Whether you are sending a follow-up email after a job interview or requesting something from your colleagues, being professional is vital. Here’s how to master your professional emails
No matter the industry you work in, emails are an essential part of communication in the workplace. Being professional in your approach to emails is important because people are inundated with emails every day, which makes it possible for them to either ignore or even miss them. If you want your recipient to open, read and respond to your emails here’s how to master it.
Get to the point: While catching up with colleagues is great, an email is not an ideal platform to do that. Respect your colleague’s time by keeping your email concise, stating exactly what you need.
Add a friendly tone: Your emails don’t have to be cold and impersonal. Adding a personal touch can lighten the tone of your email. You can include friendly sentences like, ‘I hope this email finds you well,’ or ‘How was your weekend?’, or ‘How are the preparations for your exams going?’, depending on how much you know your colleague. Then be clear about what the intention of the email is.
Check for grammatical errors: It’s important to proofread your emails before pushing the send button. This step is important to save you from embarrassing grammatical and spelling errors, especially if your email is an important one.
Examples of the three professional emails to master:
Job interview follow-up:
Subject line: Following up on the job interview
Body: Good day [name of interviewer],
I hope this email finds you well. I would like to thank you for the job interview you invited me to on [date]. I understand you are very busy, but I would like to follow up on the next step of the hiring process. I am excited about the opportunity to join [the company] and help it grow through my capacity as the [vacancy].
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards.
[Your name]Tip: If the hiring manager initially emailed you a schedule for the job interview, reply to that instead of starting a new email.
Thank you email after the job interview
Subject line: Thank you for the job interview
Body: Good day, [name of interviewer]
I would like to thank you for meeting with me today. It was lovely meeting you and learning more about the company as well as what the job entails. Our chat made me more excited about joining the team and bringing my [X number of years’ experience] to help grow the company.
If you need more information from me, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
[Your name]Tip: If you get home before close of business day, send the thank you email immediately. Or, send it first thing in the morning the next day. This shows how enthusiastic you are about joining the company.
Email to a colleague:
Subject line: Feedback on task/ report/ Request for meeting
Body: Good day [Name of collegue]
I hope this email finds you well. I would like to ask for your feedback on the report I sent you last week. I need it by [a certain date] so I can start implementing the recommendations.
Kind regards
[Your name]Tip: An email to a colleague depends on what you need, whether it’s a meeting or a feedback request. Remember to keep it as professional as possible.
