However, the advice you want to seek depends on who’s giving it. Today, almost everybody seems to be an expert when it comes to motivation, guidance and counselling. Even when you’re not seeking any advice, a lot of people out there are ever-ready to motivate you free of charge.
So, don’t be surprised when an unsolicited advisor comes to you to tell you the next course of action you should take to get to the top of the ladder in your career.
If you spend too much time seeking advice from people, you might meet the wrong people with some disastrous career advice. With this in mind, when you hear the following pieces of advice, you should try your best to ignore them.
1. Take any job you’re offered
In a country where unemployment is high like Nigeria, piece of advice like this is very common. Someone might tell you ‘there‘s no job and you just have to take whatever you’re offered’. If you are not absolutely penniless, don’t take this kind of advice. There’s no point taking any job you’re offered when you can still apply for better openings and get called for job interviews. It’s just a matter of time.
2. Go for the biggest pay
This career advice sounds like getting a job is all about money, but trust me, attractive salary isn’t everything you need as a starter. The fact that a company is offering a good pay doesn’t mean it’s a good company. You need to find out what job satisfaction and career growth look like in that organization. If these two are missing, going for the biggest pay doesn’t make any sense for whoever wants to grow career-wise.
3. Stick to your job
This advice is governed by the fear of the unknown and it comes in two ways.
Sticking to your job because you find it convenient and secure could jeopardize your potentials. You can try another work environment to get new challenges, meet new colleagues and learn new things.
On the flip side, you might be advised to stick with your job because you are afraid you might not get another. That insecurity could make you stick to one job no matter how unfulfilling it may be.
4. Be mindful of your limitations
This is the easiest way to condemn yourself to the bottom of the ladder. Don’t follow or believe anyone who advises you against stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s a terrible piece of advice that may kill your potentials.
5. Sit back and wait for a pay rise
If you think you deserve a pay rise, don’t ever sit back and wait till the management dim it fit to give you a pay rise. Ask for it. Remember if you don’t ask, you won’t get it.