Common Mistakes That Make You Look Less Professional

Remember when you were growing up, and your teachers and parents seemed to be always one step behind you, correcting little things that seemed trivial? Pick up your shoes! Screw the lid on all the way! Make up your bed! I’m sure every kid was chronically corrected for different mistakes, and we all remember how irritating it was. But the truth is that usually, after a few weeks, months or maybe years of being told the same thing over and over, we eventually were broken of our old ways and formed new habits. The typical result is that we emerge into adulthood with good habits that were ingrained in us long ago, like closing the toothpaste when we’re finished, saying “thank you” to the waiter, etc.

Well, turns out that many of us make similarly sloppy mistakes every day at work, usually because we were never taught otherwise! They might seem insignificant, but seasoned professionals know to sniff out these errors, and if they see you make them, it could cause them to discount all the things you do correctly. 

Here are five subtle, yet significant, mistakes that make you look less professional and can hold you back from advancing in the workplace: 

Dressing Poorly - No need to break the bank on a new wardrobe or spend an hour on your hair every morning, but don’t be the worst dressed person at work. Simple precautions like ironing your shirts, dressing appropriately and wearing shoes that aren’t worn out or sloppy communicate that you put in a little effort, and effort demonstrates respect.

Interrupting Others - Whether in big meetings or one-on-one conversations, interrupting is not only rude, it’s indicative of immaturity. A true professional knows that everyone in the workplace has something to offer and that their ideas have value. Constant interrupting not only steamrolls over other voices, it communicates insecurity on your part, because it shows that you can’t stand to share the floor with someone else. Seek to understand others before you speak. I once read something that has stuck with me: “A smart person knows what to say. A wise person knows whether to say it or not.”

Refusing Responsibility - This is a tough but important pill to swallow. No matter how much of a perfectionist you are, you will make mistakes from time to time, and that’s okay. In fact, good bosses and leaders expect mistakes. Making errors every now and then won’t put you on your bosses’ naughty list; what might do the trick, however, is your refusal to take responsibility when mistakes are made. Simply saying, “I was not as thorough as I should have been, and that’s my fault. Going forward, I’m going to take better measures to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” communicates that you have a professional level of self-awareness. People will tend to overlook mistakes when you own up to them immediately and communicate what you learned from the mistake.

Forgetting to Grammar Check - Isn’t it nice to live in an era when we don’t have to know every grammar rule or how to spell every word? Seriously, with tools like spell check and grammar check at our disposal, there is really no excuse to send emails or share documents containing silly mistakes, such as typos and misplaced commas. Before sending anything, quickly run it through a grammar checking tool and read it one more time before hitting send to avoid looking less competent than you really are.

Meeting the Standard - What do I mean by that? Well, meeting the standard of what is required of you is mediocre. Average. Expected. What’s none of those things, however, is seeking to exceed the standard expected of you. Go above and beyond what you are asked to do, and your higher-ups will recognize you as a diligent asset. Don’t just act and project an image like everyone else. Live and perform at a higher standard than expected.

If you think about it, we should all be grateful to the adults who helped us unlearn bad habits as children, because it makes it that much easier for us to do the same as adults. While there’s more to being a professional than following these five tips, beginning to incorporate these can quickly and effectively elevate your status of professionalism. 

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