Have you ever missed a great opportunity just because you were too lazy to write an e-mail? If not, then you are lucky. For some, writing an e-mail is so difficult that a new term has been coined in psychology called ‘e-mail anxiety’. What to write, how to write, how the language will be… many people suffer from such worries before writing.
Of course, this worry is not completely unfounded. By writing a good email, you may win the heart of a professor at a foreign university and get a research opportunity with him. The opposite can also happen. You may have the qualifications. But because you are not able to present yourself well in email, you are also missing out on job opportunities. Therefore, you need to practice writing professional emails in advance.
I was talking to Khaled Mahmud, a professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Dhaka University, about this. He said, ‘E-mail is a professional means of communication. The ability to write emails correctly will not only help you in your academic career but also in your future professional life. Express your personality, professionalism, and communication skills in emails. Misspellings, incoherent language, or irrelevant words can create a negative impression.’ Khaled Mahmud gave some more suggestions. Let’s find out.
How to write a professional email
Give the right subject line: Write a short subject line to convey the content of the email. For example, a Request for Recommendation Letter or Query Regarding Internship.
Use appropriate address: If you are emailing a teacher, start with ‘Dear Professor’ or ‘Respected Sir/Madam’. If you know the name, write the name. For example: Dear Dr. Rahman. Don’t just write ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’.
Introduce yourself: First, briefly introduce yourself—mention your name, department, batch, or roll number. This will help the recipient of the email recognize you easily.
Write an email in three paragraphs: Try to write an email in three paragraphs, in 200-250 words. Write clearly what you want from the recipient, what you need, and what information you are interested in knowing. If necessary, write in bullet points. Avoid unnecessary information.
Maintain politeness: Say thank you at the end. Thank you for your time and consideration, or I appreciate your support—you can write these sentences.
End the email correctly: Write Sincerely, Best regards, etc. at the end of the email, and give your name. If necessary, you can also put your WhatsApp number here.
Take help from AI if necessary: Writing an email has now become much easier thanks to various artificial intelligence-based software or websites. If you can give correct instructions to a platform like ChatGPT, you can write your speech in an organized manner. Now, emails can be written with AI help in Gmail, too. If you want, you can use this help.
What to avoid
Avoid abbreviations of any English words or chatting language (e.g., u, plz, tnx). Do not add emojis or irrelevant images to the email. Write the email with correct spelling. Do not make common grammar mistakes. Avoid personal information or emotional language.
Do not send attachments without writing anything in the body of the email. This is also a kind of impolite behavior.