For years early in my career, I was frustrated because I felt ‘stuck’ and unnoticed. I struggled with my confidence being surrounded by many experienced people, and this led me to second guess myself.

I was intimidated to speak up, even when I knew what to say. I dealt with self doubt and thought I did not measure up. I missed out on opportunities, because I did not know how to communicate my value.

I used to think my boss had all the power when it came to my career. One day, I had an Aha! moment. I realised that I had lost ownership of my career and was making professional mistakes that were hindering my growth. You too could be making the following mistakes that I made.

1. Not Knowing Yourself

This is the biggest professional mistake you can make. Knowing who you are is the first step in planning your career progression and building your personal brand. When you don’t know yourself, you can easily make mistakes like going for opportunities that do not align with your values, and miss opportunities that do. To truly succeed in this modern career landscape we find ourselves in, you need to know who you are beyond your profession, what your key motivators are and how to re-frame failings and regrets.

2. Doubting Your Value

Have you ever held yourself back from applying for a job because you didn’t meet 100% of the criteria? Do you keep quiet in meetings because you second guess yourself? These are examples of doubting your value. The most qualified person doesn’t always get the job. More often than not, it’s the person who is able to demonstrate that they are the best fit for the job. When you doubt your value, you miss opportunities you deserve. But when you begin to see your own value, you become a self-advocate capable of achieving your goals and getting the recognition you deserve.

3. Thinking Performance Is the #1 Factor When It Comes to Career Progression

The P.I.E. Theory of Success by Harvey J. Coleman shows that performance only accounts for 10% when it comes to career progression. If you are focused solely on performance, you will find yourself constantly over-delivering, neglecting the other critical factors of career progression, and striving to prove yourself over and over again. Paying appropriate attention to the other 90% which includes your personal brand, image, exposure, communication, social capital, and being proactive, will open doors that will take your career to the next level.

How to Avoid These Mistakes

1. Know Who You Are

Reflecting on your past experience, past projects, and the goals you have set before is a great first step to knowing yourself. Regularly ask yourself questions like – am I happy here, am I doing what I want, do I need to reroute? By asking these questions you stay true to yourself and where you want to go. The second step in getting to know yourself is projecting your future. What do you want to do? Start with the end in mind and work your way backwards to where you are, focusing on what you can control.

2. Articulate Your Value

Being an effective communicator who can articulate an idea, goal, or value has become increasingly important in the professional world. Get in the habit of articulating your value as often as possible with the people you work with and your leaders. Learn to talk about the work you do in terms of the value it brings to your team or organisation. The more you do this the more confident you will become and the more natural it will be to talk about yourself.

3. Increase Your Professional Visibility

Professional Visibility is about building your personal brand, image, and staying true to who you are. Many decisions that impact your career are made when you are not in the room. Begin quantifying your professional impact. How does your work impact your company’s goals and bottom line? If you can’t immediately do this, ask yourself what would fall through the cracks if you were not there.

Fast Track Your Career and Stop Making the Mistakes That Are Holding You Back

Want to learn the proven, step-by-step process to avoid these and other mistakes that could be ruinous to your career? If so, Fast Track Your Career: Personal Branding 6 Week Course is the course for you! Drawing from my professional experience leading award winning teams and coaching several individuals to career success, I have created this course to show you in-depth strategies on how to accelerate your career progression and achieve greater success.

The Fast Track Your Career: Personal Branding 6 Week Course will teach you the exact process I followed to transform my career to the point where I love and enjoy what I do. You too can fast track your career success.

This course is for you if:

• you are in a cycle of applying for jobs and not getting any interviews, or you are not getting past the interview stage.
• you keep getting overlooked for promotions.
• you want to take control of the direction your career is going.
• you doubt your value and are not confident to communicate and articulate it.
• you dare to believe you can make an impact through your career.

Course starts 30 May. Click here to secure your spot today! Or click here to learn more.