Acronyms make our jobs easier in every aspect, but not everyone in our industry, workplace, or lives understand the many acronyms we use each day. Many employment seekers use acronyms on resumes and companies in job postings. We recommend spelling everything out the first time with the acronym in parenthesis, then using the acronym moving forward, as seen in legal docs.
Often times experienced employees are so accustomed to using industry language that they are using it with new employees or even clients who are not familiar with these acronyms. This can leave many highly confused or misinformed. Every industry has their own language. Just make sure everyone speaks the same language you are using with them.
Listen to yourself and your staff. Even make a list of common acronyms used in your industry or office so everyone is aware that using these terms may not be understood by everyone. Some simple examples:
“SME” : Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, or Subject Matter Expert
“CV” : Client Visit, or Curriculum Vitae
“EOM” : End of Month or Extraocular Muscles, or End of Message
“R & D” : Research & Development, or Replicate & Duplicate
Try testing the understanding of your audience before using all the acronyms you assume everyone should know, if they are affiliated with your industry.