Q advice: 5 CAREER-DAMAGING MOVES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

For some, careers seem to naturally take off, magical and blessed. Opportunity and luck were on their side. Or so it seems. What appears like good luck or right place, right time is more like consistently good decision making. Here are five career-damaging moves those 'blessed' seem to charmingly avoid.

- Roxanne Calder

1. Not being seen: Most poignant in our post-pandemic world. The advantages of working remotely are indisputable but come at a career cost if not navigated correctly.

Strong working relationships and networks critical to career success are negatively impacted when working remotely. The consequences are slow to realize and, if left too late, an uphill challenge to retrieve. Your achievements and efforts also risk not being recognized. Instead, take opportunities to be in the office every week if possible. Attend all virtual meetings with your camera on. Contribute to each session and put your hand up for projects outside your normal realm. The idea is not just to maintain but feed and grow your network. It will require effort on your part, but to do the opposite will see regression and career opportunities lost.

2. Abuse of power: It is not just managers who hold power. We all have some form of power in our roles. You can be the administrator who deals with company suppliers or the chairperson. How you wield it says everything. People abusing their power feel entitled to do so, typically through their position and sense of importance. They either don't see the consequences of their behaviour or believe they are immune to them.