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Someone Asks People To Share The Worst Career Advice They Ever Got And They Deliver (35 Pics)
Whether you're at the top of your career game or just starting out - somewhere along the way you have probably asked someone older, wiser or just with more experience for some advice. Sometimes we receive advice from a mentor that becomes gospel we will pass on to others we meet - or in the case of the people on this list - advice that could have or did hurt instead of help.
Adam Grant, a psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, asked Twitter: "What's the worst career advice you've ever received?" and shared his top three worst nuggets to start it off. Turns out he's not the only one, people hopped on the thread and shared some painfully bad career tips - even Monica Lewinsky responded and we all know how that went. Scroll down to check them out and don't forget to upvote your favs!
Image credits: AdamMGrant
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This one still resonates with me. I’ve seen Monica Lewinsky’s TED and her interview with John Oliver, and especially the former one has had a powerful effect on me. I see now that how she was treated by the press, politicians, even her friend was brutal. Especially that she was in her 20’s then. Whatever you say about her, maybe it was love, perhaps infatuation, vanity trip or plain ignorance - she just did not deserve the bullying.
Not everyone is blessed to have a mentor to give them sound career advice so below are some tips from the masters. From Forbes Agency Council members to CEOs of the biggest corporations, here are some words of wisdom they have shared over the years. The first comes from Karen Wickre, former editorial leader at Google and Twitter, who told Business Insider: "I didn't get this advice, but I learned it by doing, and now it's what I tell others: Always be building your brain trust. This is the web of contacts you can call on when you have questions or need expertise beyond yours."
As a person who works in the field where you can't drop everything when the clock hits 5 pm, I totally agree with what she says. Work reasonably, if one day you have to work until 8,take some time off the next day, that's how me and my co-worker do it and our boss understands it, it's so easy to burn out. No job is important enough to run yourself into the ground.
Whomever gave that poor advice is confusing effort with productivity.
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Far too many companies today try to force you to work extra hours, especially if you are part time help. Watch out for those who will work you consistently just under full time. They are trying to take advantage of you. Do not let your job take advantage of you. Once it starts it will never end. Stay firm and don't give in on coming in on your day off. Every job I had wanted me to be a "team player" and come in just this once. It very quickly became a situation where they "needed" me every time my day off came. They were not willing to promote me, nor were they willing to pay properly. I left those jobs. If they expect me to care and be a team player it works both ways. A company that values you will respect you, not take advantage at every turn.
In the US, an employer has to offer you health care* if you work "full-time". Therefore, employers will schedule you for one hour short of "full-time" per week, so that you have to pay for healthcare on your own, go without any health insurance, or apply for public assistance for health insurance. * The employer pays for part of your health insurance, and you pay for part of it. The health insurance cost come straight out of your paycheck. A lot of people work 37 hours a week, because 38 hours a week is full time.
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I don't look at emails, answer calls, place orders, etc after I leave for,the day. Work time is work time,
I work at Japanese company which are notorious for bad work life balance. But I just leave at 5pm everyday. My colleagues and clients are so confused why I don't look at emails, chat, and mesage after 5 pm..
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A manager once told me that job assignments are created so work gets done in a 40 hour work week. If you can't complete everything in that time, then your not as productive as you should be. After that I started doing the bare minimum to get by. My family is way more important.
My favorite boss asked in our initial interview: "What would you do if a regional rep came in and said they had a chance to get $1000s in free printing, but the artwork has to go in tonight, and you still have to pick up your kids from daycare?" I replied, "I'd tell the rep that I have to pick up my kids at daycare, but if she/he could do it for me, I'd get their artwork done... and don't ask me what the kids look like, we haven't met." My boss laughed and she hired me. She said, "Our motto here is 'It's a job and we do it very well, but it's not the end of the world.'"
No one will remember you were a "team player" and got your work done. Your children and family will remember when you weren't at their soceer game, basketball game or play recital. Put your friends and family first; those are the people that will remember your commitment. Not your employer.
Also - working late only advertises who can be bullied/manipulated into being taken advantage of. Yes... on occasion it's necessary (ie: middle of an experiment) but you should never make it a POINT to do it because you'll seem harder working. You learn that the bosses are going to promote who they *want* to promote, and if they have decided to marginalize you, there is nothing you can do to make them "see". I've had work stolen, I've been given other people's work (other people who were given raises and promotions for being "amazing employees") - I've worked the 12 hour days, the weekends, the holidays - not once was I ever congratulated or noticed for "going the extra mile".
