There are career-limiting moves and there are pitfalls. Ever seen a tiger get caught in a pit? There is no way out. So try to keep any mistakes on the 'career-limiting' end of the spectrum.

It hardly need be said that the basic premise while at work is to do your job efficiently, and to be honest and reliable. There are times when unforeseen circumstances are beyond your control and a home crisis affects your performance. That's perfectly normal and we've all been through it. What we are looking at today are the big mistakes that some employees deliberately drag into their work lives.

As much as possible, err on the side of discretion and keep your private life out of the office. Once upon a time, in the good old days of telex and telegrams, it was difficult if not impossible to keep in touch with your nearest and dearest.

You couldn't hog the single phone line for more than a minute. Nowadays, anything from illicit affairs to private business are conducted at the office. Don't make the second mistake of thinking that no-one is noticing, though.

Your unprofessional behaviour will frustrate colleagues and it will reach your superiors' ears. If you like to live life on the edge in this way, you will be jeopardising your career prospects.

Indiscreet e-mail

'Indiscreet' is a nice, gentle word. It doesn't do justice to the outpouring of venom that any employee is capable of when they are upset by the boss. It is so easy to just hammer all your frustration out at the keyboard and then just press 'send'. But be careful who you send it to. It is so easy to send it to the wrong person without thinking, when you are in that frame of mind. Call it a Freudian slip - this could be your last pay slip!

In publishing circles, a story that regularly gets told is of a foreign designer who was using her boss's computer while he was abroad, hardly did any work and spent her time complaining about him to friends via e-mail. She was so careless and nonchalant that she didn't even delete the e-mails from the 'sent' folder.

Needless to say, on his return, she was faced with the evidence and 'sent' on her way. Of course, her mistake was not working, not the carelessness of not having deleted the e-mails.

If she had done her work, her boss would never have been suspicious in the first place and she might have gotten away with the hate mail.

Obscene phone calls

Hello, are you aware of such a thing as 'Caller ID'? Of course you aren't, if all that is on your mind is making obscene phone calls. You are not exactly the average person in any way if that is your idea of fun. A word of advice: don't do it from work!

Jailbird rock

Discrimination against anyone with a criminal record is commonplace, so no-one would expect you to actually advertise the fact that you've been behind bars on your CV. However, even if the recruitment advert does not call for a certificate of police conduct, prison records should be disclosed during the interview process.

Then it is up to you to be honest, and as long as the offence does not have a direct link to the job in question (insider trading when you are vying for a position at the Stock Exchange), you can still stand a chance of landing the position.

However unpleasant raking up your past may be, it is a cross you will have to bear. This is where letters of recommendation will come in particularly useful.

Drug use

Hopefully recreational, better still not at all, drug use is not a topic for conversation at work, and nor is it something that should be carried out during work hours. You may be one of thousands doing it, but the workplace is not the confessional.

Admittedly, the entertainment industry may be more accepting of this type of behaviour, but mainstream businesses are not. A 21-year-old sales assistant used to regularly shock his colleagues with his tales of past drug use and present alcohol abuse.

If you are wondering why you can't keep down a job past the probation period, this may be the key. At work you need to be at least perceived as being dependable and trustworthy. Heaven knows that even extreme religious fervour may be seen as behaviour that is a little on the crazy side.

So what you get up to in your private life should remain private. If any addiction (other than tea and coffee drinking) is interfering with your work day, you must seek help.

Sleep deprivation

Self-inflicted sleep deprivation is your fault. Moonlighting, meeting your new girlfriend, online chatting - these are all your prerogatives in your own time. However if they start to interfere with your professional life, they could make you start falling asleep on the job, which is then grounds for dismissal.

Even if you are not nodding off at your desk (which happens a little more often than it should), and you think that everyone sees your fondness for the Internet as being cute, you need to be aware that you are probably not up to par on the job.

How can you be, if you can't keep your eyes open? Resentment from colleagues will pile up if you are not pulling your weight. Again, if you have a temporary problem in your private life, you need to divulge it to the boss and ask for lenience.

Other than that, beware that you are driving towards the cliff edge and liable to make mistakes that could be both costly and dangerous.

Sticky fingers

Oh, it's only a pen, you may say. But small oaks from little acorns grow. Today a pen, tomorrow a telephone, next week a contract, what's the difference? If you are the dishonest sort, at least be honest with the fact that you cannot get away with it for long, and that it is career suicide.

You will never be taken seriously. This is a miniscule island where rumour and gossip are our second religion. Your reputation foreruns you. Liars and thieves should reform, or at least reformulate their skills for use in roles where bending the truth is acceptable.

Skill at stealing can really come in handy when offering security services - it takes a thief to catch a thief. But other than that, you will never be able to build a solid reputation.

Communication is key

The importance of passing on a message can never be underplayed. Two receptionists in a hotel lost their jobs after they failed to deliver a letter to the managing director. The letter happened to be from the VAT office, and the delay in dealing with its contents cost the company thousands of liri in fines.

Make it a point to never leave the building for the day without telling the people concerned that they had received an external message, or even simply that someone had been trying to get through to them. That way, you have fulfilled your responsibility.

At the same time, the company needs to establish what kind of communication means is preferred so that all employees can know where they stand. An e-mail may be thought of as sufficient, but it still requires the recipient to be at their workstation and find time to read the contents of their inbox, so a more 'primitive' note under the door, a Post-It note or even an SMS may be more effective.

This is really one area where the organisation has to establish norms so that everyone knows what the procedure is. It is not only receptionists who are responsible for passing on messages: anyone who receives them is, too.

Scorned spouses

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Okay, so you've left your wife, you are legally separated and want to get on with your life. If you have the least suspicion that she could be vindictive, you need to make her your ally.

The last thing you need is to have her spread malicious gossip, badmouth you with your colleagues or try to ruin business deals. She would know all your contact numbers and e-mail addresses, so she can literally ruin your work day by bombarding you with hateful words. If you cannot make the maintenance payments or keep her sweet, then you are in duty bound to warn your employer first, then your colleagues, and change all your contact numbers.

A scorned ex or even present partner can do you so much harm, that even though your private life should remain at home, you need support from your colleagues. Make sure you deal with it as swiftly as possible because tolerance levels may not be that high. After all, you are paid to do a job.

Common courtesies

On a less drastic note, can we just say that apart from these extreme scenarios, everyday manners are on the decline. Remember simple things like being on time, saying 'hello' and 'goodbye', 'please' and 'thank you'.

Don't be too informal in e-mails with strangers, and be careful when talking in public that your company secrets aren't being overheard. Take 100 per cent responsibility for your actions, give credit where it is due, and be seen to explore new options for the common good. That way you will be respected and gain a good reputation. You will deserve it.

CSB Recruitment Agency has beensupporting the local business community with its services since 1987. For further information, write to 185D, Old Bakery Street, Valletta VLT 04, call  2123-2224 or 2123-2225, fax: 2123-2226, e-mail: jobs@vacancycentre.com or visit www.VacancyCentre.com