6 Myths That Are Preventing You From Succeeding In Your Career

By Michelle Wanjiku
There are a lot of myths associated with career success and what it takes to actually achieve it. In this article take a look at some of the myths you might be buying into that are actually hurting your chances of achieving career growth.

So what are the common career success myths?

1. You can’t survive a bad performance review
Most people believe that once you get a bad performance review, then you need to start looking for another job because there is no way you are going to grow your career in the same organization.
This is not true because if you actually manage to improve and do better your boss will be more impressed with your dedication hence more willing to promote you.
Even if you want to change jobs after a bad review, you should strive to improve first, that way you maintain a good reputation as well as ensure you have good future references.
However, just so that you can ensure your career growth, you should always strive to get a good performance review.
2. You must arrive before and leave after your boss
This is another very common belief that many people have, that in order for you to show you are hardworking and love your job is to arrive before your boss and leave only after they have left.
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Something important to remember is that it is not about the quantity but the quality. You can spend over 15 hours at work but have nothing to show for it, whereas someone else spends the normal nine hours and achieves much more.
This habit will also hurt your social work and ensure you have no work life balance which is very crucial if you are to avoid burn out and remain productive.
However, some bosses do look at how long you are in the office so you need to determine what the office culture is.
3. You shouldn’t use all your leave days
Are you one of those employees who never go on leave and if you do you only use a few days? Do you believe that taking more days off means that your career will suffer?
This is just not true because as a human being you need some time off to relax in order to ensure you do not suffer burn out. Any good employer knows that in order to have productive employees, they need to take leave.
Work-life balance is very important and if your boss doesn’t see the need for you take time off and all they care about is work then you probably need to start looking for another job.
4. You should always speak up during a meeting
Most people believe that for you to get noticed at work you need to speak up during meetings and give your opinion. However, if you don’t have anything of value to say, it’s best that you keep quiet.
Speaking up just for the sake of it will not win you any favors nor will it show your enthusiasm. You will impress your boss more if what you are saying makes sense and is valid.
5. Dress up for success
It is a common belief that you need to dress for the job you want, however, this depends on what job you do and the company culture. If you are working for a company that dresses casual then a 3 piece suit is not the way to go. You can, however, go for smart casual.
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6. Always be available
In order for you to succeed at a certain company then they need to see you as important and indispensable, this way you get promoted because they don’t want to lose you to a competitor.
But, you should not confuse this with being available to work every hour of every day. This obviously varies depending on what industry you are in.
You need to strive to show your boss that you are very critical to the success of the company but that doesn’t mean that you can work on Sunday and will receive work calls in the middle of the night.
You also need some time off work where you can be with your friends and family. This will make you happier which is good for the organization because you become more productive when happy.
In conclusion,
Sometimes the rules you follow when it comes to achieving career growth and success end up hurting your chances of doing just that. You need to ensure that you are actually taking the right measures and doing the right things to grow your career and not wasting time on things that are of no help.
You can get career coaching services in order to better your chances of career growth.