Big Mistakes People Make When They Start Their First Job (And How To Fix Them)

There is quite possibly nothing more exciting than going out there and starting your career path. You may feel as though you have finally found your calling and you may also feel as though the world is your oyster. The truth is that even though you may feel on top of the world at this point, you are still probably going to make mistakes. Although this is completely normal, there are ways for you to avoid them, or fix them if they have already been made.

You Didn’t Ask Any Questions

If you choose not to ask any questions, then the whole jargon that your employer is telling you about the industry will go through one ear and out the other. The main thing that a lot of people worry about when they first start work is that they don’t want to look like an idiot for asking a stupid question. It’s completely understandable that you don’t want to look like a rookie even though you are completely new, but the truth is that asking questions is actually a sign of both confidence and curiosity. Asking questions can actually make you look smarter and it is a great way for you to really find out everything you need to know. So the next time you are concerned about something, or the next time you are unsure, it’s really important that you get out there and ask someone about it. It may even help you to form new relationships as well, and this can be invaluable to your career.

• Save

You Say You’re Sorry too Often

When you ask a question, you should never say that you are sorry. A lot of people say sorry whenever they ask a question because they feel as though they are wasting the other person’s time. The truth is that this is not the case at all, and questions are needed if you ever want to gain context or knowledge on a set topic. If you are still finding it hard to stop apologising then say thank you at the end instead. This will make the whole conversation go much more positively and it is a great way for you to really show the other person that you are thankful for their time.

You Worry That You’re Asking Too Many Questions

Asking people too many questions is never really a bad thing. Curiosity is always good and it is all about how you phrase a question and how you deliver it. There is a strong difference between being unsure about yourself and being eager to learn. Sure, you may feel as though you are being a complete nuisance when you do ask people questions and this is normal, but if you feel like this with everyone then there is a high chance that you are not asking too many questions at all. If you are in a place where everyone seems too busy or too annoyed to help then it may be worth asking them if they can let you know where you can find the resources needed to find what you are looking for. This ultimately means that you can get the answers you need without having to worry about asking people at a bad time.

• Save

You’re Emailing Everyone

When writing an email, it is completely understandable that you may not know who to message. It’s also understandable that you may not know who needs to know this information as well. To avoid this, you should only email people that you actually expect a response from. If you CC someone in then you’re just really keeping them in the loop, but really your email is meant for other people. This can make a huge difference to the way you email and it can also stop people from getting annoyed with you for spamming their inbox. It is more than possible for you to learn the difference between BCC and CC as well, if you’re willing to take the time to learn.

You One Word

Don’t reply to every email you get with one word- even if it’s “thanks!”. Sure, you may think that the other person respects and appreciates how fast you reply but you may actually be missing out on important information by doing this. You may find that you are neglecting your co-workers and that they are asking for our help but you’re not giving it. For this reason, you need to take the time to reflect on the response that you are sending over and you also need to make sure that it is suitable for the situation as well. If you have nothing more to say other than one word then sometimes it’s not even worth replying.

You Forget People’s Names

This happens to the best of us, but if you happen to forget someone’s name or if you find out that you have been calling them by the wrong name all this time then you can fix this. Just tell them that you are sorry for calling them by the wrong name, and when you apologise, make sure that you say their real name out loud. This will make them feel as though you have listened and it will also sound much more polite. It also helps to thank them for correcting you as well, as this can make all the difference to your relationship with that co-worker.

• Save

You Passed up First-Aid Training

When you are new in a career, there is a high chance that you will be offered certain types of training. You may feel as though this is not worth your time and this is especially the case if you don’t feel as though it will benefit you. The truth is that you should never pass up any type of training and you should also never take it for granted either. For example, online CPR certification is a great way for you to learn everything you need to know about saving someone’s life and this may have to come into practice one day. If work are offering to pay for it, you should always take it because you never know when you’ll need it.

You Pretend You Know Everything

Sure, it’s understandable that you think you know everything and it’s also understandable that you want to impress people. The problem is that you pretend you know something when you actually don’t then this can land you in some hot water. Your employer may think that your skillset is not suited to the job and you may even go and mess up full projects as a result. The main thing that you have to take note of here is that it’s okay to say that you don’t know the answer to something. It shows other people that you have enough courage to try and be honest and this is invaluable when you look at the workplace as a whole.

You Think You’re Above the Boring Paperwork

Sure, nobody likes to do paperwork and if you have just been promoted or if you have just landed a higher-paid job then you may feel as though all of the paperwork is beneath you. You may find that you have other people to do it for you and why wouldn’t you take advantage of this? The truth is that menial work is very important and if you do it properly then it can cement your legacy as being a hard-working employee. People tend to look at certain tasks as being not worth their time, and this may be the case but pitching in and being a team player can really help the other employees in your sector and it can also say a lot about your character.

• Save

Not Working Overtime

Nobody likes to work overtime. It’s a fact of life. You probably won’t be getting paid for it and the whole thing may not seem like it’s worth your time. This is what a lot of people believe and you are certainly not alone with this, but it’s important to remember that when you do work overtime, you will go up in the expectations of others and you will also feel the benefit of having more support in the workplace as well. If you work overtime to cover someone then they will probably return the favour and they will also have a lot of respect for you as well.  The whole thing is easily worth it and it can make a huge difference to your entire career.

There are so many mistakes that you might make early on in your career and by making sure that you take these into account, you can really go on to learn from them. This can make a huge difference to your work and your home life, not to mention that you can easily gain the respect of those around you. It’s very easy for you to avoid these mistakes as well, so you can go on to become a better employee with way more to gain from your experience in that industry.