Avoid distractions in the work place
Never get involved with office grapevine and gossip. Avoid derogatory statements about people as far as possible and address issues as soon as they come to light.

Destiny is your making
Don't leave anything in your career to chance. Put together a profile of your ideal career and employer.

Speak Up
Don't wait for your employer to initiate discussions about job performance and expectations. Check in regularly, find out how you're doing and if your manager's expectations are same as the ones you're working on."

Work on Relationships
The better you get along with coworkers, the easier your job will be and the better you'll perform. It's much easier to work with folks if you get along. Make an effort to put aside personal differences for the sake of your working relationships.

Appreciate effort
Give coworkers and subordinates credit for their contributions. Quoting Dick Lyles, author of Winning Ways. Embrace the attitude, 'I win only if you win, and we all win together.' None of us is better than all of us.

Keep yourself updated
A static knowledge base becomes quickly outdated and worthless. Be sure you're in a job where you're going to keep learning.

Take counsel
There's no substitute for the wisdom of others. Pair up with someone who has the skills and insight you need. That's not necessarily an all-perfect person or an influential person. It's simply someone who can help you learn what you need to get ahead.

Balancing your career and personal life
Living and breathing your job is a sure-fire path to failure. You'll burn out quickly if you don't maintain a healthy balance between your work and professional lives. Be clear with your boss about your personal obligations, and don't let work take precedence over them.

Plan after work activities
Organize after-hours activities for you and your coworkers. The chance to interact on a no work level can strengthen your working relationships. Many new companies have committees that plan events on an ongoing basis. Music concerts, dinner or special events are great ways to relieve work-related stress.

Get over failure
Most of us will fail at some point in our careers. Some of us will get fired. Don't despair. Be honest about your share of the blame and take away a few lessons. Create a list of lessons that you may have learned from the situation and apply it for such situations in the future.

Pursue Your Passion
If you love what you do, you'll do it well. How nice to do the job you want to and get somebody to pay you for it. Be extremely selective - choose a career and a job that you know will be personally fulfilling.