Mistakes to Avoid In Your First Job

First jobs are challenging for most people, as there’s plenty to learn about one’s work, the company and the industry. In your first job, you may be looking to make the right impressions and the right moves to excel in your career. You would also want to avoid mistakes that can derail your progress and push you back. Here are some of the common mistaken to avoid in your first job.

Not asking for help: Don’t be shy or afraid to seek help or ask questions. Don’t think that asking questions will reveal your weaknesses to your colleagues. However, make sure you ask the right person since not everyone would provide the right guidance. Your mentor or reporting authority should be your first priority whenever you face a problem.

Keeping your ideas to yourself: It’s likely that you will be part of a team and would often be participating in brainstorming sessions. At these meetings, you should not be shy or afraid to share your ideas with the team. Just because it’s your first job doesn’t mean that you need to keep mum. Even if you have an idea that appears to be radical, do share it with the team.

Overdoing your commitment: It’s natural that you would want to show your commitment in your first job, but avoid overdoing it. One common mistake is to stay late at the office, in an effort to show that you are working extra hours for the company. This could backfire, as it can also be interpreted that you are facing problems with the tasks assigned to you.

Taking things lightly: After 3-6 months at their first job, many people start taking things lightly. This behavior should be avoided, irrespective of what you may have achieved in the last few months. Your appraisals will be coming when you complete one year, so it’s time to do more and achieve more rather than taking things lightly.

Ignoring networking opportunities: You may have become the star performer of your team in a very short time, but how many people know you in the rest of the organization? As you move up in your career, you will probably be interacting with various members outside your team. It would be advantageous if you already knew them and have had interacted with them. For this, you will have to actively participate in networking events.

There may be other mistakes that you might make in your first job. It’s important to remember that mistakes are not the problem; rather, not learning from your mistakes is the real problem. So, whenever you commit a mistake, accept it, acknowledge it, learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Also, learn to move on quickly. Don’t let yourself be dragged by the guilt of making a mistake. We all do it and that’s how we learn.