Five Habits That Make You Look Unprofessional

Have you ever seen a coworker constantly show unprofessional behaviour and questioned about how they maintain their position in the organization?

Are you doing some self-reflection and wondering why you are able to stand out from the crowd, even you possess the appropriate education and experience?

While there may be other contributing factors that might delay your promotion, you may be displaying certain behaviour that are keeping you from growing professionally. These five things are some of the unprofessional habits that can prevent you from achieving success:

1.Wandering Eyes
You know this routine very well; it has become second nature to the point where you barely realize yourself doing it. When you disagree with someone, your instinct kicks in and you think you are being subtle by simply reacting with your eyes. However, don’t be too comfortable with it because your supervisor might already noticed what have you been doing. They may not mention it directly, but he/she might keep a record of these signs of disengagement and might prevent you from promoting. If you are frustrated with a certain decision, the best way is to discuss it directly with whoever is involved.

2.”It is what it is”
These saying may be common near the water cooler or during happy hour with your close buddies at work but the last thing your employer wants to hear from a promising employee is “you know how it is here”, or “that’s just how things are at XYZ”. Such statements show that you have formed unbreakable negative ideas about the organization. Instead, if you problematic decisions, do some research and discuss possible solutions with your supervisor at the appropriate time.

3.”In my opinion”
Sure, it is great to share your own opinion with your supervisor however constantly use of “in my opinion” will either make yourself sounds defensive or unwilling to be part of a team.It also signals that you are not ready for an advancement opportunity. Either way, it would be better to just say your opinion.

4.”You guys” syndrome
There is no quicker way to label yourself as an outsider than always referring the team as “you guys”. Even if there are practices that you may disagree with or want to improve, the best way to create changes is by first taking ownership of your position within the team so you can work together to turn things around.

5.”&*#$@!”
While this should be common sense, it would be surprising to realize how many professionals also believe that the common use of profanities is acceptable in a professional setting. Regardless of how unconventional your workplace might be, cursing in an office is the ultimate sign of unprofessional behaviour. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission may now allow certain curse words on television, it still does not make it acceptable in a professional environment. Keep in mind that it’s not the curses that will drive your point across but rather your conviction and delivery of your speech.

With more people returning to school and gaining more degrees, the job market will be more competitive, so be sure to avoid these unprofessional behaviours in order to increase your chance of advancement.