9 Rules For Email Etiquette During The Interview Process
At some point in the interview process, you will be messaging on LinkedIn or emailing back and forth with either an internal recruiter or directly with the hiring manager (the person who will probably make the ultimate decision on whether or not to hire you, i.e., an important person to impress right away).
How you conduct yourself in these messages will impact your candidacy. For example, if a company invites you to a phone interview, but your message in response contains misspellings and grammatical errors, the company might change their mind about moving forward.
Here are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind when sending messages and emails during the interview process:
1. Send emails from a professional address.
If you still have an embarrassing address from high school (e.g., partyboy@), then before starting your job search might be a good time to get a more professional email address.
2. No fancy fonts.
Color should be black. Size should be 12-point. Font should be Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman.
3. Add the email last.
Even for replying to an email, you can delete the recipient’s address and then add it back after you’re finished writing and proofing the message. This will help to avoid accidentally sending an incomplete email.
4. Double check the name.
For the recruitment process, you might be copy and pasting a similar message to different people. Make sure your message recipient matches the first name at the beginning of the message (e.g., Hi Bob).
5. Triple check spelling of the name.
Almost worse than getting someone’s name entirely wrong, is getting close but misspelling it. Often people are insulted when their name is misspelled. Not a good way to start your relationship with your potential future boss.
6. Use formal salutations.
Use the more formal “Hi” instead of “Hey” in email salutations. “Hello” is also an acceptable salutation, but “Hi” is more common and preferred.
7. Refrain from sarcasm and humor.
Jokes that might be alright in-person can get lost in translation when written.
8. Proofread, proofread, proofread.
Spelling and grammar mistakes may send a message that you don’t have the necessary communication skills for the job, but even worse, it may send a message that you’re careless.
9. Use formal sign-offs.
“Cheers” is too informal for your first message with a hiring manager. “Best” is most common and therefore safest. “Thanks” may also be appropriate.
Summary
Your emails and/or messages will often be the first impression that you make with a potential employer.
Especially if you’re applying for a sales position, the recruiter or hiring manager will be thinking in the back of their mind, “Is this how they’ll be sending emails to our clients?”
If you follow all the rules above, you’re guaranteed to come across as a professional worth hiring.