Very many years ago in my classroom, my teacher asked what we would all want to be in the future and we all conveyed our career choices with excitement.

Thinking from my teacher’s perspective now, I can just imagine how he would have laughed at our career choices as we stated them. Don’t get me wrong. Dreams are wonderful.

Children have the most innocent minds you can ever find. You just have to love them. The naivety they express can be hilarious but blissful to behold. I was reading a newspaper column some years back and I stumbled on an article where kids were talking about how they would buy the world with a fifty Nigerian naira note. I was laughing my ribs out.

Those were just kids. Adults are different. They think first before speaking or acting, unlike kids who do the exact opposite. As an adult, you should be calculative about every action you take especially in your search for jobs.

Unarguably, we all want to get good, stable, and financially reliable jobs; live luxurious lives and leave our kids financially secure for the rest of their lives. It is only required that we work hard towards it. This is why we have gone through formal education and have acquired the necessary skills to achieve our desires. It is at this stage that we should take precautions.

Let us consider some major professional blunders people commit in the corporate world.

Lack of direction

Applying for any job vacancy out of desperation is wrong. Why are you applying as a Front Desk Officer, Bar Manager, Air force Officer, Teacher, Banker, Sales Representative, and Web Designer, all at the same time? That’s pure torture. You need to stop distracting yourself and stay focused. Look inwards and think of some skills you have that you can be productive with. Get a job based on your skill(s) at first and see where it leads.

Money crisis

Some people are so expensive to hire but are worth so little professionally. Avoid applying for jobs without tangible experience or required skills with high salary expectations. Yes, you should know your worth and be confident, but, consider how valuable you are to the hiring organization? People seem to look for jobs to earn cool cash to spend and solve their financial problems neglecting the importance of self-development. It is recommended that you work voluntarily if possible. The amount of work you can give to a free job determines how you would treat a paid job.

Choosing an organization that doesn’t align with your personality

Avoid working in places where you would be ineffective. For instance, if you have no interest in cooking or other catering services, being a chef should be the least of your concerns. If you are a type who loves paperwork or can handle money efficiently, banks and other business organizations are places where you would be more effective.  

Being a rolling stone

Changing jobs at very short intervals can be very harmful to your professional growth and productivity. You won’t gather much experience or knowledge if you keep leaving jobs every time you observe problems. Experience trains you and when you shorten it by resigning every time, you lose the chance to be perfect at your game.

Making enemies

We’ll have to admit. Some bosses can be insatiable. They would never appreciate you and they are the first to call you out. Try, as much as possible, to get close to them and find out what they really want. They are humans and it is only logical to complain when things don’t go the way they want. After trying your best to make things work, and the problems persist, leave responsibly. Keep your records in order and do the necessary things you should do before leaving and resign with gratitude. It’s advisable to avoid making enemies that could be of great value to you in the corporate world.

Not acquiring professional skills

If your job doesn’t promise you security, then, you should secure yourself with additional professional skills. This is very essential if you want to achieve tremendous growth in your career. Try to acquire professional certifications as they serve as major career boosters in the business world. 

Finally, the corporate world is like a chain. Connections should be maintained to enable significant growth. Keep your mentors close, appreciate competition, and leave room for follower-ship (people who look up to you).