From Senior to Freshman: A Guide to Professional Emailing

One of the scariest things about college (other than learning to use the bathroom without permission) is undoubtedly sending that first professional email. Professional emailing is a skill that you’re going to need for the rest of your college career and far into the future. Here are my top tips to cinch that professional email every single time!

Use a professional email address.

Your school email should work just fine for this! Or any other .edu or Outlook email you have. The first and most important step to getting your foot in the door is making sure you look professional before even showing your face. Chances are, sparkleglitter34@hotmail.com isn’t going to be taken seriously versus an email with your first and/or last name. This also extends to profile pictures; keeping it as headshot-like as possible is a safe bet. Any of the Google preset images are also good options, with animals and shots of lakes being common choices.

Use a proper heading.

Professors want to know exactly what the subject of your email is before they open it — and future employers will want to know this too. Avoid making your subject line misleading and get straight to the point. If you’re emailing a professor who teaches a larger course or an asynchronous one, it can be helpful to establish your identity in the subject line as well, or at least reference what class you are emailing about. Professors often get confused by students emailing them without context. So will employers! Proper identification is the perfect next step. Everyone gets spam emails, almost daily at this point. Any email with BUY NOW and URGENT in the subject line is typically a sign of a scam.

Get to the point.

After greeting the recipient, try not to meander too much. Keep your inquiries cut and concise for maximum impact. The body of your email should completely address your question or the questions you may have. Don’t use any run-on sentences, and try your best to cover all your bases in that first email. 

Check that grammar!

No one likes a typo, least of all professors and future employers. Professional emailing is like a trial to put your best foot forward virtually. When you submit essays and papers for class, chances are you’re gonna be proofreading them anyway. 

Nail that email signature!

Almost as important as a concise email subject line is a descriptive email signature. A proper signature isn’t rocket science. Think of it like a voicemail. When someone calls you, typically you would want to have information in your voicemail that will allow them to reach you in case you miss their call. A good email signature needs just three things: your full name, major, and email address. I like to include both my school and professional emails to provide more points of contact. 

These tips have helped me throughout my four years here at Montclair to make a great impression on professors and prospective employers. I hope they help you, too, as we transition from college students into the workforce and beyond!