Top 10 Career Myths and Realities

Searching for solid career advice? The good news is that there’s a lot of career advice swirling around out there. The bad news? Unfortunately, a good chunk of that advice is based on myth, or based on career realities that were true decades ago — but don’t hold water today. If you’re in the midst of seeking out career guidance, be aware of these 10 super common career myths and realities:

1. Myth: Your “dream career” is waiting for you.

Reality: No, you’re not destined for one perfect “dream career.” Unless you’re the kind of person who’s always had a highly specific career in mind (i.e. astronaut or race car driver), chances are your interests and skills will align well with several possible career choices. If you’re not sure what you want to do career-wise, don’t fret — but do start exploring. Take advantage of career and personality quizzes that can provide you a starting point for figuring out what career — or more likely, careers — would work for you.

2. Myth: Do what you love, and you’ll never “work” a day in your life.

Reality: Nope, nope, nope. This career myth is especially insidious because it leads people to believe that if they’re ever unhappy or frustrated in what was supposed to be their dream career, the problem lies with them. Truth is, every job, no matter how seemingly glamorous, requires boring, tedious, or downright painful work. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because you’ve hit a rough patch in your job it’s time to jump ship.

3. Myth: A college degree is now a necessity.

Reality: Yes, college degree holders out earn their peers on average by 84 percent throughout their careers. But college isn’t for everyone — especially with college costs at an all-time high. If you don’t think a four-year college degree is for you, start exploring careers with high earning and growth potential that don’t require you to hold a traditional degree, like a dental hygienist or electrician.

4. Grad school can help you figure out what you should do career-wise.

Reality: It’s the old post-college cliché — if you don’t know what to do after you’ve earned your undergrad degree, go to grad school. But with the average student borrowing upwards of $57,000 to get a graduate degree, it’s a decision that comes with a hefty price tag, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The better course of action would be to spend a few years after college working in fields that interest you before you take the grad school plunge (that way you can start saving up for grad school costs, too).

5. Myth: Grad school will help you edge out the competition.

Reality: Yes, a graduate degree will likely look impressive on your resume — but how impressive depends on your field, the type of degree, and the school you earned it from. The Washington Post has the low down on how to determine whether or not going for that graduate degree is worth it; for example, earning a masters will pretty much do nothing for those in the communications fields, but going for a PhD will get them a major pay bump.

6. Myth: Pick your job wisely — because you’ll be stuck with it for a lifetime.

Reality: Gone are the days of the company man who sticks with the same company for 20 or 30 years (and is rewarded with a solid pension in return). An average job stint today lasts about four and a half years, and the length of time is even shorter for millennials. Switching up jobs frequently is used as a career advancement tool — but be wary of job hopping too swiftly. Recruiters do still question the integrity and loyalty of job seekers who hop from job to job at hyper speed.

7. Myth: Liberal arts majors are S.O.L. when it comes to finding a job.

Reality: STEM degree holders may start earning more right off the bat than their philosophy degree-holding counterparts, but liberal arts degrees provide graduates with skills that are more transferable from job to job, providing a whole host of career options. The key for liberal arts majors is to augment their course work with internships and other kinds of work experience to show recruiters that they can apply their critical thinking skills in the “real world.”

8. Myth: You’ll be rewarded for your hard work.

Reality: If you work for a great boss at a great company, regular raises and promotions may just fall in your lap. But all too often a raise or promotion requires an “ask” from the employee, so bone up on your negotiating skills now. To help make your case for why you deserve the raise, start making a list of your workplace accomplishments, large and small. Quantifying your value to the company will make your raise or promotion request harder to ignore.

9. Myth: Lateral moves won’t get you more money.

Reality: By definition, lateral moves within a company aren’t about increasing your pay, but making a lateral move can better position you to move up in the company later on, if the new role is better suited to your skills and offers greater career growth potential. I love what career expert Vicki Salemi recently told Marie Claire about lateral moves: “Moving laterally may mean your salary is stagnant, but you should think of your career as more like a lattice than a direct one-way ladder on the way to the top.”

10. Myth: You can’t get a job without experience.

Reality: Ah, the old “chicken and egg” conundrum of the career world: Every job requires previous experience, but how do you get experience without a job? Start thinking of “experience” outside of the traditional job realm — for many entry-level positions, volunteer stints, internships, and even campus club involvement can count as experience. If you held a leadership role, that’s even better. Just be sure to position your alternative experiences on your resume using strong action words to best convey to recruiters the skills you brought to the table.

What common career myths have you encountered during your search for solid career advice? Share with us in the comments below!