EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

Boston College Law School

Office of Career Services

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 studentat Boston College Law School with an interest in _____. I

would liketo learn more about how to get into the field, and Ms.

Jones thoughtyou would have some valuable advice. Please let me

know if there isa 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 ______. LastWednesday, I interviewed with ____ and she suggested that I follow-upwith you today to check on the status of my application. [or]

I applied for the position of _____ in January, and I will next be inCalifornia 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 yourconvenience.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,(add your name)

E-Mail EtiquetteFollowing 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 BC Law Student Seeking Advice (about ___ ) Request for Advice

For Attaching an Application 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 apotential 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 ResourcesBook 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