As collegiettes, we are always on our computers sending emails for personal and professional reasons. Here are some tips for email etiquette.
1. First, determine if the email should even be sent in the first place. A phone call or face-to-face conversation may be better if the material is time sensitive.
2. Next, check your email address. Are you still using the same one from middle school? If so, change it up to something more neutral. Include your first and last name and add periods or underscores for clarification, but try to avoid numbers. The best option is to use your school email account.
3. Always include something relevant in the subject line. For example, “FirstName LastName Resume,” “School Subject – Project Question” or “Discussion of X Topic.”
4. Do a quick Google search of the person you’re addressing to make sure you’re using their proper title as a sign of respect.
5. Make the body of your email concise. Don’t try to address too many topics at once. If needed, you can always send multiple emails.
6. End the email cordially. Some closing words to use are sincerely, cheers, or best. Write your full name. It might not be a bad idea to include a phone number as well if you’d like to be contacted more quickly.
7. Proofread the email before you send it! There should be no slang or abbreviations. Also, some words I try to avoid using in emails are “just” and “very.” For example, “I wanted to let you know” sounds better than “I just wanted to let you know.” Same with “I’m excited to write this article” vs. “I’m very excited to write this article.” They’re just unnecessary filler words.
With these seven tips, you’re all set to go with sending your next email, whether it be to your mom or a professor. Now get writing!