Don’t Put Your Job Ahead of Your Career

My book How Women Rise became a #1 best-seller, widely praised for its insights into professional growth.

I co-authored it with Sally Helgesen, who was the lead author and responsible for about 80% of the content. Working with her, I learned many valuable lessons—one of the most important being:

Don’t put your job ahead of your career.

The Trap of Focusing Only on the Job

Many of us assume that if we do a great job, we’ll be rewarded with promotions and long-term success.

Wrong.

Sally made a powerful point: Focusing only on excelling in your current role can actually hold you back.

Here’s why:

1. Perfectionism Becomes a Trap

   • You convince yourself that if you perform flawlessly, your efforts will naturally be recognized and rewarded.

   • You obsess over perfecting what you do now, rather than preparing for what’s next.

2. Excelling at X Doesn’t Guarantee Readiness for Y

   • Being great at your current job doesn’t automatically qualify you for the next level.

   • Leadership and career progression often require different skills than those needed in your current role.

The Danger of Becoming Indispensable

Here’s how many professionals unknowingly stagnate their careers:

• Your boss gives you a task. You do it perfectly.

• As a result, your boss keeps giving you more work.

• You continue performing flawlessly, becoming indispensable.

• Because you’re so essential in your current role, you don’t get promoted.

The reality? Indispensable employees often become stuck employees.

The Smart Approach: Do a Great Job, Not a Perfect Job

• Performing at 95% is often good enough.

• The effort needed to go from 95% to 99% is as much as it took to get from 0% to 95%.

• Instead of chasing perfection, use that extra effort to prepare for the future:

  • Learn new skills.

  • Build relationships.

  • Plan your next move.

  • Seek opportunities beyond your current role.

As Peter Drucker wisely said:

“Never sacrifice the future on the altar of today.”

Your Homework Assignment

1. Reflect on your career. Have you ever prioritized excelling in your current job, assuming it would lead to the next opportunity—only to realize it didn’t?

2. Write down examples where you may have unknowingly put your job ahead of your career.

3. What did you learn from those experiences? How can you shift your approach to ensure you’re preparing for long-term success rather than just short-term performance?

Success isn’t just about working hard in your current role—it’s about preparing for what’s next. If you want to advance, make sure you’re investing in your career, not just your job.