When you enter the workforce, it can be daunting to send professional emails, especially when it feels like there are so many unspoken rules to worry about. Don’t worry. Writing emails does not need to be a stressful aspect of your workday. Consider these tips when writing your emails. 

1. Introduce Yourself. If you are beginning a new email chain, once you have addressed the recipient, you should introduce yourself. You don’t need to share your whole life story, but giving your name and your purpose for emailing them can give the recipient context for why they should read this email.
    
2. Be Sure to Spell the Recipient’s Name Correctly. It can be very off-putting to receive an email where your name is spelled incorrectly. So be sure to double check the spelling of the recipient’s name, even if it seems like a common name to spell.
    
3. Use a Clear and Concise Subject. The subject line should convince the recipient that this email is a priority. Write a clear and concise subject so that the recipient knows why they should open your email.
    
4. Avoid Using Many Exclamation Points. Sometimes fresh college graduates try to show their enthusiasm by using exclamation points frequently in emails, however, in the professional realm you should rarely use exclamation points in professional emails. Once you are acquainted with someone, the context may provide more opportunities for using expressive punctuation, but for first impressions, avoid using unnecessary exclamation points.
    
5. Proofread for Spelling and Grammar. Emails that contain multiple misspellings and grammar errors will come across sloppy and unprofessional. Be sure to proofread every email you send, and if you are sending an especially important email consider asking a colleague to proofread your email as well. Take advantage of online resources that check for you!
    
6. Avoid Redundancy. Do not make your email longer than it needs to be. Many professionals already spend a significant amount of time reading emails in a day, so save the recipient’s time by getting to the point and avoid unnecessarily repeating yourself.
    
7. When In Doubt, Be Formal. If you are not familiar with the person you are emailing, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to formality. People have different expectations when it comes to the formality of emails, so when in doubt, lean on the side of caution and maintain a formal tone throughout your email copy.
    
8. Avoid Filler Words. When speaking, people tend to use filler words and phrases, however, these come across as unprofessional in writing. Trim out any words or phrases that are not adding anything useful to your email content.
    
9. Clearly State Your Expectations. You do not want to leave the recipient wondering what they ought to do about this email. Clearly state whatever response you hope to receive. Are you asking a question, requesting a specific action, passing along necessary information, or including them in a necessary conversation? Make it clear why you sent this email. 

Now that you know the insider tips, you will be an email writing pro in no time. And remember that if you do make a mistake, it is not going to be the end of your career. Everyone makes mistakes, so fix it if you can and then move on. Don’t stress the small stuff, and you will be just fine. 

By Mattie Burleigh ‘24