Writing a Professional Email: A Guide for Young Professionals and Academics

Knowing how to write a professional email is essential for young professionals and academics in order to be able to present a good image of themselves and be able to effectively correspond with those in higher authority positions. Professional emails have become ubiquitous due to the increased prevalence of emailing as the most quick and efficient mode of communication in the workplace (Baron, 1998), therefore, it is important to be able to know how to craft one because inevitably everyone will have to write a professional email at one point in their education or career. These emails are constantly being sent for eclectic context-dependent reasons. In general, writing a professional email mirrors the style of a letter due to its main components: greetings, body, and a closing (Pérez-Sabater, 2012). Further, professional emails follow a formal register that calls for a pristine, error-free, and grammatically flawless body (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2007). The tight structural and grammatical components of the email are enforced to highlight and stress the formality and etiquette that is expected and required of professional correspondence. Therefore, it is vital that a well-crafted email maintain the correct level of appropriateness, professionalism, and clarity. Further, a professional email needs to be concise, but have a clear purpose that is either directly stated or asked.

This writing guide will acquaint you with how to successfully write a professional email. Further, this guide will remind you of what needs to be included, this includes all of these components: subject line, greeting, a message, formal register, and a closing. The guide will provide an explanation of the purpose of these components, how they should be done, and examples of how to use these parts within context.

The Subject Line

What purpose does it serve?

The subject line of an email is the one line of an email that the receiver gets to view in their inbox when they receive an email. The subject line describes the overall message, reason, and goal for sending an email. It is a short phrase or brief sentence that succinctly allows for a quick synopsis of the email for the receiver to know exactly what to expect of the email content wise. Further, the brevity of the subject line allows for the receiver to be able to remember the email’s purpose more easily as well as be able to locate the email in general since the subject line can be looked for within the search function of the inbox. This part of an email is vital because it can make the difference in whether or not an email gets opened or deleted by the professional receiving it.

How should it be done?

First you should really think about what the actual purpose is overall within your email. Use this purpose to summarize the email’s content with what you feel as though really hones in on what you are trying to get across within the email and what you are trying to get out of the email. Write this idea down briefly in your own words.

Second, once you have your written summary, aim to cut this down from anywhere from two words to a brief sentence that thoroughly wraps up your main reason for sending the email. Try to avoid vague terms and cut them as well as filler words when they appear here. Instead use definitive, specific words that indicate what you are talking about explicitly. Further, avoid using greetings within the subject line; think of your subject line as a concise mini thesis for your email overall.

Then, once proper grammar mechanics and state your cut down, concise purpose for your email. Use necessary capitalizations and punctuation. This can vary based on context. If you are using the more sentence-based approach use a capitalization just in your first word and end the phrase with the correct punctuation like you would in normal academic writing. If your subject line is more so a phrase, then capitalize at least the first word and use your best judgement whether or not to capitalize the other words in the subject line that follow the first word.

Greetings

What purpose do they serve?

In professional emails, it is imperative to always start with a greeting. The greeting is how you address and acknowledge the receiver of the email. The greeting shows that you are recognizing the receiver as another human being and that you are trying to form a connection. A greeting signifies friendliness, if there is no greeting then you will come across as informal or even slightly rude. The presence of a greeting will allow you to appear polished as well as it will help you foster a connection with your professional receiver.

How should it be done?

First, consider the relationship that you have with your receiver. Is the receiver someone you know outside of a professional setting? Is it someone that you have never met? Do you know their last name? Taking into consideration your relationship with the professional that you want to email will allow you to best be able to pick which particular greeting embodies the tone that you want to use in your greeting.

Second, maintain formality. Even if you know this person on a personal level, it is important to recognize that they are still are a professional and thus they should always be greeted in a formal way like that of a letter.

Third, pick your greeting and pair it up with their formal name following it. Address the receiver by whichever pronoun they prefer, or their professional role followed by their last name. If the last name of the receiver is not known, then just use your selected greeting and follow it up with their job title. Finally, following your greeting and address of the person’s name or job title, use a comma to end the phrase. Here are some examples:

The Message

What purpose does it serve?

The message is the place where you are able to craft your purpose and navigate your topic. This is the body of your email. There are three parts within the message of an email which include: the introduction, the purpose, and the pre-closing. In regard to the introduction, this is where you introduce yourself and your topic. For the purpose, this is where your message is explained fully and stated. The pre-closing is where you thank your receiver in order to prompt for a response.

How should it be done?

