It might seem like a great idea to always be available to your co-workers or to take that side gig, but it could come back to bite you in the… career.

Office Blunders

Whatever your chosen profession, we all have something in common: We're trying to do the best we can in our careers.

Of course we aren't going to gossip about our boss, fail to meet our deadlines or do anything else to jeopardize our jobs or careers… knowingly.

It's that "knowingly" that's the problem. We can easily avoid the professional pitfalls we know, but what about the ones we don't? And even more important, could we be making major mistakes when we think we're making the right move?

To keep from falling into that trap, we asked career experts to shed light on the missteps we make without even realizing, whether at the office or in the trenches of a job hunt. Are you making these mistakes?

1. Keeping Yourself Offline

Knowing that social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and even LinkedIn are rife with opportunity for career-damaging blunders, it's understandable that you might want to lay low, leave your profiles dormant or even take yourself offline entirely.

But that's the wrong move, according to Cheryl Palmer, certified career coach and owner of Call to Career. "According to recent data, the majority of recruiters now scour online sources for additional information on candidates," says Palmer. "Positive online information about you will improve your job prospects, since that is what recruiters will be looking for to determine who they call for an interview." She points out that since social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are some of the first results that show up on search engines, you'll want to be represented – and represented well.

Palmer says that just having the profiles isn't enough – you must have a dynamic presence. That means using these channels to promote yourself in a positive, professional way. Worked on a new ad campaign? Tweet it. Added to your photography portfolio? Facebook it. Come across a fascinating industry article? Share it on LinkedIn. When recruiters or interviewers look you up, they'll find an engaging, productive individual.

(And if managing multiple networks seems like too much, you can always automatically link your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, so every post broadcasts to all three networks. Don't worry, we won't tell the recruiters.)

2. Bonding With Co-Workers

You're right: It's always a good idea to attend work happy hours, volunteer days and other forms of group bonding, because while these people are your colleagues, they're also the people with whom you spend 40-plus hours a week.

But bonding becomes problematic when you become very close to some co-workers… and not others. "It's a mistake to align yourself with one person or one camp," cautions Marian Their, founder and C.E.O. of coaching, training and consulting firm Expanding Thought. "While it's tempting to align yourself with a strong person or group, in doing so, you separate yourself from everyone else. Then what happens when personnel changes occur, someone falls out of favor, or you need support from someone not in the chosen group?"

To keep from getting in too deep with some colleagues over others, Their advises people to take some simple steps to keep things friendly across the board: Go to lunch with a group of people, or different people each day; sit next to people who aren’t your deskmates already at meetings; mix up your routine a bit – stop by the kitchen or watercooler for a brief chat at different times of day, to run into different people.

"The higher up in the organization you go,"; reminds Their, ";the more important it is to be observant and prudent. Remember that while having allies is extremely important, so is having people who will challenge you."

3. Championing Make-Ends-Meet Jobs

We don't need to tell you that there's no shame in taking a gig unrelated to your ultimate career path (think: waiting tables) to make ends meet while hunting for other opportunities, or to make a little extra money on the side. Plus, your scrappiness will show future employers that you're hardworking and ready to hustle, right? Not exactly.

"As a job hunter, you should be looking at yourself as a candidate through your potential employer's eyes," advises Robert Meier, president of Job Market Experts. "And to an employer, a side job is a distraction from your primary position. A Fortune 500 company simply isn't going to appreciate your time as a night manager at 7-11."

Instead of trying to bulk up temporary jobs by explaining how they taught you "tenacity" and "reliability," Meier recommends minimizing such positions down to only a line on your resume – or eliminating them altogether while bulking up your more relevant past positions. "The only time you should include a job like this on your resume is if it furthers your career objective," he says. For instance, a job on the sales floor in a clothing chain may be valuable if you're applying to be a buyer for J. Crew; your time as a fitness instructor may be relevant if you're applying for an operations position at Under Armour.

If you spent six months scooping ice cream and are now applying for a completely unrelated corporate job in ad sales, Meier recommends eliminating your make-ends-meet job from your resume altogether. If your employment gap should come up in an interview, he says, explain that you were devoting your full attention to finding the right job in a difficult economy – an understandable excuse if it's been 12 months or less.

4. Relying on a Pros and Cons List

Raise your hand if you've ever made a pros and cons list about a potential job or project. It's the sensible move – you're laying out all the reasons you should and shouldn't take on a new venture in order to make an informed, rational decision.

But informed and rational isn't all it's cracked up to be. "If you are getting a bad gut feeling about working for a certain boss, a 'pit in the stomach' sensation about a dicey work environment, or are self-rationalizing over taking a major pay cut, you should never ignore the little voice in your ear warning you that something is wrong," explains Cheryl Rich Heisler, founder and president of career-consulting site Lawternatives.

If you're getting a bad feeling about an opportunity that seems promising on the surface, says Heisler, it's time to get more information. "Dig deeper, and either reassure yourself that your impressions are wrong, or back away from the offer. This is true even for choosing your first career track – trust yourself." That's not to say that a few nerves means you should bail on a second-round interview, but if you can't shake your anxiety and can't alleviate it with more information, it might be time to take a step back.

