April 29, 2009
Learning From Career Mistakes
Learning from another’s mistakes is surely less painful than learning from one’s own. Alanna Shaikh, a global-health expert, tries to save readers of her blog from some regrettable on-the-job missteps by describing five mistakes says she made in pursuit of her dream job.
What decisions does she rue?
For starters, not paying adequate attention “to who I worked for.” She says: “I once took a job solely on the basis of the big title, without paying enough attention to the corporate culture or the quality of the project we were implementing.”
She also says she set her career sights too low. “It was once my career goal to be a country director, and once I got that job, at 27, I had no idea what to aim for next,” recalls Ms. Shaikh. “Now my career goals are based on ideas, not titles,” she says. “I want work that has meaning for me, at an organization that values innovation. Beyond that, I take life as it comes.”
Ms. Shaikh says she wishes she’d negotiated for higher salaries. “No one will withdraw a job offer because you asked for a 5-percent higher salary,” she writes.
What else?
“I had a baby,” she says. “That isn’t exactly a mistake, because my husband and I decided to reproduce, and knew it would impact our careers. But there are now choices neither of us can make, because of our son. I’m pretty sure we’d be in Afghanistan right now if we were not parents.”
What missteps have you made in your career? What career advice would you share with others?
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Heather Carpenter over at Nonprofit Leadership 601 has a great post about some of her mistakes in looking for a nonprofit job that I think is a great supplement to the post above: http://nonprofitleadership601.blogspot.com/2009/04/so-i-didnt-get-job-what-id-do.html
— Elisa Apr 30, 09:51 AM #
Ms. Shaikh offended me with her answer to the question “What decisions does she rue?” with “I had a baby.” While she said it was not a mistake, she sure makes it sound like one. May I submit that being a loving, responsible parent is about as philanthropic as it gets on planet earth—more so than a rewarding career in non-profit, more than donating a large sum, and even more than being in Afghanistan right now? It would be a tragedy if anyone of us spent our child rearing years distracted by dreams of personal career fulfillment, as Ms. Shaikh’s comment implies. We’d be missing the greatest philanthropic opportunity in our lifetime.
— Jeff Apr 30, 05:31 PM #
I’m with you, Jeff! Thanks for your comment.
— Kevin Feldman May 1, 02:59 AM #
I agree with Jeff and Kevin. Children are our happiness, they make our life meaningful and complete.
— Irena May 1, 07:47 AM #
Wow – that’s not how I read that at all. As a married woman in her mid-forties who made the choice not to have children I would probably add that decision (not reproducing) to my list of five career mistakes I’ve made. Before anyone passes judgement that I must not like children you should be aware that I spent 20+ years as a Executive Director of a Youth Agency and have mentored and fostered many children.
If anything I’m put off by Jeff’s comment that being a parent is about as philanthropic as it gets? I can’t agree with that since it could be interpreted that by not having children one can not be as philanthropic as those with children???
What I read was to 1) focus on your goals 2) not to sell yourself short 3) research before you make the leap.
I applaud Ms. Shaikh for sharing her personal career mistakes – I only wish I could have learned them in college before I went out and made some of the exact same mistakes in my career.
— Anna May 1, 07:48 AM #
For most of my career when searching for a new position, I looked for a bigger job- larger institution, more money, more responsibility. During my recent search I realized that in addition to the importance of the mission, I liked building: growing the staff; expanding the goals; advancing the mission by implementing new ideas. For me, that’s what I find gratifying in a job.
— Jan Spitz May 1, 08:17 AM #
I found this column really helpful. I’m 27 currently and it’s a good reminder that I shouldn’t be caught up in the idea of the big title. And I know I need to be better at negiotiating a salary. Something I’m kicking myself for now!
Oh, and it’s never good for a woman’s career to have children. Sad truth. Doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, which I think she made quite clear.
— annie May 4, 03:25 PM #