The evolution of column instabilities that lead to break up of a microscale liquid jet is studied experimentally using shadowgraph technique. The jet formation is investigated over a range of Reynolds number, Pressure Ratio, and Ohnesorge number which are varied by the driving pressure, observation chamber pressure, and the jet liquid. Over the range of these parameters, the jet experiences different break up mechanisms as a result of different dominant instabilities. The present investigation discusses both break up mechanisms that are similar to the break up of macroscale jets and some new microscale break up phenomena.