Everyone wants to know how to succeed in their career.? There is no set method to success, but there are somethings that can bring about failure.? Here are 5 things to avoid:

Assume because you are employed now, you always will be. Don’t update your resume, gain new skills or network with former colleagues, because you have a great job and nothing will every happen to you.? If you are nodding your head at this statement, note that there are people around you laughing.? Once you become complacent there’s no way to go but down. Expect that your fabulous resume will land you a job. Yes, a resume is a tool and you need one.? But, your resume doesn’t get you a job.? You need to focus on relationships and demonstrating your ability.? The best jobs come by word of mouth, not by e-mailing resumes. Let other people define success for you. What does it mean to be successful?? Do you have to have a certain salary level or a certain title or a certain number of people reporting to you?? Well, I don’t know.? For you it might be the VP title.? In that case, go get it.? For someone else it might be a 40 hour work week with time to spend with the family.? If you are the latter, don’t let people bully you into feeling like a failure when you achieve your goal. Lie, destroy and cheat your way to the top. You know people who have done this.? Some have done so very successfully.? What you don’t see are the people who tried this and got busted.? You don’t see them because they don’t work there any more.? In fact, they struggle to get any job because they have no references.? When they were fired, you received a very polite e-mail saying that “Karen left to pursue other options.”? Yeah, it’s not worth the risk. Be mean to the little people. Yes, you are a big shot with degrees and power and blah, blah, blah. Or maybe you just want to be the big shot.? Be nice to everyone.? When you walk into a company for job interview you have no idea who that is sitting at the front desk.? It? might be someone from the temp agency who will leave tomorrow, and it might be your potential boss who is sitting there for 5 minutes so that the receptionist can run to the bathroom.? But, even if it is “just a receptionist” she should be a valued member of the team and will give her input on how you treated her.? Be mean or condescending to her, or to the security guard, or the grocery store clerk, and risk being overheard, seen, or reported for being the jerk that you are.? Be kind and gracious to everyone and people will support and defend you.? You’ll be able to get a lot more done with friends all over the company then you will with a stream of enemies hoping you’ll fail.

It’s easy to fall into these traps.? Keep out of them, and keep your career going.

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