You might think that you're Mr Perfect at your job and that most of your colleagues admire you for your work

Five things that can ruin your image at work

You might think that you're Mr Perfect at your job and that most of your colleagues admire you for your work.

You might even dress impeccably and talk smoothly, but a momentary lapse of reason can ruin your image for good. If you're worried about the bigger details, you might as well be conscious about the smaller ones. Here are five things that you should never be caught doing:

1 Borrowing money: It doesn't show you in a good light. You're immediately branded as a chindi who is has holes in his pocket. Your colleagues will look at you as someone who is usually broke. And if you are caught borrowing money more than once, rest assured that most of your friends are going to tell you that they have no money to lend.

2 Flirting with a colleague: You're allowed to flirt as much as you like, as long as it isn't happening in the office premises. And if you must do it in office, make sure it looks harmless. A conversation or a coffee in the canteen are fine. Don't even think of getting touchy feely. You'll only be giving your colleagues fodder for gossip for the week to come.

3 With a tacky ringtone: By tacky we mean Himesh Reshamiya, chirping birds, a DD news ringtone or the famous Kuch Kuch Hota Hai whistle. Flaunt your high-brow pursuits along with your phone. A Beethoven symphony can do the trick. Imagine suddenly hearing Himesh croon in the middle of a meeting. Please don't subject your colleagues to this grave injustice. And if you're not sure about the effectiveness of your ring tone, put your phone on silent.u00a0

4 Spending too much time in the loo: The loo is not the ideal place to catch up on your afternoon siesta. Remember, there is always somebody waiting their turn, so hurry up. Moreover people are going to doubt your efficiency if you keep making constant trips to the loo.

5 Napping: You might have had a late night partying or even working on a tight deadline, but your boss doesn't except to you to be coming to office only to doze off. It is even worse if you do it in a meeting. So wake up before you get a sounding!

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels