9 things people think are terrible for their careers that actually aren't

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Whether it's your Aunt Tillie's encouragement not to stir the pot or your work mentor's warning that you should never leave the office before your boss, there's a ton of (often unsolicited) career advice out there.

Sadly, not all of it is good.

To help separate the wheat from the chaff, we turned to a few career experts whose job it is to know what they're talking about.

Here are some things people might tell you are terrible for your career that, in reality, aren't:

Speaking up about problems

"No one likes to work with a whiner, but the occasional gripe emanating from someone who ordinarily doesn't complain holds weight," says Vicky Oliver, author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions." "The key is to kvetch in moderation."

Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder, tells Business Insider that you need to embrace the idea of having difficult conversations to get what you need. "Instead of backing off in fear, you'll learn to handle tough problems while treating people with dignity and respect," she says.

A bad performance review

Oliver says that a lackluster performance review isn't always a career-ender, as long you take the opportunity to fix what's wrong. "You must show you can take the feedback and respond proactively to it," Oliver says.

Flickr/Christian Benseler

Taking time off

Most Americans are leaving vacation time on the table — in fact, Americans didn't take 658 million vacation days in 2015 and lost 222 million of them entirely because they couldn't be rolled over, paid out, or banked for any other benefit. That adds up to about $61.4 billion in lost benefits.

"Workers are often celebrated for wearing multiple hats and logging numerous hours," Haefner says. "But working without letup is a bad habit that can jeopardize business, health, and the life you're supposedly working toward."

Studies suggest that not taking enough vacation time is bad for your health, happiness, relationships, productivity, and prospects for a promotion.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider