Why Most Career Advice Is Wrong for You – And How to Tell

Most people want to help others, an urge that’s often expressed in the form of advice, including career advice. No matter the stage of your career, or what your aspirations are, many colleagues, friends, family—sometimes even strangers—will offer advice and instructions, and expect you to follow them. But what worked for them, or what they think will work for you, may not be applicable or appropriate to your situation. How do you evaluate career advice that seems reasonable but may not be right for you? How do you decide which pieces of guidance you should pay attention to and try to implement and which you should leave alone?

Are You Different?

Start by considering the person giving advice or the person for whom they said it worked. Are you in a similar situation? Do you have similar personalities and goals? If someone tells you to do something that’s not aligned with your personality or your goals, it probably won’t go well. For example, telling an extremely shy person to "just get out there and network" is not likely to be helpful.

Is the Career Different?

What does the advice giver do? Are they in another industry or at a different point in their career than you are (a chemist versus lawyer, entry level versus midcareer versus transitioning to retirement)? As your career progresses and changes, what you need to do to be successful also changes—and sometimes your definition of success changes, too. For instance, the résumé format that they suggest may work well for a recent graduate, but if you are midcareer, a different format might be more effective.

Is the Field Different?

Every field, every industry, and every organization has its own culture and expected way of doing things. What is seen as normal in one organization or field might be highly unusual in another, and what makes you stand out as exceptional in one field could make you appear out of touch in another.

Is the World Different?

It’s often tempting to seek career advice from people who have "been there, done that." While it’s interesting to hear their stories, the world of work has changed significantly, and what worked even a decade ago may not work today. While some of their strategies may still be feasible, others might not. They also may not even be aware of all the factors that played a role in their success—that they graduated into an exceptionally hot job market or decided to change career paths just when a new technology requiring their skills was getting off the ground. Consider the timing, employment landscape, location, resources, and any other extenuating circumstances that might have come into play in their success. Do you have similar things working for you, or are some of them working against you?

In the end, only you can decide what career advice resonates with you, and what might not be appropriate for your specific situation. The more people you talk to, the more opinions you will get, and you should be appreciative of any advice. But the more you can synthesize all that advice into something useful, and discard the bits that aren’t relevant, the better you can move toward your own professional goals.

Get involved in the discussion. The ACS Career Tips column is published monthly in C&EN. Send your comments and ideas for topics for future columns to careernavigator@acs.org.