As an intern, it’s important to practice clear and professional communication in the workplace. Regardless of your industry or academic background, it’s highly likely that you’ll need to write emails during your internship. Whether you’re responding to a colleague, updating your supervisor, or reaching out to a client, it’s important to avoid some of the most common email mistakes and adhere to general email etiquette.
Before you sit down to write out your next message, make sure you also have time to do a quick review before sending it. A final check will only take a few minutes and can help to ensure your messages are clear, correct, and professional.
Correct spelling and proper grammar are the first things you should look for in every message you send. Unfortunately, one of the most common email mistakes people make in the office is misspelling. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a grammar whiz to write a professional email. Read it through a few times before sending, and make use of the spellcheck function. Sending an email full of typos and mistakes can make you look unprofessional and suggest you don't take much care or pride in what you're doing. Double-checking your spelling and grammar in every email will ensure people take you seriously from the get-go.
While it might be tempting to add smiley faces and other characters into your emails to emphasize a point, it’s best to avoid them in a professional setting. Skip these all together when writing emails to managers or clients. However, keep in mind that the same etiquette doesn’t necessarily apply to instant messaging platforms such as IM or Slack. Consider the context of your email and your audience before using unprofessional-looking emojis.
Few things make an email seem less professional than using lots of exclamation points. No matter how emphatic your statement is, consider carefully whether an exclamation point is the right choice. Exclamation points are frequently overused and can serve to detract from the importance of your message.
Setting a professional signature for the end of your work emails is particularly important when you’re emailing someone for the first time. Your signature tells the recipient important information about you, such as your position and additional contact information. In many cases, it also adds a level of legitimacy and professionalism to your email, as signatures generally include the company logo.
Hitting “reply all” on a message that should have had a specific recipient is an easy mistake to make. For obvious reasons, replying to the wrong people can cause issues in the workplace, and result in excessively long email chains. This can lead to some information being missed and will generally irritate and distract other recipients who aren't relevant to the email you're sending.
Another common email mistake is silence. This one is very easy to make because you might not always think or remember to respond to a received message. You might go to respond but have another task suddenly thrown at you and forget about your emails. However, in most cases, it’s more polite to respond, even to confirm that you received the message and will provide a proper response later. A lack of response might be interpreted as rude or unprofessional.
The subject line is the first part of your email that the recipient will see. For many busy professionals, an email inbox is constantly full. A relevant subject line tells them exactly what you’re writing about, and how important the message is. Subject lines are particularly important when you’re writing to someone you don’t frequently correspond with, and might not recognize your email address. Ensure you write a subject line that's concise and informative.