The Worst Career Advice I ever Got (And what you should do instead)
Let’s get real. There’s a lot of career advice out there—some helpful, a lot of it outdated.
I've worked across two continents and coached thousands of professionals, and I can tell you this: the biggest thing holding most people back at work isn’t their boss, their title, or their degree. It’s the bad advice they’ve been told to follow.
Here are the top 3 worst pieces of career advice I ever got—and what to do instead.
🚫 BAD ADVICE #1: You have to pay your dues.
They told me this when I started working in a stockroom, and again when I launched my own business.
But let me ask you this—who decides when your dues are “paid”? No one can tell you that. It’s a moving target.
The truth is, your value isn’t about time served. It’s about what you bring to the table.
✅ DO THIS INSTEAD: Choose where you work based on opportunity, not hierarchy. A startup may give you leadership experience faster than a big company where you're just waiting your turn.
📊 Stat: A recent study found that 45% of workers say “time served” is still valued over skill or results in their workplace—even when it’s not working. That’s a broken system. Don’t wait for permission to grow.
🚫 BAD ADVICE #2: You need more skills or education.
Employers want a degree for entry-level roles but offer pay that can’t even cover rent—this outdated model no longer works in today’s world where information is readily available.
Sure, learning is important—but don’t fall into the trap of thinking another certificate will “fix” your career.
The truth? Most problems at work aren’t about skills. They’re about people.
I’ve been in hundreds of workplaces, and the real friction? It's coworkers not getting along. It's poor communication. It’s feeling invisible.
✅ DO THIS INSTEAD: Practice human skills—communication, leadership, and problem-solving. That’s what gets you noticed, not another course.
📊 Stat: A 2024 Pew Research Center study found that only 32% of four-year college graduates believe their education was worth the cost
Getting another degree or certificate to fix a people problem is like buying a fancier screwdriver to fix a leaking pipe—it’s the wrong tool.
🚫 BAD ADVICE #3: Find a mentor.
Now, I’m not against mentorship—but here’s the truth no one tells you: most people in senior roles don’t have the time, energy, or skill to mentor you.
And just because someone has a fancy title doesn’t mean they can teach you how to get there.
You don’t need another “motivational” workshop where someone tells you to believe in yourself and then leaves you with nothing to apply.
What you do need is practical help—like how to speak up in meetings, ask for a raise, or deal with that one co-worker who always talks over you.
✅ DO THIS INSTEAD: Find someone who’s already done what you want to do. Follow their journey.
Better yet—hire a coach or use your professional development budget for training that actually helps you handle the real-life stuff you face every day at work.
Not just something that feels good for a day and then fades by Monday.
📊 Stat:
According to Harvard Business Review, only 20% of mentorships deliver measurable career impact, while coaching and targeted training
improve performance by up to 88% when combined with practical application.
If you follow the crowd you’ll end up in the crowd and you probably won’t like it there.
Final Thoughts
The workplace fairy tale goes like this:
- Work is like family.
- Great teams never fight.
- If you’re good, people will notice.
But here’s the truth:
- Work is messy because people are messy.
- Your job isn’t to avoid problems—it’s to learn how to solve them.
- You don’t need to wait for permission. You are the CEO of your own career.
In my next issue, I’ll share the 3 best pieces of advice that helped me go from minimum wage in the stockroom to six figures in the boardroom—even when the world told me I didn’t have the right education.
You're not stuck. You’re just following the wrong map.
Let’s change that.
I believe in you
—Tammy