In today's world, it's extremely common for e-mail to be used as communication in the workplace. Despite the popularity of e-mail, some young people still make etiquette mistakes in email. These mistakes could cost you an interview or even your job, so read on and find out how to send an e-mail you can be proud of.
The first step is to set up a clean, new e-mail account. You should always have an email address that you use only for work- and school- related purposes. That means that your clean account shouldn't be linked to Facebook, your Yahoo! Answers question about how to turn into a mermaid, or the Buffy the Vampire Slayer website you made when you were twelve (OMG SPIKE IS SO HOTT!!!!)
The username you pick for this new account is also important. The standard "first initial, last name" format is perfect (unless you're this girl). Definitely don't use anything that sounds like an AIM screenname (skibunny43@site.com) or anything that says a little too much about your personal life (partyallnight@site.com).
Now, I know this might be rough for some of us (I'm looking at you, Myspacers), but a professional e-mail should not have any weird fonts, colors, or signatures. Keep in mind that some people view their e-mail in html, so your **aWeSoMe SiG** will appear to them as an obnoxious string of text tags. No emoticons, either. That stupid smiley face with the sunglasses is so 1998.
It should go without saying that spellcheck is your friend, but let's take it one step further. Why not copy and paste your important e-mail into Word or a similar program to double-check the grammar? Poor grammar can be a red flag for potential employers. Syntax that sounds acceptable while speaking can look glaringly wrong when written.
This brings me to my next point about the difference between speech and e-mail. Joking tones, especially sarcasm and understatement, can be hard to discern without tone of voice. You wouldn't want to get in trouble with your boss because you said "Yeah, I totally haven't done anything for that project yet" when you actually meant "I have done so much for this project that I feel like I can jokingly say that I have done nothing" and your boss took your statement at face value. This is a pretty common problem. A good rule of thumb is that if it can be misinterpreted, don't put it in your e-mail. If you're not sure, try reading the sentence to yourself in different tones of voice. You never know how someone else might read what you've written.
The last rule of professional e-mail is possibly the most important- you need to check it, at least twice a day if it's your work e-mail. Promptly responding to e-mails shows that you're engaged in your work and responsible. It also ensures that you don't miss anything time-dependent (such as the all-important pizza in the break room in 10 minutes). If you can get e-mail notifications on your phone, do so.
Like it or not, e-mail is the mode of communication in today's business world. There are situations in which you will be judged for not only the content of your e-mail, but for the professionalism. Don't let yourself miss a job opportunity because you don't know the difference between "your" and "you're". Actually, if you don't know that by now, you might be hard-pressed to find a job anyway.
(See, that ^ was supposed to be a joke, but it can sound mean in text! Be aware!)
Good stuuf Miroki!
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