If you trawl the Net for ways you can kill your career, you will probably wonder why you have a job at all. The sort of things you can do wrong range from the obvious to the recondite.

Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career, a book by Dana May Casperson, tells you how much you should tip the waiter when you have taken a client to a meal. If you are too tight-fisted you could kiss your next deal — and career — goodbye. Use the wrong knife or fork and you are well on your way to slipping down the corporate ladder.

That’s debatable. Today, business and deal making has moved out of stiff-upper-lip British confines to an earthier environment. Today, you can come wearing a clown’s dress. Of course, there will be eyebrows raised. But it won’t kill your career, if you can deliver.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are issues of good personal housekeeping. John West, author of The Only Trait of a Leader, lists five fatal flaws: ignoring deadlines; sloppy work; assuming that you are always right; using jaw-breaking communication to look smarter; and refusing to be a team member.

CNN.com has another list of how not to progress in today’s cubicle farms that are typical of most workplaces. Among the things you can do wrong are: Don’t censor your decorations; conduct all your calls on speakerphone; use your cube walls to sound off on political issues; use your shelves for your teddy bear collection; eat lots of tuna at your desk; don’t bother cleaning up after yourself; spend loads of time surfing the Net; keep your cell phone ringer on high; and come to work sick.

And there are some things you can’t do much about. A survey by Just For Men Haircolour says that looks count; handsome people go further in life. You can’t change your looks. But, expectedly, JFM has its own solution. Says the company: “According to the JFM strategies for job success survey, more than 77 per cent of career consultants agree that in today’s economy, looking younger gives men a competitive edge in the job market. Don’t let grey hair limit your opportunities in getting your dream job. It’s one feature that can be changed.”

In today’s world, the senior executive is more likely to be pulling out his hair than dyeing it. “Levels of frustration are very high,” says Mumbai-based HR consultant Shashi Rao. “And they become higher with all these lists of the things you can do wrong.”

Rao says one should instead focus on the things one can do right. However, with the several screening processes most companies have, it is assumed that none will fall short in basic skills. Of course, you can never measure attributes like capacity for hard work. But every company will have its quota of time-servers.

The real secret to progress remains effective networking. This actually incorporates such diverse factors as team building and table manners; if you splutter into your soup, you won’t get that second invite.

Networking is important in all segments. But as far as your career within the company goes, the most important players are your bosses. Unfortunately, though no HR professional will admit it, what works best is still assmosis, defined as “a process by which people absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss”. For many, that doesn’t sound very feel-good either.

THE DEATHWISH

How to kill your career

Failing to follow through: You may be the hardest worker in the company, but if your boss and colleagues cannot rely on you to deliver results as promised, you may be passed over for plum assignments.
Refusing to admit your mistakes: Creating an excuse to justify poor performance is dishonest and unprofessional.
Becoming complacent: Those who simply serve their time often get lost in the organisation.
Running on empty: Working on overdrive can be just as dangerous to your career as simply getting by.
Being too modest: It’s all right to blow your own trumpet in the office once in a while. Not receiving the credit you deserve can hinder your career growth.
Damaging team spirit: You are likely to work with members of the group again and need their assistance, so keep relationships friendly.

Source: Robert Half International Inc