Email Etiquette

Email Etiquette

Stop!! Before you press the “send” button, be sure to follow these steps for sending professional emails! Email has become a go-to medium for daily communication; it’s time-saving and cost-effective, yet there are several things that you need to keep in mind…
1) Check the “To” and “CC” lines…
I’m sure you don’t want to send email with confidential or inappropriate content to your boss (or your mom), do you…?
2) Use proper salutations

Use proper salutations. Err on the side of formal greetings (e.g., Mr. Ms., Dr., Representative, Professor) vs. “hey there” or their first name.

3) Be brief and to the point

Use short paragraphs to break up the content you are trying to convey, and be concise.
4) Avoid emoticons, acronyms, abbreviations, and slang



“Yo prof., I wasn’t in class today, did I miss anything? Btw, I was wondering if u could tell me if u’ll take points off 4 not including title page 4 this week’s assignment? Hope you get back to me 2nite, that’d be gr8. :)”…No.
5) Proof-read
Incorrect Way

         Correct Way
Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Remember that auto-correct may not always be reliable. It’s best to write in a Word document and copy and paste into email. Re-read before sending.
You’ve got this!
Additional Resources on this Topic:
•Agnew, D.S., & Hill, K. (2009). Email etiquette recommendation for today’s business student. Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict (AOCCC), 14, 1-5.
•University of Colorado Writing Center – Composing Professional Emails
•University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/The Writing Center – Effective Email Communication
•National Institute of Health/Office of Training and Intermural Education – Guidelines for Writing Professional Emails
•Owl at Purdue Online Writing Lab – Email Etiquette Presentation

*Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

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