Published December 21, 2015 on Inc. Magazine
While not a single one of us looks forward to being fired from a job-whether or not we actually enjoy it-it does happen. In fact, it happens quite a lot. This year, an average of 57,887 American workers have been laid off or fired each day. That works out to more than 21 million out-of-work American workers this year alone.
According to Ines Temple, president of LHH-DBM Peru and LHH Chile-and author of the best-selling book Usted S.A. Empleabilidad y Marketing Personal-there are certain things you may do on the job interview that will get you fired.
Here, according to Ines, are 11 things you should avoid if you want to keep your job.
1. You may be fired if you don’t add clear and visible value, if the results of your work are not easily quantifiable or measurable, or if you always have an excuse for failing to meet a deadline, or if your boss asks you often, «What is it that you do all day?»
2. Not being committed to the organization or its common purpose would be a good reason to fire you. Commitment, in the form of loyalty, is vital to success at work and is shown by clear and consistent, though sometimes subtle, signs. Fulfilling your commitments and giving your very best are clear signs of commitment, all the more if you hold a position of responsibility or leadership.
3. If you defend yourself from changes and new ideas, sabotage new initiatives in favor of the status quo or «the way we have always done things here,» or if your lack of enthusiasm to innovate, learn new things, change, or improve is evident, you can be sure that you will be fired.
4. If you quarrel frequently with your co-workers or clients, if it is always exhausting to deal with you, or if you go from one conflict to the other-making no effort to control your bad temper, your negativity, or your bad attitude-you may be fired for this too.
5. You will also be fired you if you are indiscrete or disclose confidential information that may harm the organization, its people, its products, or its services. Also, of course, you may be fired if you can’t keep a professional secret or refrain from telling the world the intimate details of what happens inside your office.
6. You will be fired for being disloyal. Disloyalty may very well be the most powerful reason to lose trust in someone, and it does not necessarily mean going to extremes such as stealing, lying, or cheating. Being disloyal also has to do with failing to protect or jeopardizing the interests of the organization or, worse, doing things that may damage the reputation or the image of the organization or end up benefitting the competition.
7. If you go around bad-mouthing your boss or, of course, the company you work for or its products, even if «only with your friends,» then why keep you around? If you are not happy with your job, you can always leave, with dignity and class.
8. Not joining in with team efforts, or being the one who is packed up and ready to go exactly at quitting time-when the others are making their best to accomplish a goal or major common objective-will certainly include you on the list of those who will be fired.
9. If you are arrogant, despise your boss or your collaborators, try to manipulate them, or are disrespectful to them-or to anyone, for that matter-and on top of that you are always complaining about everything and about your bad luck at work, you will surely be fired, and probably without good references.
10. If you try to cover your mistakes and do whatever it takes to hide them, not taking responsibility for such errors, and blaming others as well, you will certainly be fired.
11. And if your personal or financial life is a mess, chaotic, or drains your energy-affecting the quality of your work-you should know by now that you won’t be spared.
BY Peter Economy
The Leadership Guy@bizzwriter
INC.
