The Career Mistake Nobody Warns You About Until It’s Too Late

The Career Mistake Nobody Warns You About Until It’s Too Late

I recently met a recent graduate who applied for the role of a manager at a multinational company. We laughed about his audacity, but I often wonder at what he would have done if he had actually gotten the role.

Opportunity is not always a blessing when it arrives too early. Sometimes it can expose incompetence so publicly that it shuts the door on future chances. People remember. A botched performance today can erase tomorrow’s recommendation.

Nothing exposes your lack of preparedness than someone taking a chance at you. You end up disgracing yourself.

Think of it this way. Your 12-year-old may dream of driving your Toyota 4Runner. You won’t hand them the keys, not because you don’t love them, but because you know the danger. That opportunity, if given, could end not just their chance of driving again, but their life. The same principle applies to careers and even business. The wrong opportunity, too soon, can derail rather than advance.

I’ve seen this play out. Someone gets a seat at the table before they’ve built the skills and judgment to contribute meaningfully. Instead of growth, the opportunity becomes a mirror, showing how unprepared they are. And once exposed, rebuilding credibility can take years.

This is why self-evaluation and preparation are critical. I talk a lot about opportunity, but even I know that opportunity is not magic. It is work, expertise, execution, and discipline, all converging in a moment. Without those, what you call “a chance” can become a setback.

So before you long for the next big break, ask yourself that if the door opened today, am I ready to walk through and thrive, or would it reveal I still have work to do?

Sometimes the wisest thing is not to rush for the keys, but to keep training until you can handle the road.