apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Here are some suggestions from Monster.com's career advice section for how to properly and professionally handle IM'ing at work.

• Use Your "Away" Status Message: It's very easy to get distracted with the constant pop-ups, and it can get very difficult to focus on the tasks at hand. Take the time to custom-design your status messages to reflect your availability. A simple "On the phone" or "In a meeting" should do.
• Keep It Professional: Make sure your instant-messaging sessions with co-workers are restricted to pertinent information and dip out politely when things get too casual.
• Avoid Talking About Confidential Information: When you're instant messaging, always be aware that you're on an unsecured line. It's very easy to hack into old conversation logs.
• Follow Company Policy: Many companies, particularly companies in which large numbers of people in different locations have to coordinate their activities, understand that instant messaging is a great interoffice tool. But other companies might frown on it. Find out if your company has applicable rules, and adhere to them. And if a company policy doesn't exist, use common sense, and don't push the envelope.

Unplggd, do you IM at work? Know somebody who has a messaging problem? Do you have any personal IM ettiquette that you want added to this list? Tell us!

[ Image from methTICALman @ Flickr ]