Transcript Slide 1

Boston College Law School
Office of Career Services
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
E-MAIL ETIQUETTE RULES
AND
A GRAMMAR REVIEW
February 28, 2011
E-Mail Etiquette

What is the role of e-mail in the work force?

When to Use E-mail versus a letter

Content

When is an e-mail response necessary?
E-Mail Etiquette

When to Use E-Mail:
Networking Introductions
 Applying for Positions
 Following Up on Applications
 Responding to Messages

E-Mail Etiquette

Networking Introductions: What to Include?





Keep the message short
Address the recipient professionally: Dear Mr. or Ms.
Tailor the e-mail to the recipient – avoid language that
makes it sound like a mass mailing
Do not include your resume as an attachment
Ask to set up a time to talk; it is easier for the recipients to
spend a few minutes speaking with you than asking them to
respond at length by e-mail to a series of questions
E-Mail Etiquette

Networking Introductions: What to Say?
Dear Mr./Ms. Lawyer:
Mary Jones suggested that I contact you. I am a second-year student
at Boston College Law School with an interest in _____. I would like
to learn more about how to get into the field, and Ms. Jones thought
you would have some valuable advice. Please let me know if there is
a convenient time to talk or if we could meet for coffee.
Thank you,
(add your name)
E-Mail Etiquette

Applying for Positions:


Attach a cover letter and a resume
Have a short message in the body of the e-mail even though your
attached cover letter will be more detailed:
Dear Mr. /Ms. Lawyer:
Please accept my application for the position of _______. Attached
please find a copy of my cover letter and my resume. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
(add your name)

Include all attachments before you send
E-Mail Etiquette
Following Up on an Application:



When to Use E-mail and When to Call
What to say if using e-mail:
Dear Mr./Ms. Lawyer:
I am writing to reconfirm my interest in the position of ______. Last
Wednesday, I interviewed with ____ and she suggested that I follow-up
with you today to check on the status of my application. [or]
I applied for the position of _____ in January, and I will next be in
California on ____. If you are interested in meeting with me, I would
be happy to make myself available at your office at any time during this
period. Attached please find another copy of my resume for your
convenience.
Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
(add your name)
E-Mail Etiquette
Following Up on an Application: Thank You Notes



When to use e-mail?
When to send a letter or a hand-written note?
What to say?
E-Mail Etiquette

Effective Subject Line Messages:

For Informational Interview Requests



For Attaching an Application


BC Law Student Seeking Advice (about ___ )
Request for Advice
Application for Summer Position
For Following up on an Application


Thank you
Checking on the Status of an Application
E-Mail Etiquette




When is a response to an e-mail required?
 Answer: Almost Always
In the legal setting, e-mail is the preferred means of
communication; it is not merely a tool to disseminate
information
Examples of situations where a prompt e-mail reply is
expected:

When someone conveys an offer

When someone agrees to meet with you

When someone tells you about an opportunity or gives you a job lead

When someone gives you a work assignment (even if you do not know the
answer, you need to respond that you have received the project)
Failure to reply may convey disinterest
Effective Business Communications
A QUICK
GRAMMAR REVIEW
E-Mail Grammar
Every e-mail message to an employer (or a
potential employer) serves as a writing sample



The subject line should be professional
The message and the subject line should be free of
typographical errors
Rules of grammar and punctuation always apply
What is a sentence?




Contains a subject and a verb
Starts with an upper case letter
Ends with proper punctuation
Expresses a complete thought
USE FULL SENTENCES IN PROFESSIONAL
E-MAILS. NO FRAGMENTS (like this!).
E-Mail Grammar Rules

Even though e-mail is a more informal means of
communication than a typed letter, the standards are the
same:




Check subject and verb tense agreement
Avoid common texting abbreviations
Avoid grammatical mistakes
Follow rules of punctuation
Punctuation Reminders

Use double quotation marks to enclose direct quotations.

Place commas and periods inside quotation marks

Use parentheses to enclose nonessential elements within
the sentence

Use a dash or dashes to indicate sudden changes in tone
or thought and to set off sentence elements
Capitalization





Capitalize the first words of sentences, parts of letters,
resolutions, and entries in outlines
Capitalize proper names, nicknames, official titles, degrees of
persons, nobility, and relatives
Capitalize titles of written works, songs, newspapers, and films.
Not articles within titles
Capitalize days of week, months of year, holidays
Capitalize names of nations, states, towns, counties etc.
Word Choice





For professional communications, standard English is
appropriate
Slang, jargon, and technical language are rarely appropriate
Avoid pretentious or biased (sexist, racist) language
Use dictionary or thesaurus if uncertain
Beware of blindly substituting a word from the thesaurus.
Nuanced meanings can detract from your message
E-mail Grammar:
Words Commonly Confused







affect (to have an influence on) v. effect (result)
accept (to receive) v. except (other than)
cite (quote an authority) v. sight (the ability to see) v. site
(a place)
elicit (to bring out) v. illicit (illegal)
its (possessive of it) v. it’s (contraction of it is)
principal (most important, head of school) v. principle
(basic truth or law)
who’s (contraction of who is) v. whose (possessive)
Common Pitfalls







A pronoun should clearly refer to its antecedent
Spell out numbers under 11
Use a comma before “and” in a series
Structure items in a series or bulleted lists similarly; use
parallel structure
Watch out for wordiness
Use active sentences rather than passive ones
Place a comma between two independent clauses if
separated by “and”, “but”, “or”, “nor”
Spell Check
Spell Czech in Knot You’re Friend

For any professional writing, do not rely on Spell Check.
Proofread carefully or print the message out and edit it
on paper before you hit send.

Many mistakes are in the message subject line, which are
not picked up by Spell Check. So, double check the
subject line as it is the first thing that the reader will see.
Proofreading Content

Verify dates, numbers, and deadlines

Recheck reference points and legal citations

Check names and titles

Verify that attachments are referenced in text and are
indeed attached before sending e-mail
E-mail Grammar: Some Resources
Book Resources:



Strunk & White, The Elements of Style (also on line)
The Chicago Manual of Style (online edition is not free)
Bryan Garner’s Books, i.e. Garner’s Modern American Usage;
Garner on Language and Writing
On-line resources:



http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (dictionary and thesaurus)
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Proofreading.html