Graduates Avoid These 6 Early Career Pitfalls

Graduates Avoid These 6 Early Career Pitfalls The summer can be an exciting time for a young job seeker, especially if youre fresh off of college graduation and ready to embark on your professional career journey.As you head out in search of your first job, set yourself up for long-term success by avoiding these common early career pitfalls1. Dont Let Your Parents Get Involved in Your Job SearchAt the most, your parents should be providing you with one-on-one guidance from the comfort of your home. Mom or dad should not be applying to jobs for you. They should not be perfecting your resume. They should not be editing your LinkedIn profile. They should definitely neverattend an interview with you or negotiate your salary for you.2. Dont Let Your Social Media PresenceSabotage Your SearchEmployers will look at mora than your resume. Regardless of how you feel about the practice, they will look at your social media profiles as well. You dont want to have any content on your accounts that mightmake employers turn you down. Get in tzu siche and scrub you profiles clean of anything controversial.3. Dont Be Afraid of the PhoneI cant tell you how often an employer has said to me, Wow I wish the candidate would learn how to answer their phone. If youre applying for jobs, you may get calls from phone numbers you dont recognize. Answer politely and pleasantly and maybe even give your name up front. An uncomfortable Hello? is no way to begin a conversation with your future boss.4. Dont Be LateEarly in your career,your real-world experience is slim. You have little evidenceof the value you can provide an employer. But you do have one easy way to boost your credibility Always show up on time.5. Dont Ask for More Money Without a Good ReasonOnce youre in your job, dont go around hinting that you should be paid more. The time to negotiate was before you started.Now, youve agreed to work for what theyre paying you. Nobody is planning to pay you more just because youre the smartest, fastest, or best at the job you were hired to do. Earning a raise requires going above and beyondyour job description.6. Dont Expect Automatic PromotionsIt would be nice if we all got a promotion every two years, but thats not how it works. Making your way up the ladder takes time, and it requires you to take on new responsibilities. If you start managing a team, for example, or take over a new area, then maybe youll get that promotion.Early in your career, it is smart to take the time to learn as much as you can. Doing so will contribute to the long-term success of your career.A version of this article originally appeared onCopeland Coaching.Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm,Copeland Coaching.