Nonprofit HR’s Blog

There are as many pieces of advice about obtaining and keeping a job as there are stars in the sky. Some are better than others and some are relative to your situation.

Alexis Sclamberg has a few that she thinks you should ignore. (Via Rebecca Santiago)

DON’T always follow through.

“People always told me to follow through on everything: if you make a commitment, stick to it,” Sclamberg says. She remembers how, as an attorney, she would often prioritize her sense of commitment over everything, including her health. “My body would physically rebel against the experience of going into work. When I walked in the door, I would get a stomachache, and I was chronically fatigued,’ she says. And yet, she pushed herself to keep at it.”

“I think a lot of people think, I put in time or energy or money, or I’m just scared of what people will think, so I have to do it,” Sclamberg says. “My advice? Don’t follow through if it’s not working for you.” Of course, it’s one thing to flake on your ten-year plan and quite another to up-and-quit your job in this economy. As you hunt for a new gig, try folding projects and tasks that make you happy into your workday and indulging in much-needed you-time at home. 

DON’T blindly do what you’re good at.

“A lot of people will tell you to do what you’re good at–like, if you’re good at something, you should do that. And that’s where a lot of people get stuck,” says Sclamberg. That’s not to say you should ignore your talents unconditionally, and obviously, if you love what you’re good at, go for it.

But as Sclamberg points out, you might not like what you’re good at, and that’s totally OK. “We’re all good at a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean we should be doing them,” she says. So if your natural proclivities don’t align with a career path that excites you, remember that while aptitude is a wonderful thing, it’s definitely not a mandate.

Read more of Sclamberg’s thoughts here.