10 Ways Employees Get Fired

Most people start their jobs with the best of intentions, never thinking they could be fired. After

all, that's a fate reserved primarily for incompetent employees and workers caught with their hand in the company till, right? Wrong. You might not realize just how slippery the slope out

the door can be. To guard your job security, be sure to avoid the 10 common pitfalls on this checklist.

1. Lying on Your Job Application or Resume Tell the truth from the start, because you will be

held responsible for the information you provide and your employer will check it. Generally,

educational background checks can take up to a month after hire. "I recently had a candidate fired

from a large financial company after being there for a month, because she lied about her

educational background," Star says. "This woman did not need a degree for her editorial assistant

position but said that she has one anyway – and one month later when the cat was out of the bag,

she was immediately let go."

2. Being Indiscreet About Your Job Hunt If you are in the market for a new job, don't send

your resume from your work computer, which most likely is monitored by IT. Assume your chat

messages and emails are fair game as well.

3. Gossiping

You never know who is listening, and in the cube farm, walls really do have ears. The safest bet?

Keep gossip to yourself, and never repeat anything you hear. Winding up on the wrong side

of the rumor mill can cost you more than somebody's trust; it can mean your job.

4. Taking Too Many Personal Calls

Spending much of your work time orchestrating your own personal business usually results in

being given an opportunity to spend all of your time on the phone on personal business --

looking for a new job, Star warns.

5. Drinking at Work

One of the quickest ways to be shown the door is drinking too much at lunch and walking into a

wall. Maintaining your own clarity is extremely important. Staying on top of the mountain of

details that go into making a business run smoothly requires focus -- and sobriety.

6. Excessive Internet Use

Spending too much of your workday cruising around Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and the

like puts you just a point-and-click away from unemployment. And checking adult-oriented Web

sites on the job? Yeah, don't do that.

7. Becoming Romantically Involved with the Boss

While it may make for great water-cooler discussion, a boss/direct-report romance can

easily end with someone out of a job. (Hint: It's

usually not the boss.)

8. Forgetting to Double-Check Your Figures

When working with numbers, scrutinize your work carefully. One stray zero could make the

difference between being employed and unemployed, advises Star.

9. Alienating Your Co-workers

To do your job effectively, you'll need the cooperation, support and good will of those

around you. Becoming detached from those you  work with could get you replaced with someone

who can work well with others.

10. Pointing the Finger at Everyone but Yourself

Take ownership of your job. If you make a mistake, own up to it. Don't try to sweep your

mistakes under the carpet -- or worse yet, blame somebody else -- because the truth will usually

come back to bite you on the bottom line. And nobody wants to trust or employ a liar, says Star.