I agree with this and been told too that yes its good to offer yourself (jobwise) for extra days covering someone but its ok to say No every once in awhile and nothings worth ya mental or physical health by being run down physically and mentally by co workers or a job .. best advice evrr
If you work for an Indian owned company it is not worth putting in one extra second of time for these dickholes. They will work you to death on terrible equipment, constant network problems, and no response when you reach out to them for help. When you go to HR about the problems you are having they turn it around to make it seem like you were at fault and again do nothing to fix the situation.
American or from India??? sucks either way
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Completely wrong, of course. An increase of 14% hours worked leads to a 44% increase in income. Is it worth it? Up to you, but there is value in more hours spent.
working overseas you get audited and if you work pass your time required, they can fire you for timesheet fraud, best to NEVER work pass your work time and be a team player during work hours only!
Depends where you work. I work overseas (Croatian in Korea) and only recently we got a law that has set a number limit of permitted after-hours work and the total number per month.
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It's hard not to get disheartened when someone rejects your idea. Freelance writer and New York Times bestselling author, Sara Bliss, says she received invaluable advice from Tony Freund who was a staff writer for Town & Country magazine, that has helped her defeat this mindset. "If an editor rejects an idea, do not scrap it. Instead, he suggested refining and repitching it to the same editor or trying a new one.
How long will it take, till everyone get´s that girls and boys can do anything they want to?
depends on the boss, but never think that a boss is going to share their wealth with you for no other reason than hard work. at the end of each day, every boss can replace you for someone else who is a "hard worker"
You might think that showing off your mental prowess is the key to impressing everyone at your job - but sometimes acting like a know-it-all can hinder you. Said Jacob Hanson, PR with Panache! to Forbes: "Oftentimes, leaders feel that they need to be the "smartest guy or gal" in the room, and that couldn't be further from the truth. Good leaders are the smartest one in the room, great leaders surround themselves with smarter people that will challenge ideas, bring new perspectives to the table and drive innovation.
I see this a lot in the healthcare industry. People get pushed to their limits.
We've all had those days when we feel overwhelmed as if the work keeps stacking up - well Nicole Rodrigues, NRPR Group, LLC said to Forbes embrace it. "I was told by a mentor very early on that I should never complain when there’s a lot of work to do. I agree and tell my team the same thing. Be thankful there’s work to do. When something becomes easy or routine, it’s a clear sign you’re not growing."
It's great to get career advice from people you admire but in the end, you should make sure you're the one in control of your destiny. Said Gina Michnowicz, Union+Webster to Forbes: "One of my mentors always said don't let others manage your career because you will be unhappy with the results. What he meant by management is focusing on what skills and experiences you need to ultimately be in your dream job. I managed my moves carefully, making sure that I built the right skills to be a CEO. In the end, he was right and I am happy with the outcome."
Not counter-intuitive at all. I know tons of people who loved their hobbies so much they started a business. They were plenty successful, but unhappy and started to hate what they used to love. Not saying it will be that way for everyone. Maybe you will be different. Me? I learned the hard way.
This one really depends on the workplace. My first work environment was friendly on the outside, toxic on the inside (took me a while, to realise that, always thought the problem was me). My now workplace is really friendly and I made actual friends here, and, oh my, I can feel the difference.
Or worse, talk about children when you don't have any. Kudos for quitting!
That generally comes from the ones who fear new ideas, because they know they won’t be able to keep up, and will risk looking bad and losing their place as the “indispensable” person in the office who thinks the whole company will just fall apart if they’re not there. It never does, but you’ll come across a load of these people in your career.
Soooo, does long hair somehow affect ability? Is short hair a requirement for some obscure reason?
For this advice it's usually aimed at managers. A lot of people have general problems with authority so if you moved up and became a manager, it's difficult to maintain the same friendship you had as coworkers. If you give your friend any kind of break or a special project that could be seen as "fun" then you are showing favoritism.
Just because they're in the teaching profession doesn't mean they will be supportive of your dreams. You do you. To hell with anyone who says you can't be you.
Let me see... I recall quite a few facial hairs on more than a couple of very successful people. I absolutely loathe people who let their ignorance and racism shine.
Risky? What's risky? Oh wait... I get it now. Someone explain to them that "mentor" is not a sexual thing like slapping a backside. Geniuses. I'm surrounded by brain surgeons in search of a brain to call their own. LOL. Damn straight it's hogwash!
I hear it all the time. I also see it constantly. Good for you! Another victory for critical thinking! Critical thinkers don't get Darwin Awards.
Ahh. Good old critical thinking. I really miss the days when everyone possessed it. Did you know it's on the endangered species list? But hey, look at who we have as president!
I'd like to see the ratio of men to women who have heard this advice. I'd bet more women are told this c**p.
