Email Etiquette Tips for Job Seekers

Email Etiquette Tips for Job SeekersEmail Etiquette Tips for Job SeekersWhen you are job searching, youll likely use schmelzglasle for a number of reasons. You might send anschmelzglasle asking about job openings, or anschmelzglas titelbild letter with a resumeattached. You might send networking emailles asking contacts for help with your job search. You will likely also send email thank-you messages after interviews. When you use email to job search, its important that all your communications are as professional as they would be if you were writing an old-fashioned paper letter. Heres information on all you need to know about job search email etiquette,includingwhat to put in your job search emails, how to format your emails, and how to make sure your email messages are read. Email Etiquette Tips for Job Seekers Set Up a job search email account.When youre looking for a job, its a good idea to set up an email account just for job searching. That way your professional email wont get mixed in with your personal mail. There are a variety of free web-based email services, like Gmail and Yahoo, that you can use. Youll be able to check your email online from any computer, so using webmail is a good way to stay on top of your job search. Be sure you have an email account name that is appropriate for business use, i.e. firstname.lastnamegmail.com rather than cutegirlhotmail.com. Once youve set up the account, send yourself a few test messages to make sure you can send and receive mail. Use this email account for all your job search communications to apply for jobs, post your resume, and connect with your contacts. Be sure to check your account frequently so that you can respond immediately to employers who are interested in hiring you. Also set up your job search email on your smartphone so you can get notifications instantly. Dont use your work email account.Many companies monitor email communications, and you dont want to get caughtjob searching from work. Dont use your work email address for job searching or networking. Dont send resumes and cover letters from your work email account or use that email address when you apply for jobs online. Send your email to a specific person.When possible, send your email to a contact person, rather than a general email box. Send a copy to yourself, so you have a record of the emails you have sent and the jobs youve applied to. Use a clear subject line.Your email message needs asubject line. If you leave the subject blank, the email isprobably going to end up in a spam mailbox or be deleted. Make sure you list the position you are applying for in thesubject lineof your email message, so the employer knows what job you are applying for. You might want to include your name in the subject as well. Below are two examples of appropriate subject lines Subject Line Communications Director PositionSubject Line Marketing Associate Position / Your Name Choose a simplefont.Avoid ornate, difficult-to-read fonts. Us e abasic fontlike Times New Roman, Arial, or Cambria. Dont use color in your text, either. Use size 10 or 12 point, so that the email is easy to read, without being too big. Write like its a business letter.In general, your email messages should look a lot likebusiness letters. They should include words, not acronyms, slang or emoticons. The email letters should be written in full sentences and paragraphs. Begin with a salutation, and end with a send-off and yoursignature. The only difference between an email and a business letter is that in an email you dont need to include the employers contact information, the date, and your information in the top left corner. Keep it brief.People tend to skim, or even ignore,very long emails. Keep your email brief and to the point. Include a signature.Include anemail signaturewith your contact information, so its easy for the hiring manager to get in touch with you. Including a link to your LinkedIn profile is a good way to give the hiring manag er more information on your skills and abilities. Below is a sample email signature FirstName LastNameEmail AddressPhoneLinkedIn Profile URL (Optional) Edit, edit, edit.Make sure you proofread your email for grammar and spelling errors. Clear writingis just as important in an email as it is in a business letter. Send a test message.Before you send your email, send the message to yourself to check that the formatting works. Also, make sure that any files you attached are easy to open. If everything looks good, resend the email to the employer. Email Message Content If you have a contact person, address your email to Dear Mr./Ms. LastName. If you dont, address your email to Dear Hiring Manager or simply start with the first paragraph of your message. When youapply for a job via email, copy and paste yourcover letter into the email messageor write your cover letter in the body of an email message. If the job posting asks you to send your resume as an attachment, send your resume as a PDF or a Word document. No matter your purpose for emailing, be clear about why you are writing and the purpose of your email message. Include this information early on in the email. The reader is much more likely to respond if they know, at a glance, why youre reaching out to them.