You accidentally replied-all to a company email with a “Lord of the Rings” joke. You cried in front of your boss.
You botched something so monumentally that you’re asked to pack up your desk.
Career mistakes come in all forms of dread, and everyone makes them. Even folks who’ve landed impressive jobs, counsel others with advice and are renowned for their career expertise have blundered once or twice (or 50 times). And while those mistakes stung at the time, the people who made them have recovered. We’ve got proof. Below, four career experts share their screw-ups and what they’ve learned from them.
Mail fail. Paul McDonald, senior executive director of the specialized staffing firm Robert Half
McDonald was a year out of college working at a major accounting firm, where he was charged with sending a board book to the CEO of an out-of-town client. The CEO needed the book for a meeting the next day, so McDonald had to place it in the overnight delivery box by 5 p.m. — and he did, with 10 minutes to spare!
The next morning, McDonald hears that the CEO never received the package. “I was horrified — a simple task had gone sideways,” he says. “I ran down to the delivery box in the parking structure, heart pounding. I looked at the box and realized I had put the package in the wrong company’s pickup box.”
Embarrassed, McDonald was sure he was going to be fired as he explained what happened to his boss. The boss listened to the story, and when it ended, he burst into laughter. “He found the story very entertaining,” McDonald says. “It lightened the mood considerably, and we figured out how to get another book to the CEO pronto.”
Lesson learned: “I lost a few pounds perspiring that morning,” McDonald says. “I realized that mistakes do happen, and a little understanding from supervisors goes a long way.” He emphasizes checking your actions “twice and three times,” even when you have to work quickly, and though you may not always control timing, “when possible, give yourself time to meet deadlines. Don’t cut things too close.”
[See: 10 Things Only Bad Bosses Say .]
No use crying over missed awards. Tina Fox, La Jolla , California branch manager of the Accountemps division of Robert Half
“At one point in my career, I was a top producer and always winning awards, including company-paid trips,” Fox says. But one year, she didn’t qualify for the award and trip — though her partner did. “Upon finding out, I broke down in tears in front of my partner and manager, not realizing that everyone then turned their attention to me instead of those who earned the award.”
Lesson learned: Afterward, Fox was coached by her boss on graciously accepting defeat. “I learned that disappointments will happen,” she says. “It’s how you respond to them that matters most.” It’s important to rise above disappointments while keeping emotions in check and remaining professional at all times, Fox says. “Then use those setbacks to boost your motivation to succeed in the future.” Another lesson learned: “When working on a team, sometimes it’s not just about you,” she says.
[Read: Your Guide to Surviving a Career Mistake .]
Blogging blunder. Jenny Foss, founder of the career blog JobJenny.com and author of “Ridiculously Awesome Resume Kit”
While working at her first recruiting job at a small agency, Foss also maintained a blog that only a few of her friends knew about. “At one point, I ran into a really challenging issue at my job: A client of ours declared bankruptcy and failed to pay the agency’s bill,” she says. “My employer suggested that I was going to have to pay back the commission I’d been paid on the placement.” Foss was upset about this situation and blogged about it (while not naming names).
Several months later, the owner of the agency — through an unlikely bit of Google searching — stumbled upon Foss’ blog. And, of course, he read the post about her frustrations. “I was very nearly fired, because he was so disappointed in what he read,” she says.
Lesson learned. “The lesson has stuck with me for a decade,” Foss says. “And while I’m today a public figure who continues to blog, I learned the hard way that you must be very mindful of your online activity.”
[Read: The 25 Best Jobs of 2014 .]
What’s in a name? Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert
Fresh out of college, Gottsman was a fundraiser for a nonprofit. “I was quickly an ace at making connections, targeting good prospects and building relationships,” she says. “Ultimately, securing profitable donations was a major part of my job description.”
Gottsman secured a hefty donation from a company in return for being a title sponsor at a major event. Cue what Gottsman calls her “huge oversight:” She forgot to include the company’s name on the event’s many marketing materials that had been distributed citywide. The worst part, she says, was that the company’s name was missing from the event T-shirts that had already been ordered. Gottsman was the one who noticed this oversight and had to fess up. “The sponsorship company was incredibly understanding, and I somehow didn’t lose my job,” she says.
Lesson learned: Every detail counts. “One small oversight can damage a relationship or unintentionally burn a professional bridge,” Gottsman says, adding that while this wasn’t the case in her situation, it very well could have been. A second lesson, she adds, is one of tolerance. “This company was very gracious and forgiving,” she says, and that response has impacted how she perceives and reacts to other people’s business mistakes that affect her. “An apology is a character-builder, and forgiveness is the key to moving forward.”
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4 Mistakes of Career Experts — and What You Can Learn From Them originally appeared on usnews.com