First, in the introduction, introduce yourself to the receiver. Who are you? What is your role or title? What is your relation to the receiver? Next, introduce your topic in a brief way. What does this message concern? What exactly is the topic? With these introductory items, concisely answer these questions in two to three sentences.

Second, in the purpose, allow the receiver to see specifically and in detail the purpose or reason for this message in intricate detail. What are you concerned about? What are the details surrounding your concern? In the purpose, you can either write your purpose as a question or a statement to start but use this first sentence as a starting point to be able to elaborate on. Write this in detail, but in an efficient, to the point, and clear way.

Finally, in the pre-closing, it is important to express gratitude to your receiver while also catering your message in a way that encourages a follow up. It is necessary to thank your receiver for taking the time to read your email. This allows for you to take on a tone that allows the receiver to feel appreciated, which in return can wrap up the email nicely while also prompting the receiver to respond to your email more quickly and sufficiently. Adding these closing remarks that show politeness can help end the email’s content on a good impression.

Here are some examples of good and bad email messages:

Good:

My name is Alyssa and I am the Historian and point contact for the Alpha Delta Pi I contacted you a few weeks ago about redoing the composite proof with the missing people on it and I know you said it would be $450 for the new big one. I am wondering how much it would cost to do the new proof which includes small copies of the paper composite? The president and I wanted to clarify this with you in order for us to be able to successfully account for our budget and determine the best way to navigate this issue. I appreciate all of your help with this issue as well as with all the work that you and your company do for our chapter.

Bad: 

I know I contacted you a few weeks ago about redoing the composite proof with the missing people on it and I know you said it would be $450 for the new big one. I am just wondering how much it would be to do the new proof and just get a few small copies of the paper ones ? The president and I just wanted to know so we can see budgeting wise which way to go about this issue. Thank you for your help!

Closing, Signature, and Credentials 

What purpose does it serve?

The closing is the way that you sign off your email. Closings retain formality and are then followed by a signature that includes your full name and credentials. In the signature, you state your name, your roles and titles, and your contact information. The closing and signature are the places where you can leave a lasting impression since it uses your name and credentials to finish off the email.

How should it be done?

First, pick a word or phrase for a closing that appropriately wraps up and closes off your email in a suitable way based on the nature of the email. Maintain formality and professional demeanor. Make sure to capitalize the first word if you choose a phrase. Follow this choice with a comma.

Second the signature, write both your first and last name to identify who you are in a formal tone. Make sure to capitalize both your first and last name to show formality. Then, for the credentials, underneath your name, list your roles and contact information. If you are a professional, your role typically includes the title of the job that you hold and the name of the company that you are working for underneath it. On the other hand, if you are a young academic, the roles have various components. Typically, the first role includes your university name and the year that you are intending to graduate. Next, state your intended degree and major on one line with a line for your minors underneath it if applicable. The next line will include leadership positions that are held within organizations that you belong to or jobs that you hold on campus. For this particular part of the signature, keep it concise and do not use too many roles in this place. Try to choose one or two that are the most pertinent to you and hold the most authority. Finally, underneath your credentials, include your email, and if comfortable your cell phone number. Here are some examples of good and bad closings:

Formal register and the importance of editing

It is vital to maintain formality in professional emails in order to appear professional and respectful. It is important to make a good impression and have good decorum with professionals. In order to do this, it is necessary to use the best vocabulary choices, correct grammar and mechanics, politeness levels, and accommodation to lower status in comparison to the higher status of the professional (Biesenbach-Lucas, 2007). In order to thoroughly achieve this formal register, it is integral to edit your email for errors, which can include spelling and grammatical errors as well as typos. Proofreading and going through your email to read it thoroughly while editing it along the way to remove errors is necessary in order to check for correctness. Editing and removing errors will help make a good impression while emails with mistakes in it indicate a lack of care. Further, it is important to make sure to use an appropriate email address that retains this formal register.

Your turn… 

1. You just applied to the position of Sales Intern for the company Amazon. You have sent in all of your materials, but you want to make sure that they have received everything by the due date of December 1st. You do not know the name of the person you are emailing because the email given is a general company one. You want the company to know who you are, and you want to impress them…
2. You need to email English professor to set up an appointment with them to discuss the bad feedback you received on a rough draft. You are very upset, but you do not want it to show through your language because you want to learn where in the draft you can improve upon for the final draft or for the future in general. Further, you want to ask the teacher specific questions during the appointment. Your professor has many students, so you want to give multiple free times and thank them for their time…

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