Now that I have my first, official full-time job that’s actually in my dream field, I keep finding myself thinking: “There’s so much career advice I dutifully wrote down and tried to follow…but a lot of it ended up being kind of useless or irrelevant. And the only purpose it served was ~stressing me out even more than I needed~!” And, looking back, I think how about nice it would’ve been to know that some bits of career advice that’s being hammered into my brain isn’t all that useful. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have followed that advice anyway, but it would’ve saved me a lot of stress to know that it is possible to make it in the journalism/media industry without having major connections. That being said, here are some pieces of career advice to ignore.
Of course, as a disclaimer, these pieces of advice can be and could’ve been invaluable to someone. And you might not want to entirely ignore it, but rather note that it’s not always relevant. This is a blog post based on my experience and experiences of some people in my life. Careers and advice aren’t one-size-fits-all. But, hey, hope this helps.
“Connections are key — it’s all about who you know”
This is 100% the case for a lot of people. But I also know that for a lot of others, including myself, connections have been nice to have but not useful in terms of finding jobs and moving up within industries. Don’t get me wrong — it’s great to know others in your field and connect with them. But don’t rely on that to find a job and don’t assume that having a ton of connections will always get you ahead.
My main point? It’s not easy, but it’s totally possible to land a job in your field without knowing anyone or having higher-ups put in special recommendations and asking for favors. So if your network isn’t as big and high-profile as you’d like, don’t worry. And this isn’t to say that connections couldn’t be handy someday and that it’s not awesome to have buddies in lots of different fields. But making connections for the sake of advancing your career isn’t always worth it unless you’ve got other intentions, too.
“Attending networking events is super important”
I’ve been to a few and they were…fine? I don’t think it’s necessary to entirely avoid networking events and I’m sure they could be helpful for some, but they’re not for everyone. And it won’t always lead to a huge network and game-changing career moves. So I guess when it comes to networking events, you might want to keep your expectations in check.
“You should get a job right after graduation”
OK, this is not really advice, but it’s a thing a lot of people say. And it’s ideal, of course, to get a job right after graduating from college but it’s not always practical. If I’d followed this advice to a “T,” I would’ve accepted a job that likely would’ve made me miserable at a company that’d later cease to exist.
Instead, I took an internship that turned into a job I really enjoy. All in all, be open to taking an internship instead. And don’t feel like you need to accept the first job offer you get. Sometimes taking more time to apply for things is better than taking a job you don’t feel very confident in.
“Your advisor and career services in college are an amazing resource that’ll help with your career path”
This isn’t always the case. Remember to be your own advocate. At the end of the day, you’re the one rooting for yourself the hardest. I’m sure they can come in handy, but just keep your expecations in check.
“Your GPA is really important”
Across most fields, I’ve noticed that your GPA doesn’t matter all that much. That is not to say that I buy the whole “C’s get degrees/grades-don’t-matter” mindset. I busted my ass in college and am proud of my grades. I think you should try your best in college and even if your GPA isn’t a key factor in most job hunts, having a good one can only help. But if you’ve got a less-than-stellar GPA, don’t stress about it too much.
Read More: 12 Habits That’ll Improve Your Grades
“Your resume should follow a standard format and specific guidelines”
This is a piece of career advice to ignore most of the time and it’s one that’s actually fun to ignore, too. Your resume shouldn’t be in Comic Sans (nothing should be) or in 12 different colors, but a little bit of creative elements, pops of color, and sprinkles of creativity aren’t a bad thing, especially if you’re in a more creative or open-minded field.
Times New Roman and structured formats might be key in certain business-related fields, but in a lot of fields, it couldn’t hurt to set your resume apart from the pack.
“Be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave”
Although you shouldn’t be the first to dip every single day and come rolling in late with a cup of coffee, being a total workaholic is actually frowned upon in some workplaces. Even as an intern. Plus, it’s terrible for your mental health.
Instead of putting in excessive hours, be sure to volunteer for tasks and speak up. Work harder, not longer. Having a work-life balance is a better call in the long-run.
“Keep your social media accounts private and professional”
Ugh. This is my favorite piece of career advice to ignore because I love being myself on social media! Personally, I don’t want to work somewhere where my Twitter account has to be solely me sharing industry-related articles and bland comments about others’ reporting.
You probably shouldn’t be sharing pictures from frat parties, really controversial and tongue-in-cheek jokes, and inappropriate photos on your social accounts when you’re looking for a job or representing a company but that doesn’t mean you have to cleanse all of your social accounts of personality. In some cases, especially in creative fields or fields where you’ll be interacting with a lot of people, it could actually hurt you to have only super bland seemingly disingenuousnius posts that don’t reflect who you really are.
That being said, if you plan to work in a more strict field like politics or law, you might want to keep things clean and private. And it’s also good to note that whatever you think is private isn’t always 1000% private.
What’s a piece of career advice that didn’t end up being as useful as you thought it’d be?
