The 9 Most Popular Career Myths Almost Everyone Believes
When it comes to careers, these 9 myths are at the forefront of your professional success
When it comes to careers, everyone often has wise advice for you: you have to go to an elite university! You have to be available at all times! Going abroad is a must these days! But somehow it doesn’t really work out in the end with the rapid hierarchical rise. A lot of the advice is either outdated or just not worth a penny. Let’s see why…
Career Myth 1 — The Elite University
Thanks to scholarships and numerous other funding options, (almost) everyone can now study at any University in their country. Having a “normal” university degree is no longer anything special. That’s why those graduates who have attended an “elite university” should have better chances of a steep career, better still an expensive private one. In the USA, the hype about Harvard, Stanford, Yale & Co is already big.
The truth — The elite university may stand out in your CV at first glance and make a good first impression. It might even increase your chances of getting an interview (provided you get a good grade in your final grade). But then, at the latest, the career-promoting effect of the “Elite” privilege ends. If your personality values can’t convince anyone, excellent grades from the supposedly “best elite university” will not bring you any advantage (anymore).
HR managers have now also understood that soft skills are what count — and grades or university degrees say very little about that. The quality of your training is much more important. And that is sometimes very good even at “normal” universities.
Tip: When choosing your university, therefore, pay attention to specialization options, curricula, internships, or the possibility of projects that (also) promote your soft skills, rather than the title “Elite”.
Career Myth 2 — The Master’s Degree
Everything used to be simpler… most courses simply offered a possible degree, the diploma. In the meantime, however, you usually have a bachelor’s degree first and can then decide freely to add a master’s degree as well. The belief that “If you want to aim high, you absolutely need a master’s degree, if not even a doctorate” has been a widespread career myth ever since.
The truth — Instead, it depends on the individual course of study. In the natural sciences, you usually need a master’s degree to get an attractive job, for example in the industry. If you even want to go into research, you will have a hard time avoiding a doctorate. On the other hand, if you are aiming for a career in management and choose the classic business administration course, you should consider starting your professional life directly after completing your bachelor’s degree and starting with the hierarchical advancement. You can hardly make up for the time lost through a master’s degree later on. Likewise the financial losses.
Tip: Find out in advance which degree is really necessary for your industry to make a career. In industrial companies, in particular, there can also be individual differences. More conservative establishments tend to place even more value on degrees and titles than more progressive or modern startups. So become aware of your career goals and obtain the minimum degrees necessary to achieve your goals. This saves you valuable time — and a lot of money.
Career myth 3 — The stay abroad
In our globalized world, you have to be able to show at least one stay abroad to pursue a career in management — that’s our third career myth. Be it during school, as part of a semester abroad, or simply on a private trip around the world. Applicants who have already spent several months or even a year in at least one other country are said to have a strong advantage.
The truth — Νo one denies that travel is educational. But a stay abroad is not always an enrichment for your application. Depending on the organization, this can even cost you valuable time, for example as part of a semester abroad.
On the other hand, if you already have both feet on the job, you can even lose your footing as an expatriate. If you are absent for a long time, you may miss important restructuring, attractive internal job advertisements, or a reallocation of responsibilities. No wonder the expat model is becoming less and less popular among employees around the world.
Tip: Your foreign language skills are more important than a stay abroad. Although these can be improved through daily practice abroad, a good language school is also completely sufficient for this. Therefore, before planning a stay abroad, check what advantages and disadvantages it could bring for you and, if necessary, register at the local adult education center for a new foreign language.
Career Myth 4 — Constant availability
The advancing digitization means that almost every employee now owns at least one smartphone. In addition, there may be a business cell phone and tablet. The fact is that theoretically, you can always be reached. You can check your e-mails on the go, get phone calls on vacation or send your colleague an important file via Dropbox after work. And employers nowadays expect the same from their employees. If you don’t follow suit, you risk your career — according to career myth number 4.
The truth — Constant availability means a great burden for the employees. If you can’t “switch off” in the truest sense of the word even after work, at the weekend, or on vacation, you will suffer from mental or physical complications in the long run. This includes
- burnout
- depressions
- gastrointestinal complaints
- back pain
- cardiovascular diseases
and much more…
Constant availability can therefore limit your performance in the long term and thus do more harm than good to your career. Both you and your employer will benefit if you define clear rules for availability outside of your working hours, thereby staying healthy in the long term and providing consistent performance.
Tip: The legal regulations on accessibility are strict. For example, you can switch off your (work) cell phone on vacation with a clear conscience. Of course, you don’t want to send the wrong signals. It is, therefore, best to discuss with your manager in advance when you need to be available and when not. Set clear rules and find a compromise that is acceptable to both sides.
Career Myth 5 — The raise
A career must always go up in a straight line — as must the salary. If you change your job, you should therefore earn at least as much as in your previous job, preferably a little more. In addition, you should never give up areas of responsibility. Right? Not exactly…
The truth — Life doesn’t run in a straight line, and neither does a career. Sometimes you have to take a detour or take three steps back to get a running start. If you have no prospects in a job or are unhappy, it is also possible to move to a lower-paid position or one that is lower in the hierarchy — as long as you then have the prospect of promotion again. Even the most successful people in the world, be it Steve Jobs or Laurence Fink, have had to deal with severe setbacks in their careers.
