There are many well-meaning people who are trying to give us advice about our careers. Unfortunately, as well-intentioned as they may be, their career advice is often not very helpful. The problem is that every person and every situation is different. So something that may have worked very well for them, may not necessarily work for you.

When Advice Isn't Helpful

I thought back to different times when I received advice that wasn’t very helpful.

The first career advice came from my parents. They wanted me to be successful, so they thought that working for a big, stable, prestigious company would be best. They never talked about the importance of being happy in your work, so I did not seek out a career that fit who I was. I never really thought about my strengths, what I enjoyed doing, and what was meaningful to me.

When I left consulting, I had two job offers I was considering. One for a tiny startup, and one for a small company that was more established. When I asked my manager for advice, he recommended going with the more established company, since it was safer. However, I figured that I was still very young, and if I were to take a risk, it would be better to do so early in my career. So I chose the smaller startup.

When I was getting unhappy in my job, a friend told me that the best thing to do was to stay until I was fully vested. Otherwise, I would be leaving money on the table. But just because money was the most important thing to them doesn’t mean that it was the most important thing to me.

Once I started my own coaching business, I took courses from marketing experts who were trying to teach us their methods. I noticed that I was uncomfortable with some of the marketing tactics they were suggesting. It took me a while to realize that some of their approaches were just not aligned with my desire to be authentic and did not fit the way I wanted to business.

That being said, I have also received advice that has been extremely helpful.

When Advice Is Extremely Helpful

When I first started interviewing for consulting firms, I had no idea what those interviews were like (this was before the internet.) As a result, getting insights from someone who had been through those interviews was extremely helpful.

At one point in my career, a peer of mine was chosen for a promotion over me, and our division head advised me to not dwell on it and just learn and absorb whatever I could from her. This turned out to be great advice. When she left the company soon thereafter, I was promoted to her position.

When To Be Careful About The Advice You Receive

So what career advice should you be careful about? When it comes to making decisions about what is right for you, people often tend to think about what is right for THEM and assume that the same thing applies for you. But of course, what works for them might not work for you. You might have different values, strengths, things you enjoy, things you find meaningful, and goals.

It's great to get advice – just take the time to figure out what is aligned with who you are. ❤️

Manuela loves helping mid-level professionals create a career and life they love. You can sign up here for her monthly newsletter with helpful tips and course announcements.