Steer clear of career killers

We all know that having a big public shouting match with your boss can be one quick way to a pink slip. But there are actually dozens of ways you can really harm your career, and many can happen on your own time.

Let's review some of those "career killers" before you get keelhauled by a mistake you didn't think was so bad.

Public lewdness: What goes on in Vegas DOES NOT stay in Vegas, despite the catchy advertising slogan. With little forethought, you can create career-killing scenarios that your colleagues will talk about for years.

One of my college buddies held a weekend retreat for his office at a resort, trying to brainstorm new sales strategies. But that Saturday night he was shocked when a young colleague flashed the crowd on the rowdy dance floor. "What was she thinking?" he asked me.

"She wasn't," is the only possible reply. But she's not the only one. Other career women have found 10-year-old spring break photos or earlier convention liaisons with colleagues coming back to haunt them.

And the lewdness issue applies to both sexes. Just ask Sen. Larry Craig, who just lost his $165,200-a-year seat for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor of lewdness in an airport bathroom. This time you gotta ask: What were his advisers thinking? Being a Republican official in Idaho is a pretty steady gig -- it takes imagination to torpedo that job.

Little white lies: That little black leather jacket you brought back from Italy? That little fender-bender with your car? That not-so-little dinner on the expense account?

Is what you said about all those things really true?

Americans are so accustomed to putting themselves in the best possible light that too many have crossed the border from little white lies to big outright ones. And lying to your employer or government authorities like customs agents can get you fired or charged with making false statements. Not good.

In most cases, it's nearly impossible to fire someone with civil service protection -- except when they break U.S. laws.

U.S. college students who can drink legally in Canada or Mexico but not at home need to think twice when it comes to bringing booze back over the border: How much will that case in the trunk really cost you?

Drunk driving: Drunk driving charges and/or suspended licenses are obviously a nightmare for those who depend on their vehicles for a living: truck drivers, taxi drivers, delivery people, salespeople, real estate people, EMTs, farm workers -- you name it.

However, they are also a serious black mark against people who work in law enforcement and the legal profession: At a minimum, judges, lawyers, legal clerks and police officers are expected to obey the laws that they spend all day upholding.

Actually, for anyone in any profession, a DUI conviction raises serious questions about both your control and your judgment, since drunk driving is illegal no matter what pays your bills.

Gambling: You don't have to be an NBA referee to lose your job over gambling issues -- you can come from any field. While many employers, especially in the sports industries, specifically prohibit gambling and fire employees for doing so, other workers have lost jobs simply due to the addictive nature of winning -- and not earning -- money.

Some gamblers have managed to sink their careers before they even start: A former Leigh University class president, despondent over online poker losses, decided to rob a local bank. You can guess the ending of that story.

Costing your boss money: Top company officials would probably faint if they really knew how much money they have lost due to overall employee carelessness. Unfortunately for you, sometimes they know exactly how much money you have cost them.

To avoid this, you need to be meticulous about your job, even if that's not your natural bent. Don't go losing company laptops, cell phones or revenue predictions when you are out at happy hour.

Go over any documents carefully so an extra comma doesn't cost the company millions, or a snarky phrase doesn't ignite a public relations nightmare. Always be courteous on the phone -- you never want your bad day coinciding with a board member or key client calling in.

And when it comes to safety issues, be a bulldog in insisting that correct procedures are followed, even if other colleagues mock you. There's so much more than money at stake: the 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas City cost 15 lives and injured 170 people, in addition to costing the company $2 billion. An internal BP report released this year noted that the plant had lax safety attitudes.

Unusual cruelty: You don't have to be a card-carrying member of PETA to be revolted by the Michael Vick case. This is hardcore cruelty, and Vick's career has imploded with astonishing speed.

But cruelty, the sidekick to arrogance, IS a revolting trait, whether it's practiced on dogs or co-workers. And even petty cruelties will come back to bite you when practiced at the office.

At some point in your career, it's almost a sure bet that you will report to people who once reported to you. Let's hope you have a whole bank of goodwill built up, that you spent your time treating subordinates with respect. Otherwise, payback is almost surely coming.