Writing Professional Emails
30 September 2013
Read by 2111 persons
Contrary to what one might think, in 2013, there are conventions to respect when sending an email to a client or when applying for a job.
Here are some basic rules that will allow you to respect them.
1. Fill in the "subject" field.
For more efficiency, to encourage your recipient to read you, to specify the importance of the email, remember to indicate what it is about in one or a few precise words. In the case of an application, remember to mention the position you are applying for.
2. Indicate the attached files.
Always specify, in the body of your email, the attachments and the number of attachments you have included, trying as much as possible to lighten them. Nothing is more unpleasant to download and open (and read) than an overly large file.
3. Be coherent and courteous.
An email is a letter. A real letter. So remember to greet the person you are writing to with a "Dear X" or a "Mr./Madam". Also greet at the end of your email with a "Sincerely" or other, followed by your first and last name, your address, and your phone number.
In addition, remember to proofread to check that you are coherent in the content, that your ideas are clearly expressed and in a logical order. Use paragraphs, space things out, don't hesitate to skip lines and be as concise as possible. No one has time to read very long missives and the screen is not really the best medium for this.
4. Respect spelling and punctuation.
Correct your mistakes before sending your email. Nothing discredits you more than spelling mistakes or clumsy phrasing. Also remember to carefully respect punctuation (capital letters, periods, commas), which is also part of professionalism - regardless of what many people say...
Avoid abbreviations, SMS language, and unclear acronyms. Write out the terms in full and specify the names that may seem opaque to the layman.
5. Be consistent in form.
Respect the same font, the same color. No need to innovate at this level or make attempts at originality. Remain sober, neutral. However, this does not prevent you from using bold characters or changing the font size of certain essential words.
The ReKrute.com Team
Here are some basic rules that will allow you to respect them.
1. Fill in the "subject" field.
For more efficiency, to encourage your recipient to read you, to specify the importance of the email, remember to indicate what it is about in one or a few precise words. In the case of an application, remember to mention the position you are applying for.
2. Indicate the attached files.
Always specify, in the body of your email, the attachments and the number of attachments you have included, trying as much as possible to lighten them. Nothing is more unpleasant to download and open (and read) than an overly large file.
3. Be coherent and courteous.
An email is a letter. A real letter. So remember to greet the person you are writing to with a "Dear X" or a "Mr./Madam". Also greet at the end of your email with a "Sincerely" or other, followed by your first and last name, your address, and your phone number.
In addition, remember to proofread to check that you are coherent in the content, that your ideas are clearly expressed and in a logical order. Use paragraphs, space things out, don't hesitate to skip lines and be as concise as possible. No one has time to read very long missives and the screen is not really the best medium for this.
4. Respect spelling and punctuation.
Correct your mistakes before sending your email. Nothing discredits you more than spelling mistakes or clumsy phrasing. Also remember to carefully respect punctuation (capital letters, periods, commas), which is also part of professionalism - regardless of what many people say...
Avoid abbreviations, SMS language, and unclear acronyms. Write out the terms in full and specify the names that may seem opaque to the layman.
5. Be consistent in form.
Respect the same font, the same color. No need to innovate at this level or make attempts at originality. Remain sober, neutral. However, this does not prevent you from using bold characters or changing the font size of certain essential words.
The ReKrute.com Team
