In the modern day, it’s not hard to stand out in the business world. In fact, showing up on time and caring about your job is often enough to put you ahead of most of your co-workers, whether you work from home, in a hybrid office, or in an office full-time.

With our team of job hunting experts having experience on both sides of the interviewing table, we know what it takes to move up in your career and add a nice bonus onto your wage packet every month. So if you want to get ahead at work, one of the best things you can do is make sure you don’t fall into the traps of self-sabotage that the majority of people fall victim to. Impressing your boss is easier than ever with most employees doing just enough to get by.

Here are seven signs that you’re holding yourself back from getting ahead in your career.

You’re Too Hard On Yourself

Do you always say bad things about yourself? Do you always find fault in what you do? Self-sabotage is clear when you can’t let go of your mistakes and keep them playing in your head on repeat.

People who are perfectionists tend to be too hard on themselves. No matter what they do or how well they do it, it never seems to be enough. This usually leads to stagnation because people who self-sabotage don’t take the steps they need to move forward and look for opportunities, mostly because they’re afraid of failing or not being good enough.

As bad for your mental health as perfectionism is, research shows that it is also a hidden source of not getting things done. That’s because you’re not living up to your full potential if you don’t take the steps you need to take and don’t take chances for fear of failing. Also, spending extra time trying to perfect even the least important tasks will take a lot of time that could be used much more effectively on more important things.

You Do The Bare Minimum

Quiet quitters don’t do things like work late on Friday nights, plan the annual team-building trip to Slough, or offer to watch the boss’s teenager while he or she is on work experience. Instead, they do just enough at work to keep up, then leave the minute their shift ends doing the bare minimum in order to avoid getting sacked.

‘’Well if I’m getting paid the same as everyone else why should I work harder?’’ This is what nearly every employee thinks like, but when it’s time to give out promotions, managers look for people who do more than what is expected of them. If you leave work after doing just enough to get by, you’re probably not setting yourself up for the next promotion.

You Arrive Late

“Showing up is half the battle,” is true  in every aspect of your life. If you show up on time every day, you will quickly show that you can be counted on.

If the job you’re in is something you genuinely want to pursue for the rest of your life, even getting there before your boss can be a great way to shock them when they turn up after you in the morning.

You Cause Trouble

No one likes a person who causes trouble, and this is especially true at work. If you like to fight with your co-workers (not physically of course), you hurt your chances of ever moving up in your career. People won’t want to work with you, and the chances of the boss taking a disliking to you is high. On top of that, it’s unlikely that your old co-workers will recommend you to work with them at another company that pays more.

You never know when building industry related connections can work in your favour later down the line, and showing that you can’t use co-operation in tasks that require teamwork is a big red flag for every employer.

You Complain All The Time

Complainers are abundant. Make yourself stand out by not being a complainer. You won’t like everything about your job, but bringing it up in the office could irritate your co-workers and make your boss think you’re not ready for more responsibilities because you might alienate the office or quit at any time.

You Turn Down Opportunities

Almost every promotion comes from taking advantage of new chances. Even ones that are scary.

Psychologically, it’s easy for us to think that “we’re not ready” for a promotion or that we don’t know enough to do the job. But don’t give in to the doubt that’s trying to keep you in your comfort zone. Getting ahead in your career means taking advantage of chances. We might sometimes take on more than we can handle, but that allows you to grow in the process. Learn as you go along.

You Never Ask For Raises Or Promotions

We just have to ask for raises and promotions sometimes. Even if your boss says “no,” you’ve still shown that you’re a team player and are interested in moving forward. He or she is likely to remember when it’s time for the next raise or promotion.

And you never know what kinds of chances you’re missing out on. When you ask for raises, promotions, and other opportunities, it can lead to good conversations that could move you closer to your next chance in moving up.

The same principle applies as it did with taking opportunities, how do you expect to receive the extra benefits if you don’t take the chance of asking? Your boss might have even been on the edge of giving you a raise but completely forgot, take the risk and reap the rewards.

Don’t Be A Minimalist

With these seven simple, but easily forgettable principles, you should have everything in mind necessary to move forward in your career and stick out like a sore thumb from surrounding co-workers.

The one thing to take away from this article is that being a minimalist only sets you up for staying in the same position or ending up worse than you were before you got the job. Take the risk and you never know what can come from it.