Despite the lingering effects of the Great Recession, there still remains viable opportunities to find a job and to embark upon a lifelong career that can potentially bring relative satisfaction and help provide for your family. Conversely, there are a lot of opportunities in this languishing economy to make significant blunders that can cost you your job. Below are eight commonplace career “killers” that can place one in the growing number of unemployed individuals around the country.
1. Substance abuse. According to the United States Department of Labor, “The vast majority of drug users- more than three quarters- are employed, and when they arrive at work, they don’t leave their problems at home.” Alcohol and drug abuse, especially when proven via random drug tests, remain as one of the top career killers. Most places of employment do have substance abuse counseling, but the affected employee is expected to improve over a relatively short period of time. If this improvement does not occur, the employee can certainly expect to receive the proverbial boot.
2. Pornography. One of the top reasons that people lose their jobs is by viewing pornography sites while at work. According to Nielsen, “Viewing pornography on the job is undertaken by fully one-quarter of employees who use the Internet at work.” This includes not only male workers but also female employees.
3. Social networking sites. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be very dangerous, especially when your wall post or tweet negatively bespeaks of actions at your job. According to ProofPoint, “8 percent of companies have dismissed someone for their behavior on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.”
4. Job performance. One of the most basic reasons for job termination is still subpar job performance (e.g., not meeting deadlines, sleeping on job, being late, etc.). Many employees around the country can still attest to getting the boot during their job evaluation meeting with their supervisors. If you have not already, it is imperative that you obtain a copy of your job description and ensure that you not only meet the requirements but also go above and beyond your expected responsibilities.
5. Personal email. According to a study by Proofpoint, “33 percent of companies with more than 1,000 employees have staff whose primary or exclusive job is to monitor the content of outbound email, due to heightened concern over data leakage.” Additionally, most companies have business conduct guidelines and/or policies relative to computer usage. It is highly recommended that you wait until you get home to send personal email before sending it via your computer at work.
6. Poor conflict resolution. There will come a time when you will have to interface with a difficult coworker. It is very important to maintain your professionalism, to exhibit patience and to display proper conflict resolution skills, especially if you disagree with them or if they make an unnecessary comment. If you are quick to anger, it will prove beneficial to take a professional development class on conflict resolution before you end up being the first name on the anger management list or being escorted from your job.
7. Being a part of a clique. No one wants to be a loner on their job. However, it is wise to stay away from cliques and exclusionary groups at work. Once you are identified as part of a clique, you take on the identity of the group though it may not truly represent your character. If fellow members of your clique make enemies or create issues at work, then your boss may also look at you as part of the problem that needs to be resolved.
8. Committing a crime. If an employee commits a felony, at or outside of work, one can likely expect to be terminated by their place of employment. A felony on your record will definitely have adverse implications relative to your career. To be sure, one can still find a decent job but finding a satisfying career could prove to be very difficult.