Tip: What can you learn from these people? Do not see setbacks in your career as a defeat, but as an opportunity. Sometimes you just get enough momentum on the downhill ride for the next rapid ascent. In addition, your happiness and health should be more important to you than your career or big money. So if a job starts to weigh you down, pull the emergency brake before you get sick and your career is over anyway. It’s better to accept a step backward and then start again healthy and motivated. Then you can soon ask for the next salary increase!
Career myth 6 — The networking
Contacts, the famous “vitamin B”, is the be-all and end-all for your career. Therefore make as many contacts as possible privately, professionally, and digitally. This career myth certainly has a core of truth: contacts can bring you undreamt-of (job) opportunities in your professional life or accelerate your hierarchical rise through recommendations and “connections”.
The truth — Quality over quantity also applies to your network. It is better to concentrate on less promising contacts than on a broad mass with high wastage. Maintaining your network takes a lot of energy and time. You should also be careful about what information you disclose on social networks, especially if you don’t know the contacts personally (well).
Tip: Therefore, build your network slowly and carefully. Check your contacts for their seriousness and their possible role for you. Can your contacts help you professionally? Do they have valuable know-how or helpful additional contacts? Is there a possibility of attractive job offers or further education? Do not reveal any sensitive data in social networks and prefer to maintain fewer personal contacts than numerous digital ones.
Career Myth 7 — The Economic Crisis
The economy is subject to fluctuations and every few years there is an economic crisis. Sometimes the entire industrialized nation is affected, other times just a specific industry. For example, the automotive industry, in particular, is currently struggling with the switch to more environmentally friendly (electric) vehicles. During such an economic crisis, a career (in the relevant industry) is impossible — according to our career myth number 7.
The truth — Of course, an economic crisis usually involves restructuring, job cuts, freeze hiring, or salary cuts. However, those who have already gained a foothold in the company usually do not have to worry about their job from one day to the next — or about their career. After all, “the shop has to keep running” and leaders, in particular, are usually only slightly affected by the crisis.
Tip: It will be more difficult for job starters, employees with a lack of qualifications, or older employees. But an economic crisis can also become an opportunity for them. Maybe now is the right time to change jobs. Apply for the so-called restructuring jobs or let an experienced personnel consultant help you. If you can impress with your performance, motivation, and flexibility, you will be rewarded after the economic crisis at the latest. After all, after every recession, there will be an upswing again at some point — guaranteed!
Career Myth 8 — The Headhunter
According to experts, you should change your job after 4.1 years. And then — as it has already been mentioned in career myth number 5 — it should of course go up instead of down. This only works if you are listed in one or more headhunter files. So the strategy is simple. You send your CV to as many headhunters as possible and the career pretty much takes care of itself.
The truth — Unfortunately, that would be too good to be true. The mission of a headhunter is to find the best person for a specific job profile. So he actively searches and only takes a quick look — if at all — at dead files. Instead, he will approach the experts and executives he is looking for if he is interested.
Tip: An unsolicited application form to a headhunter can certainly be crowned with success. However, you should only send them if you are interested in a job change. After all, this is how you signal your current availability. After a few weeks or months, your application form will gather dust in archiving. You should also never appear desperate and put yourself in a bad negotiating position. Headhunters can be a career-promoting measure — but they are by no means the only option.
Career myth 9 — The speed competition
Time is money — this also applies in professional life. If you can, it’s best to graduate from school by 17, have your Ph.D. by the age of 22, and have reached the peak of your career by age 30. Sounds unrealistic? It is! But unfortunately, speed competition is a common career myth.
The truth — Of course, you should hurry up with your career. But it is much more a question of good planning, determination, performance, soft skills, further training and and and… You should not only plan “when” you want to make a career but above all “how”. Unfortunately, things are different for women. Female managers over 50 often come up against a kind of glass ceiling. Unfortunately, career myth number 9 is not entirely untrue.
Tip: Instead of getting hectic, take the time to define your career goals early on and then gradually tackle the necessary steps. Here you can delete “unnecessary” steps — such as the example “Master’s degree” in Career Myth 2 — to save valuable time.
Final thoughts
The vast majority of people believe in the fairy tale of happiness. Why do you actually want to make a career? “Because a career makes you rich and happy”— at least that’s what our last career myth promises. Many people seem to be chasing career advancement without ever questioning it.
But a great career is what you really want from your life? Are you happy when you put most of your time and energy into work? At the end of your life, will you look back with satisfaction? If you can confidently answer “yes” to any of these questions, then read no further.
However, if you have any doubts it’s better to reassess what you really want from life and whether you would like more freedom, time with your family, or a sabbatical. Luckily, our modern world of work nowadays offers numerous possibilities, from telecommuting contracts to part-time jobs and job sharing — and thus the individually suitable working model for every person. This can but does not have to be, a great career. If so, maybe you’re much more the “digital nomad” type!
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