We’ve all heard helpful career tips: prepare for an interview, be punctual, dress professionally, take notes, etc. However, not many of us discuss the BAD advice we’ve been given throughout our professional lives. We’re here to tell you that “not all advice is good advice!” 

Here, we’ve outlined five career tips that we feel you SHOULD ignore! If you’re ever told these throughout your career, we suggest that you turn your head in the other direction – or at least, truly consider where this “advice” is coming from before you accept it. 

1. Take the first job that you’re offered

The most detrimental job title is “job hopper.” If you’re quick to take the first, mediocre job that you are offered, it’s likely that you will be willing to leave after a short time and jump to the next best opportunity. In addition, the most important part about growing your career is choosing a job that will lend you the ability to learn new skills and grow with a company, where your values and goals can be met. 

2. Never take on excess responsibility

While not taking on additional responsibility seems to be safe or wise option so as to not overload yourself, it can portray laziness or a lack of ambition. By offering to take on more than what is expected of you, your employer will likely deem you indispensable and be more likely to promote you down the road. Plus, having a larger workload will aid your abilities in project management, multi-tasking and meeting urgent deadlines.  

3. Follow the leader and do your best to “fit in”

While it can feel intimidating to challenge authority, offering new ideas that help to enhance efficiency or creative processes, may show your employer that you are innovative and willing to take risks to obtain better results. We’re not saying that you should challenge everything, but if you have a good idea, a good employer should be open to hearing it. Besides, employers value leadership qualities over employees who cannot think for themselves.  

4. Choose the highest-paying job you’re offered

Money is important, but it’s not everything. Salary should most definitely be considered when choosing employment – and can even be negotiated down the road – but it’s far more important to weigh “fit” when choosing the right company. The right fit allows productive working relationships with your employer, colleagues and other stakeholders, while also offering a comfortable environment to learn, acquire new skills and grow your dream career. 

5. Stay where you are comfortable

Job satisfaction equals life satisfaction. If you become too comfortable, you will likely become bored or apathetic about how you spend the majority of your day, and your job satisfaction will (subjectively) decrease. There is value in maintaining a workplace culture that exhibits challenges and presents continuous learning opportunities. When you overcome challenges, the rewards are much greater than completing monotonous work.  

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