I’d like to address the concept of career management negativity – job seekers or job enhancers who are consistently and constantly being told what not to do. Right now in my LinkedIn feed there are articles titled “Biggest Interview Fails”, “What you Really Sound Like in an Interview”, “Bad Habits You Must Break To Be More Productive”, “Top Three Mistakes New Employees Make”, and “5 Job Search Tactics You Should Stop Immediately”. When did society decide that it’s our job to scare the crap out of people trying to do something?

I invite you to join the “Positively Ambiguous” camp. Where it’s OK to sometimes do something wrong – maybe – and then maybe – sometimes – think that you might have done something kinda right. 

In my experience there are way too many people putting up barriers that they perceive exist because they read an article telling them they will probably do it wrong. In the same breath I would encourage them to do it anyway – they might encounter someone at that exact moment that appreciates how awkward they introduce themselves, or identify with your nerves and anxiety over meeting someone new.

Dive in – be ambiguous, awkward, put yourself out there and make mistakes. Positively.