Five Signs You May Be Sabotaging Your Career (And How to Avoid It) – Human Resources

Most of the time, we don’t realize that we are sabotaging our careers ourselves. It masquerades as “good advice” to protect us, but it is the inner voice that fuels doubt and destroys self-confidence. One recruiting expert shares with Fast Company signs that may indicate self-sabotaging behavior.

The job market is ready to provide professionals with their dream job. Career aspirations that were once merely wishes are now available, and career advancement and promotions are no longer years away.

If you don’t believe it, there is data to prove it, and here could be the first indicator of a self-sabotaging maneuver. A recent survey in the US showed that in the past two years, 63% of professionals received a promotion, and to support employee needs, nearly 50% of companies will spend more on improving skills in 2022.

However, in an age where the employee is at the centre, Roxanne Calder, founder and managing director of EST10, an Australian recruitment consultancy, reveals that self-sabotaging behaviors have become constant.

Master the work you know. At this moment, changing jobs, companies, sectors or getting a promotion is very serious. With rising interest rates and rising costs of living, it’s much better to have the security of your job, your company, and a boss you know. What if it doesn’t work? You have financial obligations and a family that depends on you.

But what if it works? In life there are no guarantees. Each economic scenario has its own set of risks and external forces. Add in high unemployment and a surplus of candidates, and it’s an even riskier proposition since your position is completely fungible.

Work from home. “I’m working more.” This may be true, but if you’re working from home more than a day or two a week, you’re playing roulette with your career. In other words, it’s not seen enough. These opportunities to “shine” through brainstorming, brainstorming, and problem solving are lost. The same goes for valuable moments to build connection and trust. These social interactions with your colleagues contribute to improving your performance.

If you’re starting a new job, you can’t underestimate the learning experience through osmosis in the office. Nor does cultural interaction and participation contribute to increasing your chances of success.

I’m not ready. Or maybe you need more training, mentoring, skills improvement and another six months of work? You agree to all of this, despite your boss betting on you. We are rarely ready, even in the perfect moments.

The beauty of this specific moment is that employers are fully aware of the training needs to improve the skills of their employees. Managers know they need to be patient and supportive. Likewise, they expect their employees to be committed, flexible, and willing to be “on.”

border. The advantage of the pandemic has been that we have improved our ability to say “no.” It took some time to arrive and the work environments and organizational culture improved. But the boundaries are not fixed. They need constant review and readjustment, according to changes in the overall environment.

A “no” may prevent you from accessing learning opportunities, causing career stagnation. It can also lead to delayed team communication and collaboration and blocked “yes” from the manager and colleagues.

“Quiet withdrawal.” It does its job and that’s the end of it; There is no “moving on”. Originally, the phrase “quietly quit” was used to protest the culture of burnout prevalent in China. It has since shifted to Western behavior in the workplace.

COVID-19 has taught us how to advocate for workers’ rights in the workplace. It took a long time and a big change in the status quo. But what are the circumstances of your “silent withdrawal”? Is it based on overwork and rights or is it simply a struggle of not wanting to give more? If your motto is: “I don’t appreciate it, so I won’t do more than I’m asked,” it’s almost certain that you won’t be appreciated.

Most of the time, we don’t realize that we are sabotaging our careers ourselves. It masquerades as “good advice” to protect us, but it is the inner voice that fuels doubt and destroys self-confidence.

In many cases, self-destructive behavior, such as professional self-sabotage, is rooted in anxiety. After the fear, anxiety and apprehension witnessed in recent years, self-protection mechanisms have become justified.

But not this one. At its core, self-sabotage is a pattern of repeating unhealthy behaviors that prevents us from making the changes needed to achieve goals. If there is no other guarantee, survival in today’s new world requires accepting change. Giving in to professional self-sabotage certainly means sabotaging other parts of your life.