Accountemps survey reveals friend and parents may give bad career guidance.

1. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Career Advice
Conundrum
Survey Reveals Friends and Parents
May Give Bad Career Guidance

2. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Of those workers surveyed:
said they’ve received
bad career advice.
2
66%
Source: Accountemps survey of more than 1,000 U.S. workers employed in an office environment.

3. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including*:
3
*Some responses were edited for clarity.
“Lie on your resume,
they expect you to.”
– Friend

4. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
4
“Be conservative in your
work so you’re not given
too many responsibilities.”
– Friend

5. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
5
“Make your resume very
detailed and very long.”
– Friend

6. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
6
“Stick it out as long as
possible, even if you
hate it.”
– Parent

7. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
7
“Don’t practice for the
interview.”
– Parent

8. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
8
“Don’t be friends
with coworkers.”
– Parent

9. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
9
“Apply absentmindedly
without doing research.”
– Career counselor

10. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
10
“Take credit for others’
work so you can get
ahead.”
– Mentor

11. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
11
“Stay in a role rather than
grow within the company.”
– Boss

12. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers in the survey shared the worst career
advice they’ve ever received, including:
12
“Respond with the first
thing that pops into your
head during an
interview.”
– Sibling or
other family member

13. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
Workers who had received bad career advice were asked,
“Who provided it to you?”
13
Friend
Parent
Sibling or other family member
Educator (professor/teacher)
Mentor
Manager/supervisor
Career counselor
Colleague/coworker
Spouse
Other
35%
14%
10%
9%
9%
4%
9%
5%
1%
4%

14. © 2017 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. All rights reserved.
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Accountemps,
including career advice and job search services, visit
roberthalf.com/accountemps