Your Career: When Conventional Wisdom Is Lousy Advice

Learning from other people’s mistakes can be as valuable as making your own. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. Learning from other people’s mistakes can be as valuable as making your own. When you receive bad career advice, it usually comes from people who, while they have great theories, haven’t actually lived through the situation they are advising you about. They are projecting their own fears onto your predicament. For the most-relevant advice, look to people who have experienced what you are confronting. Seek out those in your field who have earned their battle scars but are still smiling, still building relationships, still getting results. Their 15 percent of real-life mistakes will be far more valuable to you than wise-sounding speculation. Speaking of which, here are some examples of common advice that is best avoided: - “You are not ready for this promotion.” If your supervisors see potential and are willing to invest in you, maybe they see something you are too close to notice in yourself. There is no perfect career path for you to mess up. If you get an opportunity to move up, by all means, consider the pros and cons of stepping into the spotlight but also think hard about what it will mean for your career to decline the offer. - “You owe me your loyalty.” If someone has to ask for your loyalty, that person probably doesn’t deserve it. Dedication to an institution and its mission is important. But a “circle the wagons” mentality that covers up every flaw in the name of personal loyalty is bad for both your career and your campus. Continue reading: “[The Worst Career Advice I Have Received]( by Aaron Basko Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT REGISTER NOW [Join us January 9-27]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges of the department chair role and creating a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Reserve your spot]( before November 15 and use code EARLYBIRD2023 to save $200. Latest Career Advice, Opinion, and News THE REVIEW | REPORTING [The Cruelty of Faculty Churn]( By James Rushing Daniel [STORY IMAGE]( Term-limited lectureships give scholars a taste of academic life — then yank it away. 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[Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - [Advice]( in the Harvard Business Review on “what to do after being laid off.” - This month in Roxanne Gay’s [Work Friend column]( in The New York Times, she advises a supervisor who is struggling to oversee an employee with a chronic health condition. - On The Conversation, a look at [new research]( shows fund raisers who “appeal to donors’ fond memories” tend to secure larger gifts. More Career Resources [Shifting International-Student Trends]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: November 15, 2022 | 2 p.m. ET: The Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors report offers the most comprehensive look into international-student trends. Join us as we host an expert panel and dive into the latest enrollment figures. With Support From ETS TOEFL [Register here.]( [How to Design Learning for Student Success]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: November 16, 2022 | 2 p.m. ET: College leaders share thoughts on the growing trend of involving students in the design of curricula and pedagogy in this virtual forum. With Support From Pearson. [Register here.]( PAY UPDATE [How Much Has Faculty Pay Changed Over Time?]( By Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( See the latest federal data on compensation for all ranks of the profession at thousands of American colleges. DATA [How Much Has Noninstructional-Employee Pay Changed Over Time?]( [STORY IMAGE]( A sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in noninstructional jobs from 2012-13 to 2020-21. 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