Expert tips to give you a leg up at work

By Susan Bowles for Gannett News Service

Sometimes the fastest way to get ahead is by knowing what not to do. Use our experts' advice to avoid the most common, first-time career mistakes.

Susan Bixler, president, The Professional Image, Atlanta

• Giving up. Too often new graduates make one attempt to do something, fail and never try again. "You can't personalize it." Keep trying.
• Forgetting thank you. It doesn't sit well when you ask someone for help but don't send a thanks. E-mail works just as well as snail mail —just send some note of gratitude. If not, "it's just really hard to stay excited the next time they call."

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Carole Campbell, director, Stanton Chase International, Dallas

• Being rude. That administrative assistant you were nasty to might be the wife of the man who sits on the board that interviews you for your next job. "Never burn bridges. Always take the high road."
• Passing the buck. You're going to make mistakes. In most cases, they're forgivable. What isn't is failing to take responsibility for those mistakes.

Mary Helms, president, CoachWise, Delaware

• Packing attitude. "People have very unrealistic expectations about what it's going to be like to work in a particular organization." You may think your job is clear and laid out, but there'll always be surprises. At some point, you'll be asked to do something you don't like. Saying that's not my job "is always a problem."

Robin Ryan, career coach and author, Seattle

• Chumming up too fast. "Be careful, especially in the beginning, who you pal up with." Otherwise, you may not realize your newfound friend is the troublemaker no one wants around. "So you get tainted."
• Having one too many. It's fine to socialize with the gang, but lunch is safer than happy hour. "Be very careful with going out drinking. Loose lips sink ships."
• Discounting politics. "Office politics can be deadly to your career. Do not underestimate how dysfunctional they can be. Do not underestimate how sabotaging people can be." The antidote? Develop a network of trusted, more experienced professionals outside the office who can help you through the minefields.