Don't make these errors on new job

It's that time of year when recent college grads are shaking off the cobwebs of their last summer of freedom and weaning themselves from their parents. Careers await them on the other side of the twentysomething threshold.

But here's a word of advice to the graduate. No, not plastics. While it's tempting to think of yourself as an independent adult, free to call the shots, cast that newfound hubris aside when you walk through the office door.

"Lots of new workers think the rules don't apply to them," said Barbara Pachter, author of "New Rules @ Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead." "They think they're hired for who they are, not for what they can do."

Pachter has specialized in business communications for more than 20 years and turned the numerous anecdotes she's heard during that time into a funny book aimed at the young (and clueless) professional.

"I teach business etiquette to college hires," Pachter said. "They don't really listen at the time, then two years later, they come up to me and say, 'Why didn't you warn me about this sooner?'"

Well, here are three warnings for those about to begin their commute up the corporate ladder.

Skip the booze

One of the biggest mistakes a young whippersnapper can make is slipping back into college form during a business dinner or event and taking advantage of that open bar.

While getting drunk on someone else's dime can be tempting, resist at all costs.

"They think, 'Wow, this is great,'" Pachter said. "They don't understand that a business event is still business. One man got so drunk, he blacked out, cursed out his boss and got fired on the spot. And then he couldn't figure out why his badge didn't work the next day."

Minor rapport

Remember when your mother would remind you to say please and thank you? As much as it may pain you at first, pretend she's still there in the office with you, giving you the occasional condescending look.

"Recent grads forget to say please and thank you, to greet and acknowledge," Pachter said. "They forget the pleasant niceties. One manager asked for a recommendation from a superior. She got the job, but she didn't go back and thank him for the letter. He told me that he'd never do anything like that for her again."

Speak the language

You might think that business culture has adapted to the colloquialisms of the day, that office formality went out with the invention of casual Fridays. Don't be fooled. Corporate etiquette is still old school.

"People tend to speak casually these days," Pachter said. "That can be dangerous in the workplace. In one story I heard, a co-worker helped out a young woman. She said to him 'I just love you for doing that.' All of a sudden, he was giving her cards and flowers."

Another pitfall is cursing. While you might think, 'duh,' Pachter said it's a common problem among young workers.

"A woman was on her company's baseball team, she was one of the team's catchers," Pachter said. "The other catcher missed a ball and she ran out on the field and cursed him up and down. A few months later, she was interviewing in front of him. It can come back to haunt you."