Careers are surprisingly fickle. They could shatter at any time. Imagine working at a company for a decade, only to be told that you were being replaced by a younger and more promising intern. You’d lose your job and you might even be too old to find job opportunities even if you have lots of experience. It’s a sad situation but it’s also one that is far too common in modern society, especially as careers become more competitive and people actively fight over their spot at work.
So in this article, we’re going to talk about four things that could completely ruin your career, but also how you can avoid them.
General Poor Performance
Whether it’s showing up late, making excuses for your work or producing low-quality results, poor performance in the workplace is a one-way ticket to redundancy. If you don’t show that you can do everything better than others, then you’re going to either end up stale in your current position or potentially lose your job. Human resources will also track your progress and if you ever decide to find another job and use your current employer as a reference, they might mention that you had poor general performance which could lead to a failed hire.
Pre-existing Conditions
Be it a medical or mental issue, not disclosing these types of conditions could end up with you losing your job if you’re not careful especially if it’s found to limit or alter your ability to work at your choice of employment. Make sure you visit services that can help you solve these problems, such as prescription drug rehab if you’ve had a history of drug abuse, and you’ll be able to clear your medical history so that if your employer does perform a background check, they’ll see that you don’t have any conditions that could inhibit your ability to work.
Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket
If you invest too heavily into a single career choice and don’t have any kind of exit strategy then you could set yourself up for disaster. Putting too much faith on a single source of income means that if you ever lose it, you’ll cut off your income and have a very difficult time trying to get back on your feet. Don’t invest too heavily into a single career choice and always keep offers and opportunities open so that you have a plan B and C ready.
Failing to Look after Your Health
Overworking yourself is going to quickly cause you to burn out. This could cause many troubling issues such as health problems that could cause you to perform poorly at work or even force you into a hospital to rest and recover. Time spent off work is fine, but if you end up out of commission for a week or longer then your workplace will need to replace you temporarily, giving someone else a chance at your job. If they realize that you’re not reliable because you’re unhealthy, then they’ll give your position to someone else. Make sure you look after your health so that you don’t end up out of a job for too long.
