3 reasons to ignore career rules

A few months ago, I attended a simulation programme that had participants in their early twenties. As would be expected, when we had the informal sessions, they had certain questions for the more seasons members of the audience - - what should I do to ensure a rise up the corporate ladder, how should I approach my career, etc.

At the early stages of your career, it is easy to get stuck on the rules on keeping your head down, working hard and not making too many changes lest they backfire and we are never able to recover. But the reality is quite different - there are very few adventures or missteps that are impossible to recover from, no matter how badly you think you messed up.

Rules There are very few rules that you should bet your career on. Of course, there are some obvious ones - be eager to learn, err on the side of honesty and build a reputation that reflects you in the best light. A lot of other rules, however, are simply representations of what has worked for other people in their own circumstances, which may or may not be relevant to where you are in your career. The key is to be discerning of what you are internalizing and critically evaluating whether a certain course of action is beneficial to you or not.

Career path So you majored in a certain discipline in university and feel as if you should follow that trajectory all your life. Or because you started out in the accounting department, you feel as if you have to spend all your life there regardless of the fact that you have really good people skills and can sell ice to an eskimo, but are too afraid to ask for an opportunity in sales, marketing or client services.

Do your best in the position and department you are in, but do not be too obsessed with a particular career path. If you are not sure that you want to make a full-on change, ask to be involved in projects where you could have more exposure to the skills you have that are underutilised. You could actually find that your sweet spot lies elsewhere.

Flexibility Gone are the years when employers wanted to see that you had chained yourself to an unfulfilling career for 20 years to believe in your dedication. Now more than ever, employers want to see that you are versatile and flexible, and not afraid of change. If you do make a change and it doesn't work out, there's no harm in coming back to your previous career or some version of it later on and using the skills you gained to make you a more well-rounded professional.

Have fun I wish I hadn't approached my career as if it were life and death for the many years I was in it. Life is meant to be enjoyable and to stretch us. If you make what you do for half your waking hours a drudgery, then it will feed into other areas of your life and drag you down. Give yourself permission to have fun while growing and to wake up excited.

TIPS - Do not be afraid to apply for jobs or positions within your organisation that you think are exciting even if you do not have experience. - Develop a thick skin - being adventurous means that you will hear many no's - but it also means you may stumble upon the most amazing yes that changes your career and life.