1. Going by scores

This is the most common and biggest mistake one can make.

"Many factors determine one's choice of career -- aptitude, personality, interests and skills -- apart from scoring high marks in one subject or the other.

"You may score good marks in a particular subject like Math. But can you visualise yourself crunching numbers for the next 20 to 30 years?" asks Parveen Shaikh, head psychologist with YoungBuzz, a career counselling and manpower development organisation that runs a state-of-the-art career development centre in Mumbai.

This, coupled with a laidback 'let the results come' attitude, can lead to wrong career moves, says Shaikh. "You cannot let your one-time marks decide your whole future."