Ha! I've gotten the opposite career advice. I mean, "we", it was something a professor told the class. Something like "do not stay at the same workplace for 10 years / do not accept a 10 year contract - it's a waste of life, you have to gain various kinds of experience." I think, in the end, it all depends on the individual and the job(s) they do.
I was told my math skills were so poor I would never be able to work in computer industry. Wrong. Glad I never listened.
I read that as "don't waste your time educating... fellows, NPC's,..." which made me think "well of course not". Hm.
Note: this post originally had 57 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
I have been told many times to change who I am that people see my passion for a projects as intimidating. Unfortunately I listened and now I am battling a severe round of anxiety and depression and have lost who I was. I was funny, outgoing, friendly and not afraid to take chances. I wish I had just walked away from those who gave me that advice.
Hope you find yourself again soon, keep looking, you're not far away x
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You have to go straight to college after you graduate. If you don't you'll be behind all your life. Told to me by everyone. I started college when I was 23, got my MBA at 30 and now make just as much if not more than most people my age. For those 5 years I lived on my own working in the kitchen. Found myself and found a women who complements me so well we could be twins. Been married for 10 years in December and we both still make each other ugly laugh daily.
"Don't work for peanuts" in my opinion the job should come first money second I'm not denying myself a great job opportunity because they pay low
As an artist, my worst advice I received was that I had to " pay my dues" and do the most demeaning and badly paid jobs in order to gain experience... Doing unskilled work while my skills and education were ignored only served to push my confidence down, leading me to believe that my work wasn't "good enough" ( I now realize that the artist I was working for was probably envious of my skills and threatened. He eliminated me by destroying my confidence)
Unfortunately, I was told I wasn’t good enough in math to be a veterinarian,. I’ve been an entrepreneur instead, but I always regretted not at least trying to become a veterinarian. My math was good enough to start three successful companies.
I remember the horrible days I worked at an A&W fast food chain. The supervisor was a bitter old man who was an absolute horror or an individual. One day he told me I would never be able to do anything better than that job there flipping burgers lol Now I work in an ER and love my job!
I just had a professor that told me that doing an internship is key to getting a job..that people with 4.0 gpas can sometimes not get a job snatched up by a 3.0 student that did an internship that looked better on their resume. Then..two days later...I'm reading a chapter out of the book he assigned for the class that says "Many companies aren't even looking at resumes anymore..but are putting forth quizzes and tests to see if the person will be a good fit for the culture of the company and their job." Uhm..excuse me?
I didn't even finish reading them, I'm sure Monica's can't be topped!! Hahahaha
I have been told many times to change who I am that people see my passion for a projects as intimidating. Unfortunately I listened and now I am battling a severe round of anxiety and depression and have lost who I was. I was funny, outgoing, friendly and not afraid to take chances. I wish I had just walked away from those who gave me that advice.
Hope you find yourself again soon, keep looking, you're not far away x
Load More Replies... You have to go straight to college after you graduate. If you don't you'll be behind all your life. Told to me by everyone. I started college when I was 23, got my MBA at 30 and now make just as much if not more than most people my age. For those 5 years I lived on my own working in the kitchen. Found myself and found a women who complements me so well we could be twins. Been married for 10 years in December and we both still make each other ugly laugh daily.
"Don't work for peanuts" in my opinion the job should come first money second I'm not denying myself a great job opportunity because they pay low
As an artist, my worst advice I received was that I had to " pay my dues" and do the most demeaning and badly paid jobs in order to gain experience... Doing unskilled work while my skills and education were ignored only served to push my confidence down, leading me to believe that my work wasn't "good enough" ( I now realize that the artist I was working for was probably envious of my skills and threatened. He eliminated me by destroying my confidence)
Unfortunately, I was told I wasn’t good enough in math to be a veterinarian,. I’ve been an entrepreneur instead, but I always regretted not at least trying to become a veterinarian. My math was good enough to start three successful companies.
I remember the horrible days I worked at an A&W fast food chain. The supervisor was a bitter old man who was an absolute horror or an individual. One day he told me I would never be able to do anything better than that job there flipping burgers lol Now I work in an ER and love my job!
I just had a professor that told me that doing an internship is key to getting a job..that people with 4.0 gpas can sometimes not get a job snatched up by a 3.0 student that did an internship that looked better on their resume. Then..two days later...I'm reading a chapter out of the book he assigned for the class that says "Many companies aren't even looking at resumes anymore..but are putting forth quizzes and tests to see if the person will be a good fit for the culture of the company and their job." Uhm..excuse me?
I didn't even finish reading them, I'm sure Monica's can't be topped!! Hahahaha
