Email etiquette rules every young professional must know

Proper email etiquette is largely a learned skill, but it’s something that’s extremely important for young professionals to know as they begin to navigate their careers. There are some major do’s and don’ts when it comes to email, and having awareness and understanding of these things is crucial to presenting yourself as professionally as possible.

As a young person making their way in their career, making a seemingly small mistake when it comes to email etiquette can push you off course and potentially make the wrong impression on colleagues and peers in your industry. By adhering to a few simple rules, you can ensure that you’re emailing as professionally and courteously as possible in a work environment, and starting your career off on the right foot.

One of the most important things you can do to maintain professionalism via email is adhering to a set schedule for responding to and sending emails out to colleagues and other professionals. There are of course different thought processes about emailing after work hours, but largely employees tend to frown upon this practice. In fact, a recent study from Skynova found that 63% of employees feel it should be illegal for their colleagues to contact them after work hours.

By sticking to a limit when it comes to emailing, it shows that you respect people’s boundaries and value their work-life balance. Opting to wait until business hours to send an email is the best way to respect your colleagues’ time, and it also improves your own work-life balance.

Another major email etiquette rule is that you should always proofread your emails before sending them. Sure, everyone writes and communicates differently, but by and large, you should make a point to double-check your messages for any glaring errors before sending them. This ensures that your intentions are clear and that there’s little room for misinterpretation.

Proofreading isn’t just about checking for spelling errors, though. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that the tone of your email is appropriate; especially in a business situation where you don’t want to convey anything too emotionally charged. Maintaining professionalism is key in any work communication, and proofreading should prioritize professionalism in syntax, grammar, and tone.

In addition to proofreading, you should always try and make sure that your professional emails are relatively short and to the point. This takes some practice, but if you can get your email messaging down to a science where you know how to hit all the important things you need to address while avoiding long tangents, it’ll help your career more than you’d think. Short, succinct emails show consideration for people’s time, and it shows that you’re able to get something across quickly and efficiently. This will help you save time in your day as well, and it can also help your reputation. It’s also important to make sure you’re replying and sending things in a timely manner, as responsiveness is incredibly crucial to running a business smoothly and efficiently.

If you can manage these simple rules of email etiquette, you’ll be on an expedited track to success in your career. Proper email etiquette goes a very long way in helping you network and hit professional milestones, and can separate you from peers in absolutely invaluable ways.

— Article by Sean Kelly. In addition to being an analyst researching the latest industry trends for College Recruiter, Sean Kelly also co-founded a nonprofit local news publication in Savannah, GA called The Savannahian.