Career success doesn’t just come down to skill and ability; it’s also a result of the choices you make. Sometimes, it’s the small habits or mindset traps that quietly hold you back without you even realizing it. If you feel as though you’re not progressing or have hit a career plateau, it might be one of these missteps keeping you stagnant. Here are 13 things you might not know that could prevent your career from taking off, as per experienced career coaches who answered our survey.
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Staying in your comfort zone
If you never put yourself in situations where you have to try something new or different, you will not grow. It can be scary at first, but if you don’t challenge yourself, you become very replaceable over time.
Avoiding feedback
Avoiding feedback can keep you from improving your skills. Growth happens when you’re open to learning, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Not speaking up
If you never speak up during meetings or in group work, people will start to notice. You might have a million great ideas but, if no one hears them, what’s the point?
Waiting to be noticed
Working hard is great but sometimes you need to make your own path. Waiting around for someone to come along and give you a raise or promotion or tell you they want you on their team is a sure-fire way to get stuck in a rut.
Neglecting your soft skills
If you only focus on the actual work you’re doing, you might miss out on things like communication and presentation skills or how you work with others. Hard skills are important, but soft skills can really get you far in your career.
Saying yes to everything
Saying yes all the time can be a recipe for disaster. You end up stretching yourself too thin, get burnt out, and risk looking like a pushover who will do anything for anyone. Never be afraid to set boundaries in your life.
Not networking
If you aren’t building relationships at work with other people, you’re doing your career a major disservice. Your network is one of the most important things you have to help you land that next job, find a mentor, or connect you to other opportunities down the line.
Staying in a job too long with no growth
If you have been in your current role for some time and have not seen any development or promotion, you may be holding yourself back. It is okay to move on and move up when it is time, even if you love your current job.
Being reactive instead of proactive
If you wait to be asked to do something and don’t take any initiative, you’ll be seen as passive and complacent. The best thing you can do for your career is to show that you’re willing to go above and beyond.
Not updating your skills
As the world around you is changing rapidly, things like workplace tools and job descriptions are, too. If you fall behind in your research, you will start to look dated.
Complaining more than problem-solving
While it’s okay to let it out once in a while, no one wants to be around a constant complainer. People notice when you’re always bringing problems without solutions to the table, trust me.
Taking things too personally
People can often become defensive in the workplace when they get feedback they don’t agree with or feel targeted by someone else. If you are someone who does this, you’ll struggle to progress.
Waiting too long to ask for a raise or promotion
If you know you deserve a raise or a promotion but keep putting off the meeting to ask for it, someone may never do it for you. Timing matters, and if you don’t ask at the right time, you won’t get it.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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