Not All Career Advice is Worth Taking

Summary: Career advice is plentiful and often helpful, but don’t let it lead you out into the middle of a lake with no way of getting back.

People are always willing to dish out their advice to others about career choices they should or should not make. Some of this advice can be useful but other advice needs to be tossed out. While it may be difficult to know what advice is worth keeping and using, we have included the most common bad advice that is given to help you get started.

Advice: When asked about your weakness during an interview, spin it into something positive.

While it is true that you want to talk about your weakness, make it positive by talking about how you are working to improve this weakness.

Advice: Work in a career you love and money will ensue.

While you need to be passionate about your job, you have to also consider other factors like skill level, need for whatever your passion fills, and what your competition is. Quitting a stable job to pursue your dream job is great but you need to be realistic. Start out with a job that incorporates your passion. For example if art is your passion, start out teaching classes.

Advice: You don’t need benefits right now; you are healthy, unattached and young.

Job benefits are a way to start building up protection for your future. Something like disability insurance will make sure that if you do get sick or injured, you can still pay bills like student loans.

Advice: Climbing the corporate ladder is the best long-term goal.

Career paths are closer to a zig-zag than a straight line. You will take steps backwards and sometimes to the side but that does not mean those steps are any less important or valuable. At each stage, you can reassess where you are at and if you are on the right path to your goals.

Advice: An objective is necessary to present what job you are applying for.

Including objectives at the top of your resume is often seen as old-fashioned. Your cover letter should address what job you are applying for. An objective is taking up valuable space where a thing like your work history is more important to address.

What is some career advice that you have been given? Tell us in the comments below the article.

Photo: huffingtonpost.com