Career mistakes young employees make

While mistakes allow individuals to learn and grow, if overly done and lightly handled, they can be costly leading many young workers to fall off the cliff.
Moses Nsubuga, CEO Mid World Company, says mistakes are human but should not be turned them into habits.
Below are some of the professional mistakes young employees make:

Selective bonding
Making friends is a good idea because there is always that one person you feel comfortable with. However, Nsubuga says this becomes challenging when you choose to become closer to some co-workers and not others.
Nsubuga says you could be isolated when the only person you relate with goes on leave or quits the job.
He adds that though it might be hard to be friends with everyone in the company, young employees should try to maintain a good relationship with everyone through simple gestures such as greeting, sharing lunch tables with different people and even having casual chats.

Giving up networking
Jauharah Nakiryowa, an employee at Trinitus3 Tours and Travel, says many young employees stop networking soon after getting a job thus losing touch with people who might help them grow in their career. “I got my job through networking and because of the connections and ties I kept with other people, I have been able to build my career to another level. For example, I usually get to know about training opportunities outside my company through my networks,’’ Nakiryowa says.
She adds that staying connected with people within your sphere and making new connections in your field exposes you to many opportunities. The biggest mistake young employees make is to think networking stops after they have found a career opportunity.

Being late
Nsubuga says this is common among freelance workers as many mistake the word freelance for getting into office any time they feel like.
“You could be the most hardworking employee but if you are consistently late to work, you give off the impression that you are lazy,” he remarks.
He says people notice who stays late and who comes in early and will form an opinion about you, whether it is accurate or not. For every worker, professional reputation is vital in your career and being late to work sounds minor but it can gradually undermine all your good work.

Being afraid to speak up
Nakiryowa says being a young employee in a company of older employees must not stop you from sharing your views because it is always important to stand up for yourself and share your views.

Bad mentality
Ethan Musolini CEO, Success Africa, says many young workers have the mentality of thinking they are working for someone else who will benefit the most rather than taking an ownership mentality to help them build their career. He says because of this mentality, such a worker will find themselves jumping from one job to the next thus being viewed as a job hopper who cannot be loyal.