Communicating Effectively Via Email
November 17, 2011
•Career Services
• 0 Comments
Email is so common in today’s age that we must learn the proper ways to use it so it doesn’t hurt our job search, but rather improves our search. With needing to email over resumes and reaching out to employers it can be hard to maintain that formal sense of professionalism within an email, simply because it’s done quickly. Not to mention the notion of texting lingo and how it can transfer over to our emails so easily. Listed below are some tips for improving your email etiquette.
Be to the Point: Emails are intended to get to someone quickly and they will be read quickly. Make sure what you have to say is to the point and direct, but create something eye catching. You want to keep in mind that many email systems allow the email recipient to read just the first few lines before ever opening the email, so make sure those first few lines count and make sure your subject line is relevant to the message, short and sweet.
No Texting Lingo: Your emails, whether it’s to a hiring Manager, a co-worker, or even your career services advisor should be professional, always. When you are on the hunt for a job you have to constantly represent the professional you are. The best way to break that image is using terms like LOL, smiley faces, or not writing out complete words (U, Thx, UR, TY, etc…). Treat all your emails as if they were a professional letter, using proper spelling, grammar and including an email signature with your name and contact information. Also remember to remove all colorful fonts or graphics, wallpaper, quotes and/or cute fonts.
Be Polite: Keep in mind that it may be easy to understand what a person is saying, but not as easy as to how they are saying it. Seriousness or sarcasm is very hard to understand over email. Always be mindful of how your message is getting carried over. Using all CAPs in an email or !!! implies you are shouting so hold off on any of these. Also be sure to never start an email out with a command, but rather a greeting and introduction, Hello (Name of Recipient).
Get Face-to-Face Time: Nothing can replace the real thing. Having a face-to-face conversation with a hiring manager or a connection is always the best. It can be very easy to get caught up in the convenience of email, but don’t hide behind your computer. You can represent yourself so much better in person! Remember when it comes to your job search, email should be used to initiate the conversation, but not to actually have it!
For more career advice, please contact the Career Services Department at 877-221-5800 ext 15060 or at careerservices@aiuonline.edu.