In a year that changed totally professionalism, some things are still unprofessional. Be mindful of these small but critical professional mistakes that could be hurting your career advancement.

• Super casual communications. A smiley face here or there is usually fine, but when you start throwing in exploding brain emoji and four consecutive exclamation points, that’s a bit much for a professional communication. Personality can still come across in a calm and literate work message, without abusing the punctuation, emoji, and slang you might use in personal correspondence. If your message has more than a couple exclamation points, where might you tone things down?
• Dressing waaaay down. One of the great things about 2020? We’ve redefined comfy workwear that still passes for professional. And you don’t have to turn on your camera if you have bedhead. But there is a limit, here. You’re less likely to be taken seriously if you dress sloppily or too casually (like, if you’re the one in the tank top while everyone else is wearing a cotton polo). If you’re not sure what’s appropriate for your work environment, take a cue from the people around you. What do your peers wear on their virtual meetings? To the office? How about your supervisors?
• Signing on late. You can almost always control what time you arrive to your work obligations, especially when a few mouse-clicks separates one meeting from the next. Consistently showing up late shows a lack of time management, organization, and respect for others’ time. We’re all busy; don’t be that person who keeps everyone waiting or who constantly has to be caught up. Keep a detailed calendar with as many reminders as you need to keep commitments on time. Be sure to plan around meetings that regularly run long.
• Making excuses. Few things say “self-aware, confident professional” better than taking accountability for mistakes. This goes double if you are an organization leader responsible for a team. Even if that flub wasn’t your fault, you’d look better searching for solutions instead of pointing fingers. People who get things done tend to excel, and excuses are never a step toward productivity.
• Fibbing. Small lies here and there—an email that “didn’t go through” or a vendor you “spoke to last week”—may help you move forward in the moment, but the truth will out with a vengeance. That’s when a tiny lie can have a titanic impact on your reputation. If you find yourself habitually fibbing, take notice when you lie. Do you see a pattern? How can you change your habits to avoid the lies altogether?

Your professional life may still look different into 2021, but you can commit to becoming your best self! You may be surprised where even small changes can take you when you reach for those career goals.