Candidate Services

Here are my Top Ten Things you shouldn't share while at work.

1. Medical History/Therapy: Hospitals and human resources departments are prohibited by law from giving out your medical information for a reason. People have a tendency to adjust their behavior when they find out you have or had a medical condition. And by all means, keep your visits with a therapist a private matter- if you don’t know why you should- ask your therapist.

2. Confidential Work Information: Hey, did you hear who's getting fired? YOU- because you couldn't keep private information to yourself.

3. Plans To Quit: When you're hunting for a new job, don't let co-workers know. Loose lips or devious motives can mean your secret search finds its way to the boss. Possible outcomes: You're let go before you're ready or you're quietly pushed out. And if you work in HR or as a Recruiter, you absolutely should know better than to post your resume unblinded. Duh!

4. Online Venting Sites: If you use your social networking profile or a blog to release frustration about your personal and work life, don't send your co-workers a link. And even if you don’t send a link, you would be surprised how many CEOs, managers and HR departments police those sights looking for disgruntled employees just like you. At layoff time, expect your name to be at the top of the list.

5. Matters Of The Heart: Your reputation will suffer if you come into the office in tears one day because you broke up with your significant other and then you dance down the hall the next week because you met the love of your life. Your love life isn't as interesting to anyone else as it is to you- REALLY- and people may be unable to separate your romantic life from your professional one.


6. Politics/Religion: You've seen how out of hand political/religion discussions can get- does anyone remember the Presidential Election of 2008? Do you really want to start that kind of drama at work?

7. Salary Information: Money's a weird topic in our culture. As eager as we are to find out what other people make, we're not as ready to divulge our earnings. Salary is typically associated with worth, and when your salary's known, it invites speculation of whether you're being over- or undercompensated. Why are you getting paid that much when another person with the same qualifications earns much less?

8. Your Privileged Life: Along the same lines of keeping salary information to yourself, your enviable influence with society's high rollers should also stay private. Although you have the good fortune to know powerful business leaders and social butterflies, bragging about how many doors they've opened for you will draw inevitable gossiping and question whether or not you have earned your job and position.

9. Gossip: One of the big reasons you want to keep important information to yourself is to avoid the gossip it can spur. And don't play the gossip game either. Spreading rumors or information that you'd want kept secret isn't going to help your career.

10. Your Chris Rock Routine: In an episode of "The Office," Michael Scott gets in trouble for repeating- verbatim- a Chris Rock stand-up routine full of racially charged jokes and cursings. FYI- Chris Rock gets paid to be edgy, daring and even offensive. You really can get fired for it.