you tell to get out of work. These lies can put you and others into trouble. When you get a job, you are trusted by your employer and colleagues. “It takes a long time to build trust but only a few seconds to break it.” Once you tell one lie, everything you say will be considered a lie and no one will trust you. If you want time off, you are better off asking for it instead of lying that you have an emergency. If you have been working on a project and put in the extra hours to get it done, your boss will be willing to give you some time off.

Avoid sucking up to superiors

Let nobody tell you that sucking up to your superiors is good in any way. It will make you lose the respect of your fellow workmates who are trying to succeed solely on merit. The superiors you suck up to will see that you are more interested in stroking their ego than using your efforts to get ahead. If you want to have a strong work relationship with your boss and workmates, do it in an authentic way. That way, you will get favor and respect based on your work.

Be realistic

You want to appear like the best compared to your colleagues and might end up overselling yourself. You know how salespeople oversell products that disappoint you later on? That is what happens when you oversell yourself. Give your workmates and clients’ realistic timelines and the quality you can deliver so as to avoid putting additional pressure on yourself. If you give unrealistic expectations, you will end up getting embarrassed when you do not meet them.

Build bridges instead of burning them

If you are going off to a new job, your last impression with your previous employer carries considerable weight. Everyone has complaints about their jobs. However, it looks better when you do not badmouth your previous boss or company just because you are leaving. Doing this will make you appear untrustworthy and you will not get a good review from them. By maintaining a good relationship with your previous employer, you will continue building a professional network.

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