Email etiquette is an essential part of the professional world when it comes to communicating with peers, teachers or future employers. Alexandra Stokes hosted a virtual workshop talking about the key components of email etiquette to prepare students for contacting these professionals the right way. 

Proper email etiquette first starts with responding to an email. Many people reply to emails without responding to all of the questions in a previous email. Be sure to thoroughly read the email you’re replying to and make sure every answer is answered before clicking send. This will save you time from having to send multiple emails.

When forwarding emails to others, make sure to include the original email thread. It is important for the recipient to be able to have as much background information to the forwarded email as possible.

Although proper email etiquette sounds like it only applies when it comes to forwarding emails or replying, it’s also important to know who you’re sending your email to and how to make that email sound professional. When it comes to sending emails, the tiniest details matter.

During the virtual workshop, Stokes also mentioned that “adding a signature block is a key component to any proper email.” A signature block usually includes your name, title, office location, and ways of further communication. Although emails can be used a lot in the professional world, they are not the main source of communication. That is why it’s so important to include a signature block at the end of your email so that if the recipient needs a faster way or different way to get a hold of you, they have more ways to reach out via signature block.

Another component in email etiquette is being cautious with humor. During the workshop, it was essential to know this etiquette rule. Humor in emails is a tricky game when it comes to sending professional emails. When humor is present in an email, the recipient could take it the wrong way or it could be completely misinterpreted. Stokes’ advice was, “when in doubt, leave it out.” If the humor aspect of the email is a worrisome part, then don’t add it at all. It is best to refrain from using humor in emails.

Before clicking send in an email, always proofread the email. Check for grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling errors. These things could set someone back from getting their dream job by not checking an email before clicking send.

Lastly, the ‘to’ line of the email is the most important part to email etiquette. A surprising amount of people find themselves accidentally sending their emails to the wrong person. A tip that Stokes gave was to fill in the ‘to’ line of the email last. It can be embarrassing sending the wrong person the wrong email and can be seen as “sloppy” or even “lazy.” When sending an email, try typing out the email first, proofread, then fill out the ‘to’ line to ensure that you’re sending that email to the correct recipient.

With these helpful tips, writing a proper email will become a piece of cake. Email etiquette is crucial to have when going into the professional world and applying to jobs. Be sure to proofread, leave out the humor, add that signature block, and you’re closer and closer to gaining proper email etiquette.