My Top 5 Career Mistakes and what I learned from them

Mistakes are an inevitable part of anyone’s career, and I have made my fair share of them since I started my career 22 years ago. When we look at mistakes as opportunities to learn, rather than irreparable situations, we may even come to appreciate and be thankful for them. Our mistakes often help us understand what is truly important and help us become a better version of ourselves.?

Luckily, we can also learn from other people’s experiences. That is why I’ve decided to openly share with you some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my career and what I have learned from them. Let’s dig in!

1.?Thinking my work would speak for itself

Even with all my years of experience, I still must stop and check that I am not repeating this mistake from time to time. Early in my career, I was all about the work, the work, and nothing but the work. I worked as hard as possible and maintained high standards for myself and others. By doing so, I assumed the work would speak for itself and it would receive recognition in the company.?Anyways, I was too embarrassed to toot my own horn.

This worked for a while, but the more senior I got, the more I realized that my manager and other senior leaders were unaware of my work. Sometimes the credit was even going somewhere else. It is really up to us to help people understand the value of what we do. So, go ahead, don’t be afraid, and proudly show your accomplishments at work!

2.?Not investing time in building relationships with senior leaders

It often feels like a “legitimate” professional excuse is needed to talk to a senior leader. The idea of reaching out can feel uncomfortable, even intimidating, especially when having concerns about wasting someone’s time.?This is how I used to feel, preventing me from making the right connections that could have helped open new career opportunities.?

Experience has shown me that people are generally much more approachable than we give them credit. Most people often react kindly when asked to connect as it is very flattering when someone wants to spend time building a relationship. Those relationships can make a real difference in your career, whether it’d be in the form of advocacy or a timely word of advice.?

Over the years, I have become more intentional in fostering these connections. I try to invest at around 10% of my time in meeting new people, not only connecting with senior leaders but also with junior or new associates who always give me a fresh perspective and help me take the pulse of the organization.

3.?Not raising my hand to be considered for a job

A job opportunity that I wanted presented itself during my career, and I thought I could have been a good fit. However, my manager did not consider me for this role, and I assumed it was because she thought I was not ready. While disappointed, I did not say anything at the time and moved on. It was only long after they had found someone for the position that I asked my manager why she did not think that I was ready for it. She was completely puzzled; it had not even crossed her mind that I was interested in that job. If only I had raised my hand, she could have connected the dots and the job would have probably been mine.?

This taught me to trust my instinct and just ask. The worst they can say is no and you would not have lost anything.

4. Avoiding salary negotiations

Compensation can be a difficult topic to navigate, but it is vital to negotiate salary as a full package. This has not always been my case.?I?have left quite a lot of money on the table out of fear of seeming difficult when asking for the right compensation.

The first time this happened was very early in my career when I took my first full-time job, sometimes after having completed a one-year internship with them. They made the offer, and I liked the company and the job so much that I took it on the spot without asking for anything more. With time, my manager would share her surprise. She did not understand why I had signed a work contract without discussing the terms and she mentioned that I could have gotten significantly higher pay from the start because of my previous experience. Simply put, I was given the salary of a graduate despite already having a year of relevant work experience.?

So, know your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for it. When it seems that there is no wiggle room, there probably is. Again, worst-case scenario, the answer is simply no. However, you’ll increase your chances if you just ask for it.

5. Losing myself

I have always praised myself for being receptive to feedback and acting upon it. At some point in my career, my manager gave feedback about my style. He said I was too passionate, I made too many distracting hand movements, and I needed to be more poised and composed if I wanted to be treated seriously.?

I took his feedback to heart, and it reached a point where I was overthinking every single comment and movement I made.?I realized I was putting too much energy into being another version of myself. I had lost sight of what defined me: my passion, dedication, and contagious enthusiasm. Said differently, I had lost my “mojo”.

I had the courage to talk about this to my manager and told him that as much as I wanted to act on his feedback, this was not working for me. He kindly apologized for letting his feedback be about style and not development. Ultimately, you bring the most value to the workplace when you feel free to be your true self. And focusing on your strengths will always bring you more than focusing on your weaknesses.

I hope that you can learn from my mistakes. They have become key learnings in my career journey and, in one way or another, have led me to where I am today. There were times when having the learning sooner would have been helpful, but it is all an essential part of my own growth. Just remember you are not alone, dare to reach out, fight for what you believe in, give it your best, know your strengths, and make your value known to the world. And always BE YOU above anything else.