Having left the traditional real estate workforce to coach real estate entrepreneurs instead, I haven’t had to deal with the kinds of dynamics many people do in a typical office environment. While being a self-employed entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges and obstacles, I still remember what it was like to navigate the confusing career world of job interviews, promotions, and org charts.
But after discovering a passion for coaching and mentoring, I decided to start Coaching In Stilettos, an off-set to Real Estate In Stilettos, focusing more on the coaching of real estate entrepreneurs and small business owners. What I have been learning is that we all make so many career mistakes that hinder our success. We’ve all made them, we’ll all continue to make them, but still—some can stick with you throughout your career. These are a few of the cringe-worthy mistakes that you can avoid by creating some good professional habits:
Oversharing. Ever heard of TMI? For those of you who have been living in cultural isolation, it means “too much information.” You’ve probably fallen victim to it or been guilty of oversharing yourself. Remember that work is a professional setting and making your boss and coworkers feel awkward because you overshare personal info isn’t what you want to be known for.
Not Taking Responsibility. One of the biggest pet peeves amongst coworkers and managers is dealing with people that don’t take responsibility for their mistakes. As an adult in the workplace, it’s unproductive (and immature) to pretend like a mistake didn’t happen. Own your mistakes and skip the part where you explain or give excuses for them, too.
Lack of a Go-Get-Em Attitude. “I don’t know how to do that,” is no longer an acceptable answer at work. With the vast (and free!) knowledge available to you via the internet, your new internal response should be: “Everything is figure-out-able,” or at the very least, “I’m not sure, but I’ll Google it.” There’s nothing worse than saying you don’t know how to do something that could have been figured out with a quick internet search—and no manager wants to promote someone who doesn’t take the initiative to try to complete an assignment before lamenting they don’t know how.
Getting Caught Up In Office Gossip. Do your best to not participate in gossip and learn how to excuse yourself when it does pop up. Another quick tip? While a quick vent session might seem great in the moment, you’ll quickly realize that you don’t actually feel any better after one. Bond with your coworkers by celebrating successes (there’s always an excuse to toast at Happy Hour), not griping.
Not Creating a Budget. Congrats on landing a job with a salary. Now, don’t squander all your hard work by letting your finances just happen. Create and manage a budget. Taking control of your financial future is one of the most empowering things you can do. It’s also how you successfully negotiate for a better salary or more perks in the future. Oh and if you get that raise? Try putting that increase into savings, not a spending spree at Zara.
Sometimes it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference in what we do. These are just a few of the little things you can do to help move your career along into a path of success.
With Love | Nikki xo