"If," says Heisler, "after doing your research and networking, the career, industry or job you're exploring doesn't feel right to you, reconsider. The happiest employees are working in areas they enjoy within industries they love."

5. Being Perpetually Available

Chances are, your current employer values face time – that is, how much time you're in the office, working away at your desk. And when you aren't face-to-face, you're accessible by phone, email, text or carrier pigeon, whether it's midnight, midnight on Saturday, or midnight on Saturday during your trip to Ibiza.

"When you're refusing to delegate responsibilities it shows that you aren't a teacher or mentor, and certainly not a supervisor, which is criteria for promotion," says Bruce Hurwitz, executive recruiter and author of "Success! As Employee or Entrepreneur." And when you don't take vacation, he says, it can create an air of superiority – like you feel nothing can get done without you.

"People make the mistake of being too available because they don't know how to say no," says Hurwitz. "They think the person they are rejecting will be mad at them, and it will affect their relationship." But, he adds, this isn't necessarily the case. If you're perpetually available and looking to break the cycle, Hurwitz recommends starting with a "conditional yes," where, upon hearing about a new assignment, you reply, "I'd be happy to. Just let me get this job done, and if you still need my help, I'm there for you.

Of course, no one is recommending you skip out on your work, and it's likely that there will be occasions you'll have to be available outside the office. But delegating tasks to be completed without your direct oversight, or even in your absence, is a skill every manager – or would-be manager – should have.

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You’re tackling a typical day at the office, juggling meetings, phone calls, and that hyperactive inbox of yours, when suddenly it hits you — the worst possible feeling to have at work. Your heart drops, your face goes cold, and your adrenaline kicks in. You’ve just realized you’ve made a mistake.

Mistakes are bound to happen, but whether you make a minor glitch or a major mess-up, how you react (beyond the choice words that run through your head) matters much more than what you did.

Unfortunately, our instincts generally throw us to either side of a wide spectrum. On one end, you may act too quickly—saying too much and overcomplicating a situation in your attempts to recover quickly. On the other, you may be tempted to hastily cover up what happened and look for ways to defend yourself. While seeking help and self-preservation are both natural, neither extreme is the most effective when it comes to owning up to a mistake at work.

So, how do you show that you’re sorry and concerned, while also portraying confidence and poise? Not too hot, not too cold—read on for tips on owning up to a mistake at work just right.

Situation #1: Too Hot

As quickly as it happened, Amy is out the door and telling anyone she encounters that she has made a big mistake and needs help. “I’m so sorry,” she repeats dramatically, over and over, convinced that her spelling error means the end of the business.

This approach poses several problems. To Amy, she’s showing remorse and that she cares, but to everyone else, she’s demonstrating that she’s not able to handle tough situations. (And frankly, she’s being annoying.)

What’s more, she’s ultimately wasting everyone’s time — and thus, company money. Look at it this way: If you’re a consultant, lawyer, or working at an agency, you’re trained to think about your time as billable (doing work that makes money for the firm) versus non-billable. By apologizing and stressing everyone else out versus taking actionable steps to fix the problem, Amy is taking everyone away from that billable work.

Situation #2: Too Cold

Bob realized he made a mistake yesterday — and has yet to react simply because he doesn’t want to look bad. When someone else finally realizes his mistake, he makes a weak excuse and brushes the issue aside like it’s no big deal. To Bob, he’s mitigating the situation, making sure no one around him panics, and is protecting his reputation — but to everyone else, he’s insincere and doesn’t care about his job.

Truth be told, Bob’s reaction is common: Our brains are predisposed to protect our egos from blame when we mess up (this article on Art of Manliness does a good job explaining why it is naturally so hard to own up to our mistakes). But by giving into this instinct—and by not taking action on your mistake or reaching out to others who could help you mitigate it—you not only give co-workers the impression that you don’t care, you risk not resolving the situation and making it worse over time.

Situation #3: Just Right

Just like Goldilocks and her porridge, somewhere in the middle is just right when owning up to a mistake.

Here’s your game plan: Upon realizing your error, don’t react right away. Instead, take a deep breath and analyze possible solutions. If the mistake is something that you can address, act immediately. For example, if you pushed send on a press release that was supposed to be on hold until tomorrow, call the distribution company right away and see if you can catch it before it goes live.

If your mistake isn’t retractable (or your attempt at retracting would cause more harm than good), devise a couple solutions to the problem before even stepping away from your computer. Decide who the most appropriate person to talk to would be, and approach that person (and only that person) with a clear, concise description of what happened. Tell her you’d appreciate her help and understand you’re utilizing her valuable time. Apologize — once — and then present your solutions. The less time you spend hemming and hawing and the more quickly you fix the mistake, the more your boss will see you as someone who does well under pressure and cares about the success of the company.

Remember, everyone makes mistakes, and as awful as it feels when it happens, you will recover and your co-workers will move on. In fact, if handled right, a mistake can do more to impress those around you than to tarnish their view of your work.

The post The “Just Right” Reaction When You Mess Up At Work appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.