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:

找到一個合適的工作可能需要3到15個月不等的時間——然而丟掉飯碗只需要幾天或幾周。下面是10種職場毒藥的特點：

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.

1. 人際交往技能不佳

討人喜歡會大有幫助?！豆鹕虡I(yè)評論》和《快速公司》雜志的研究均表明和那些能力強而呆板的人相比，人們一致而且不可遏制地更喜歡和那些可愛的、工作不那么熟練的同事工作。研究發(fā)現如果員工不被喜歡，那么他們是否擅長自己的工作就顯得無關緊要了，因為其他員工都會回避他們。

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 and demonstrate that you've got the greater good of the organization at heart.

2. 缺乏團隊精神

跟自視甚高的人在一起，沒有人會感覺舒服。而且公司有辦法對付那些破壞團隊的員工。只要問問費城鷹隊的邊接球員特雷爾?歐文斯就知道了。在反復抨擊和公開對其隊友和管理層發(fā)表攻擊性言辭后，他在2005賽季被停賽。要表現得你是一個好的團隊成員并表明你心里想著公司更大的利益。

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.

3. 錯過最后期限

如果最后期限是周三，把它作為周四第一要事已毫無意義。公司需要他們可以信賴的人。錯過最后期限不僅不專業(yè)；也會嚴重破壞別人的日程安排并讓你老板臉色難看。做出承諾的時候，最好留有余地，然后出色完成。然后，如果實在不行就開夜車。那真的很重要。

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.

4. 在上班時間處理私人事務

公司的郵件和電話系統(tǒng)是為了公司業(yè)務服務的。私人電話最好少而短——并且永遠不要打那種用掉一盒紙巾才能打完的電話。同樣，永遠不要在郵件里鍵入任何你不想被你的老板看到的東西；許多系統(tǒng)將刪除的消息保存到一個管理員文件夾。并且我們無法告訴你多少可憐的家伙已經因為點擊“回復所有”按鈕導致低俗笑話四處傳播——或更糟的是 ——怒罵老板的話被所有人看到而被炒魷魚的。

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.

5. 孤立自己

不要孤立你自己。發(fā)展并利用你與公司和行業(yè)內其他人的關系。那些有效溝通的人對于資源和信息占據更有利地位，能更快地越過機構政治藩籬。研究表明有效溝通的人往往供職于更成功的團隊，得到更好的績效評價，受到更多的提升和更高的報酬。

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.

6. 開始辦公室戀情

除非你們在不同的地點辦公，否則辦公室戀情是個糟糕的主意。如果你和你老板戀愛，你的成就和晉升機會就會被懷疑；如果你和下屬談戀愛，你可能會遭遇性騷擾的指控。如果戀情不愉快地結束，可能每個人都會知道并眼看著你經受失戀之苦。

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.

7. 害怕風險或失敗

如果你自己都不相信自己，就沒有別人會相信你。保持一個“能行”的態(tài)度，敢于冒險。不要說，“我從沒做過那個，”要說，“我會學著做?！辈灰ε率』蚍稿e。如果你真的把事情弄糟了，承認之，然后繼續(xù)?？傊?，在每個工作中找到學習機會。記住，隨著時間的推移，規(guī)避風險比犯錯對你的職業(yè)生涯更具危害性。

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.

8. 沒有目標

失敗并不在于沒達到你的目標，而在于沒有目標去努力。設定目標并為實現它而計劃你每日的活動。你百分之八十的效益來自你百分之二十的行動。明白自己要做的重點，把精力集中于那些與你目標一致的任務上。

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.

9. 忽視個人形象

不管公平與否，外表真的很重要。人們從你的展現自己的方式中對你做出各種評價。因此，不要不梳洗或穿不適合的衣服來上班。要坦誠，用語得當，并避免俚語和粗話。你應該建立一種有能力、有個性并且有責任的形象。

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!

10. 不慎重

小隔間、走廊、電梯、衛(wèi)生間——甚至通勤火車——都不是你的私人領地。要注意你說話的地點以及你說話的內容和對象。不要講低俗的笑話、泄露公司機密、講同事的閑話，也不要宣揚你關于種族、宗教的觀點或對你老板性格的看法。因為盡管有言論自由這回事，但如果以失去你的工作為代價那它就不這么自由了。

（來源：天涯論壇，中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）