9 Career Mistakes That Are Totally Normal in Your Twenties

A career mistake can feel like the end of the world. But what if we told you they’re totally normal to make, especially when you’re in your 20s? This is the decade that you’re supposed to be figuring it all out, and how can you do that without making some mistakes along the way?! This is the time to experiment, pivot, and yes, even make mistakes – plural.

Taking missteps in your career isn’t proof that you’re failing – it’s part of the learning process. Most career paths aren’t linear (at least they aren’t anymore). So many successful professionals look back at their career journey and realize it was the mistakes they made early on that really shaped their careers. Bottom line? This is the time to make those mistakes.

Totally Normal Career Mistakes in Your Twenties

Think of work in your twenties less about getting it right, and more about figuring out what works for you, what makes you happy and figuring out what you really want to be doing. All of that takes some level of making mistakes. Herea re nine career mistakes that are completely normal – and even useful to make – in your twenties.

1) Taking A Job That Isn’t The Right Fit

You’ll never know whether a job is right for you or not until you take it and try working there. That’s right – sometimes, you really won’t realize that a job isn’t right for you until you’re already in it.

Let’s be honest, when we’re graduating school and looking for a job, a lot of the times, we take the job for practical reasons such as the steady paycheck, the benefits they offer or the location it’s in. That’s not a bad thing; in fact, having this experience can help you figure out what you don’t want in a career.

Knowing if a job is the right culture fit for you, if it has the right management style or workload are all things you’ll only be able to learn through experience. Don’t think of taking the wrong job as a mistake, instead remind yourself that it’s taught you valuable information about your priorities.

2) Staying Too Long In A Job You’ve Outgrown

It’s really common to stay in a comfortable job longer than you should, yes, even in your twenties. There are some signs you should look out for that’ll show you’ve outgrown your job, even if it looks good on paper.

A lot of the time, staying too long in a job comes from a fear of change or instability, loyalty to current coworkers or managers and a worry about the uncertainty about what comes next. We may sound redundant, but this is another learning experience too.

This totally normal career mistake helps you recognize when your growth has stalled and also helps you understand what your value is in the job market. Realizing you’ve outgrown your job and that it’s time to move on is a skill that you only develop with experience.

3) Comparing Your Career To Everyone Else’s

This is when social media plays a big impact. We go on LinkedIn, we see the person we graduated high school or college with posting an update they got a promotion or started their own business. It doesn’t make us feel great, does it? But why are we comparing our career to theirs in the first place!?

Let’s be honest – social media makes it easy to feel like you’re falling behind, in every aspect of life. We see our friends getting promotions, grad degrees or big new jobs – but we don’t see what they went through to get there. We just see the highlight reels rather than the real life.

Remember, everyone’s timeline is different, and comparing yours to someone else’s is a big mistake., especially as comparisons rarely reflect the full picture. To help you out, here are some tips on how to measure success without comparing yourself to everyone else.

4) Saying “Yes” To Everything is a Career Mistake That is Totally Normal

You may feel pressure to say “yes” to everything early in your career because you want to prove yourself. This could look like taking on too many projects, volunteering for everything or working extra hours constantly.

All of this will lead to you burning out, which is something you’ll learn by making this mistake. You’ll learn the different between being helpful and burning out. You’ll also learn the importance of boundaries.

5) Being Afraid To Speak Up

You may feel pressure to say “yes” to everything early in your career, Or, you may feel hesitant to share ideas or ask questions. This stems from feeling imposter syndrome, being scared of looking inexperienced, or simply having hesitation in meetings.

This mistake is so common, but you’ll learn that your voice becomes stronger the more you use it. Confidence grows with practice. Asking questions will show leaders your engagement and desire to learn, not that you’re incompetent.

6) Not Networking Enough

We know – networking can feel so awkward and intimidating in your twenties, especially with people older than you. Some common mistakes when it comes to networking include not realizing how important relationships are to your career growth. This comes from thinking networking only happens at formal events and feeling uncomfortable reaching out to people.

Instead, know that relationships will often open doors that your skills alone can’t. Reframe the “scary” networking and start off by thinking it’s simply maintaining connections with coworkers, classmates and mentors.

7) Thinking Your First Career Choice Is Permanent

Sure, when our parents entered the working world, they likely stayed at the first company they worked at for all – or most – of their career. You may also have this mindset thanks to pressure from your degree or student loans or the fear of “starting over.”

But nowadays, many of the most successful professional pivot many times during their careers. Your twenties are the time of making the “mistake” of taking on different jobs to see what works for you. It is not to settle for your first career choice.

8) Not Negotiating Your Salary is a Career Mistake That is Totally Normal

A lot of people just starting out accept the first offer they’re given, as they’re grateful to get that job with the steady paycheck. A lot of this is because of a lack of confidence, not knowing negotiation is expected or being scared of losing the opportunity.

This is such a common mistake, as only with experience you’ll learn that negotiation is normal and that your salary can impact future earnings. This is one of those skills that gets easier with practice.

9) Believing You’re “Behind”

Most of us have that moment in our twenties when we feel like we’re late to success. We see others hit milestones earlier. We feel pressured to have our path clearly laid out in front of us. We’re uncertain about our long-term goals.

But in reality, so many successful people end up finding their direction later in life than they expected. Remember, progress isn’t always obvious when it’s happening; just because it feels like you’re not making any progress doesn’t mean that’s true.

Final Thoughts on Career Mistakes That Are Totally Normal

It’s easy to say looking back but until you’ve lived them, mistakes in life can feel so devastating. Hopefully this breakdown of common career mistakes in your twenties was eye-opening.

As we embrace these chances to grow, we find that these errors are just part of the process. So, don’t be hard on yourself as you move through any of these totally normal career mistakes.

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