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10 Ways to Poison Your Career
By Kate Lorenz
It takes anywhere from three to 15 months to find the right job -- yet just days or weeks to lose it. Here are 10 traits that are career poison:
1. Possessing Poor People Skills
A little likeability can go a long way. Studies by both the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company magazine show that people consistently and overwhelmingly prefer to work with likeable, less-skilled co-workers than with highly competent jerks. Researchers found that if employees are disliked, it's almost irrelevant whether they're good at what they do, because other workers will avoid them.
2. Not Being a Team Player
No one feels comfortable around a prima donna. And organizations have ways of dealing with employees who subvert the team. Just ask Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, who was suspended for the 2005 season after repeatedly clashing and taking public shots at his teammates and management. Show you're a team player by making your boss look like a star and demonstrating that you've got the greater good of the organization at heart.
3. Missing Deadlines
If the deadline is Wednesday, first thing Thursday won't cut it. Organizations need people they can depend on. Missing deadlines is not only unprofessional, it can play havoc with others' schedules and make your boss look bad. When making commitments, it's best to under-promise and over-deliver. Then, pull an all-nighter if you have to. It's that important.
4. Conducting Personal Business on Company Time
The company e-mail and phone systems are for company business. Keep personal phone calls brief and few -- and never take a call that will require a box of tissues to get through. Also, never type anything in an e-mail that you don't want read by your boss; many systems save deleted messages to a master file. And we can't tell you how many poor souls have gotten fired for hitting the "Reply All" button and disseminating off-color jokes -- or worse yet -- rants about their boss for all to see.
5. Isolating Yourself
Don't isolate yourself. Develop and use relationships with others in your company and profession. Those who network effectively have an inside track on resources and information and can more quickly cut through organizational politics. Research shows effective networkers tend to serve on more successful teams, get better performance reviews, receive more promotions and be more highly compensated.
6. Starting an Office Romance
Unless you're in separate locations, office romances are a bad idea. If you become involved with your boss, your accomplishments and promotions will be suspect; if you date a subordinate, you leave yourself open to charges of sexual harassment. And if it ends badly, you're at risk of everyone knowing about it and witnessing the unpleasantness.
7. Fearing Risk or Failure
If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. Have a can-do attitude and take risks. Instead of saying, "I've never done that," say, "I'll learn how." Don't be afraid to fail or make mistakes. If you do mess up, admit it and move on. Above all, find the learning opportunities in every situation. Remember, over time, risk-aversion can be more hazardous to your career than error.
8. Having No Goals
Failure doesn't lie in not reaching your goal, but in not having a goal to reach. Set objectives and plan your daily activities around achieving them. Eighty percent of your effectiveness comes from 20 percent of your activities. Manage your priorities and focus on those tasks that support your goals.
9. Neglecting Your Image
Fair or not, appearance counts. People draw all kinds of conclusions from the way you present yourself. So don't come to work poorly groomed or in inappropriate attire. Be honest, use proper grammar and avoid slang and expletives. You want to project an image of competence, character and commitment.
10. Being Indiscreet
Cubicles, hallways, elevators, bathrooms -- even commuter trains -- are not your private domain. Be careful where you hold conversations and what you say to whom. Don't tell off-color jokes, reveal company secrets, gossip about co-workers or espouse your views on race, religion or the boss' personality. Because while there is such a thing as free speech, it's not so free if it costs you your job!

The 10 Biggest Interview Killers
By Joe Turner

When you're on a romantic dinner date, you try to avoid "mood killers" --
talking with a mouth full of food, cursing an ex-lover, or complaining about
a foot ailment. During a job interview, you have to avoid similar spoilers
if you want to make a good impression.

Here are 10 of the most common "advantage killers" and how you can steer
clear of them during your next job interview:
1. Not knowing your aim. Too often candidates think their purpose in an
interview is simply to ask for a job. Your goals are to demonstrate how you
are a good fit for the organization, and to assess whether the job is really
right for you.
2. Being too needy. Neediness is probably the No. 1 advantage-killer in an
interview. Remind yourself before walking in the door: you do not need this
job. You do need food, you do need air, and you do need water. Keep things
in perspective.
3. Lousy nonverbal communication. This is about demonstrating confidence.
Your first impression makes the difference. When you enter the interview
room, stand up straight, make eye contact, and offer a strong handshake with
your interviewer. If necessary, jot their name on your notepad as soon as
you seat yourself. Do the same for any other individual you are meeting
with.
4. Compromising your position. You should always participate in the
interview as an equal, not a subordinate, of the person conducting the
interview. Often this is a subtle matter of self-perception, so remind
yourself before the interview.
5. Falling into the answers-only rut. An interview is a conversation. Don't
just answer their questions. That's why you've prepared stories to highlight
your accomplishments, which will be your moments to shine. When you do
answer any questions, make sure that you answer immediately and follow up
with a question of your own, if at all possible.
6. Rambling. Telling your interviewer more than they need to know could be
fatal. Your stories should be 60 to 90 seconds long and they should have a
relevant point. Focus, focus, focus. Stick with your rehearsed stories, your
research, and the questions you need to ask. Don't fill up the silence with
unnecessary talk.
7. Being overly familiar. A good interviewer will be skilled enough to put
you at ease within the first 10 minutes of the interview. That doesn't mean
that they have become your best friend. Don't let your guard down. You're
there to interview them and get answers to your questions. Treat this from
start to finish as the professional business meeting that it is.
8. Making incorrect assumptions. Points are not deducted at the interview
for asking questions when you don't understand something. Don't guess at
what your interviewer means. Effective interviewing is all about collecting
information in real time, taking good notes, and responding only to the
actual facts you've collected. If you find yourself making assumptions or
guessing about something that was said, stop and ask for clarification
before you answer.
9. Getting emotional. At times the interviewer may hit a nerve or
consciously try to provoke you into an "outburst." Don't fall for it. Clear
your mind of any fears or expectations, so you can maintain a calm,
open-minded perspective at all times. When emotions enter into an interview,
failure follows.
10. Not asking specific questions. You want to find out more about what this
job is really about and whether you want it. Arrive with a list of several
prepared questions about the company, the position, and the people who work
there. Ask questions that begin with "what," "how," and "why." Avoid simple
yes/no questions. Get your interviewer talking as much as possible, then
take notes. Most interviewers are unimpressed by someone who has no
questions.

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