5 Career Rules You Might Want to Break

5 Career Rules You Might Want to Break 5 Career Rules You Might Want to Break When you’re looking for a job, you’re bound to get a lot of unsolicited advice  and career rules  from well-meaning friends and family members. And some of it might even be good tips, such as making sure that your résumé is up to date or becoming social on social media as a means of establishing your brand. But then, there’s the bad advice. And oh, it’s usually really, really bad. The bad job advice tends to adhere to an old-school way of thinking when it comes to career development and job searching skills. In the Recruiter article, “Why It’s Sometimes a Good Idea to Break Your Career Rules,” the consensus is to break the rules when it comes to your job search. We’ve listed five  career rules below- and why you might want to break them if you want to have a career that you’ll love. Career Rule No.  1: You should stay at one company as long as possible. In the past, employees were applauded for having super-long tenures at companies. It wasn’t unheard of for workers to retire from one company after having worked there for 30-plus years. But in today’s job market, it simply makes no sense to stay with a company that long. You shouldn’t feel that you should stay at a company just because you’ve been there a  long time. Diversifying your resume with jobs at various companies can help you to grow your network, create new connections, and breathe new life into a stagnant career. Career Rule No.  2: You should stick it out with your job- even if you hate it. Who hasn’t had a job that made them cry come Sunday night? If you’re totally miserable in your job, you should first assess why before you march into your boss’ office belting out the Johnny Paycheck song, “Take This Job and Shove It.” Is it that you just don’t get along with your micromanaging boss? Or have you just outgrown the position? At the end of the day, though, your job should give you some happiness- in addition to a healthy paycheck. If you’re not feeling purposeful (or respected) in your job, it’s time to start your job search- and then quit when the right opportunity emerges. Career Rule No.  3: You should only apply to positions that you’re qualified for. Yes, it makes sense that you should apply for jobs that you’re qualified for. After all, if you’re totally lacking the skills and work experience for the job, your job application will most likely get tossed in the trash, and that’s only if you’re lucky enough to beat the applicant tracking system. That said, some job seekers talk themselves out of applying for positions because they have some (but not all) of the requirements for the job. Remember, there’s going to be a learning curve with every job you get, and no employer expects you to know everything even before you’ve started. So if it seems that the position is slightly out of reach, go for it anyway! Career Rule No.  4: You shouldn’t rock the boat and ask to work from home. There are so many reasons why you might need to have a flexible schedule. Having young  children at home, having a disability, being a caregiver or a spouse of a member of the military, or just hating to commute into work each day are all reasons why job seekers look for jobs with flexible work options. But if you are already employed and love your job, you can- and should- ask if you can work remotely. Find out what the company’s official policy is on remote work and then go through your own position to find out which parts of it can be done from home. Schedule a meeting with your boss and see if you can start working from home at least part-time to start, and then gradually build on from there. You have the right to request flexible work from your boss without fear of penalty, so do so! Career Rule No.  5: After a certain age, it doesn’t make sense to go back to school. When you’ve been toiling away in a career for years, you might think that you know it all. But if for some unforeseen reason you need to relaunch a job search, you might be surprised to discover that you’re not as qualified for some jobs as you thought. Don’t sabotage your job search by applying for positions that you’re overqualified for. If you find that you need certain skills, certifications, or degrees in order to get the job that you want, there’s no time like the present to go for it! You’re never, ever too old to improve yourself and get the job that you really want. During your job search, there are definitely rules to follow- and then there are the career rules that you need to break. Ultimately, it will be up to you to determine what rules work best for your job search, or you might discover at the end of the day that when it comes to job hunting, there are no rules. Readers, do you have certain career rules that you follow and others that you avoid? Let us know in the comments below!