Times have changed and methods of communication have changed with the times. The way of learning through accredited online colleges are booming too. The scope of business writing has evolved and given birth to many opportunities for misunderstandings and career damage. Here is something to keep in mind at all times: The computers you use at work are company property. Material entered into a work computer becomes company property.

There is a saying about dressing for success. “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” You want your dress, speech, demeanor, and communication to exude competence, business etiquette, and maturity. Keep personal chitchat to a minimum. It’s OK to ask in an email  if a coworker had a good weekend, but it’s probably a bad idea to ask him whether he made the spread on the Laker’s game. It would be career suicide to defame your superior or any management staff. For example, “As much as I hate that stupid project of Jim’s, we better get on it.”  Wouldn’t you think common sense would prohibit that type of email chat? You’d be surprised.

Keep in mind that anything on the Internet can live forever. It can be used against you. This is especially true of social network sites. It has become commonplace for prospective employers to check out employees’ comments and pictures on FaceBook and other sites. If you have pictures of yourself and/or coworkers in an intoxicated state, for heaven’s sake, don’t post them! Teenagers love to post pictures of themselves in all sorts of questionable situations. It seems funny to them at the time, but those photos may cost them a job. Much can be interpreted about a person’s character by what they publish about themselves. Employers are using this to gain insight about potential employees.

Last but not least, control your urge to use common texting abbreviations like bff, brb, cya, etc. A woman recently asked, “What does lol mean?” On being told it was short for Laughing out loud,” she seemed relieved. “Oh good,” she said. “I thought people were calling me a little old lady.”