Career mistakes

Plan
Mistake No. 1: Not making yourself indispensable.
Mistake No. 2: Not maintaining your network
Mistake No. 3: Not increasing your marketability.
Mistake No. 4: Being too humble.
Mistake No. 5: Not keeping track of career accomplishments
Mistake No. 6: Not being opportunistic.
Mistake No. 7: Burying your head in the sand.

How do you know if you're making a costly career error? Experts weigh in on some of the common mistakes you might be making and how you can turn things around

Mistake No. 1: Not making yourself indispensable.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in their careers in today's layoff-prone world is not becoming truly indispensable.

Mistake No. 2: Not maintaining your network
Сommon mistake workers make is networking only when it's of immediate value. Doing so can appear self-serving and may dissuade contacts from advocating for you.

Mistake No. 3: Not increasing your marketability.
Once you commit to a career path, you might think that the knowledge acquired at your job is enough to keep you marketable. In this competitive economy, that's not always true.

Mistake No. 4: Being too humble.
If you're someone who puts yourself down -- "This is probably a stupid idea, but ..." -- or downplays your contribution to a big client win -- "I didn't really do much; it was Paul who did most of the work" -- stop it now.

Mistake No. 5: Not keeping track of career accomplishments
Now that you know the importance of being your own advocate, make sure your achievements are being recorded.

Mistake No. 6: Not being opportunistic.
This is especially true in regimented career paths, such as banking and consulting. These people may miss opportunities to venture into something they're more passionate about or even more simply a high-upside but nontraditional opportunity.

Mistake No. 7: Burying your head in the sand.
It might not seem like the best time to quit your job, but staying in a dead-end job may end up causing more harm.