You were told, if you focus on good grades, life will be great. But the ones who got good jobs and life partners were not necessarily the best students in school.

You were told, just be well behaved and modest, and you will rewarded. But those who win in life turn out to be the ones who are comfortable with breaking the rules.

We continue to receive terrible advice throughout our life. Well-meaning people in our lives share these tips drawn from limited personal perspectives and experiences. Unfortunately, some of these advice turn out to hurt us than favor us.

So today, we bring you 10 terrible career advice you should totally ignore. While you are here, consider subscribing to After School Africa for insightful videos like this one below.

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1. You must practice what you studied in school.

My uncle once scolded me for abandoning my field of study in petroleum engineering to pursue a career in digital media. “What’s that thing you are doing? You better go get a job in an oil company”, he said.

You might have had similar advice from people close to you, who seem to know better. It’s okay to practice your field of study if that is what you want. But if you realize this is not what you want, nothing should stop you from pursuing your core interest. Many successful people today are not practicing what they studied in school.

2. Get a master’s degree immediately after you graduate.

Most teenagers choose their course of study ignorantly. You spent a minimum of 16 years acquiring academic education. When you finally graduate and are ready to test the real world, you are advised to go for one more academic qualification.

While there may be nothing wrong with going for a masters degree, but you need to get into the work force and gain some experience. With some work experience, you may just discover a different field to study for your masters’ degree. Having a master’s degree doesn’t show how well you can do a job. It is experience that does.

3. Put your head down and work hard. Rewards will follow.

The problem with just working hard is that you may just be working hard on the wrong thing. Another problem is that nobody cares how hard you work. People only care about results. And when you do get results, you have to let people know that too.

You are your only salesperson and champion. Instead of sitting and hoping you get noticed, you should get out there and let people know the great work you are doing.  Your future boss has a hundred other things in mind and unless you show them, they may not notice your effort or remember the outcomes.

4. Go to every networking event

Networking without forging meaningful relationships is inefficient. Your focus should be forming and nurturing relationships. Your real network, which is useful for job search, sales or investments, are the people who will stake their own reputation to recommend you. That includes the manager who knows that you deliver, the colleague you mentored, or the friend you assisted. Stop thinking about networking and start building relationships.

5. Find a secure job with a multinational company or the government, and stick to it.

The truth is that no job is secure or good forever. Your focus should be to invest in learning and developing valuable skills. Grow into a professional whose skills are required by businesses. That is the only security for your career.

6. Take the job that offers to pay the most.

Although everyone wants to be well-compensated, paycheck should not be the only criteria to choose a job. There are other things to consider such as the employer, the opportunity, company culture, job flexibility, and future growth prospects. Picking the first job or the highest paying job may set you on an undesirable career path, from which it will be difficult to exit or rebrand yourself afterwards. Money will not matter if you are stuck in an otherwise unpleasant job.

7. Follow your passion, and the money will follow.

Doing work you love is important, but that doesn’t mean you will be compensated well for it. Your passion needs to meet a need or solve a problem if it is going to sell. You must also develop complementary skills in marketing, communication, negotiation and other required skills to make money off your passion.

Instead of focusing on passion alone, take into account the problems you see around you and how you can provide solutions for them. Then develop the skills you need to solve that problem. You can get all you want if you can help as much people get what they want.

9. Stay where you are comfortable.

Being comfortable does not mean you have found the right job. Comfort often leads to boredom and apathy. Job satisfaction is highest when you use your skills and creativity to do something you have interest in. Find a place where you are challenged and have continued opportunities to learn and grow. It may not be comfortable, but it will be more rewarding. As you push and stretch yourself and volunteer for tasks, you can land opportunities that no one else has.

10. Get yourself a real job.

When people talk about real jobs, they are simply referring to what they are familiar with to be typical jobs; The type of job where you rush out at 6am corporately dressed and return home at 8pm.

The world has changed significantly and jobs have continued to evolve. There are jobs that allow you to wake up when you want to and work from where you want to. There are jobs that require few hours a day. People may see people doing such jobs as lazy but they could be doing more fulfilling work and earning much higher than the typical jobber. Do what you believe is best for you with while considering the future.

11. Don’t quit your job, even if you hate it.

Gone are the days when you worked in a toxic company for forty years and then retired. Life is too short to stay at a job you despise. You will be unhappiness in your work and it will spill over into other areas of your life; your health and your relationships. If you find you are unhappy at your job, start making alternative plans. Chances are you will find something that not only suits you better, but will improve your overall quality of life.

What other terrible career advice have you received before? Let us know in the comment section. Please share and like this video if you found it interesting. If you are yet to subscribe to our channel, this is likely a good time to subscribe. Until next time, YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS!

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