But did you ever stop to think that you could make it all the way to a final interview only to lose the job offer due to something as small as an email?
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
These Nine Email Mistakes Could Cost You The Job
But did you ever stop to think that you could make it all the way to a final interview only to lose the job offer due to something as small as an email?
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5 comments:
Hmmm, this article raises some very interesting points. Some of them I agree with some I do not agree with. The biggest one I do not agree with is the “wrong name or title” , if I am emailing a new person for the first time I do not think it is a bad idea to address it as whom it may concern. Also I think people should put their pronouns in their signature as it will help cause less confusion. One big thing I agree with is having an appropriate email address. In 2018 I believe that you should have your name as your email address. Nothing that does not relate to your name should be your email address. Honestly even having a certain provide speaks about a person. When following up with someone it is always tricky to show how much you want it but not be to aggressive. It’s a hard to figure this out.
I agree with Evan that this article has some email mistakes that I agree with and some that I don’t. I feel like this is a common thread in articles from Fast Company that some of the points are valid while some points make me raise a red flag to see if I actually believe what is being said. I agree with Evan that “To Whom It May Concern” isn’t a bad address. I don’t think To Whom It May Concern is a turn off of an address if the application site doesn’t provide a specific person. I think all the other mistakes were pretty straightforward articles that anyone applying to jobs or just communicating in general. I don’t think anyone should use an email that isn’t their name or use unprofessional language or addresses like Mrs. instead of Ms. Honestly nothing was a shock but I think the article was a long checklist of how to write emails for the workplace. I always click on these Fast Company articles looking to be wowed by career advice but usually don't see anything of shock. The one thing is trying experimental form. This makes sense but I just would never think of experimenting with the format of my cover letter.
This is a good article that lays out a bunch of tips as to how to write job seeking emails well, but some of them go from one extreme to the other. Be personal, but don’t be too personal. Be formal, but don’t be too formal. It gets confusing as to what is too much and really it just depends on the person receiving it- whom you do not know. But the tips are good, and logical like address it to the right person, being formal. Don’t talk for more than a few sentences- because really, if you have spent hours crafting your cover letter and resume you want them to look at that as quickly as possible instead of reading your email forever. The following up too aggressively makes me nervous because we learn you should follow up because it shows interest, but you don't want to sound demanding and pushy. And if you don’t respond fast enough it can be bad, but if you follow up to quickly it also can be bad. Applying for jobs is an interesting conundrum of needing already know the person you're talking to without ever having really talked to them before.
I believe most of these tips are pretty much common sense. This list is in no way surprising, to the point where it is almost not helpful at all. The tip that tells you not to be too pestery when communicating is definitely important, but it does not give any advice on how not to be this way. I am having trouble with this exact issue right now as I am applying for summer jobs. I emailed my resume and cover letter in to a theatre company. I got a response very quickly, asking me when I had time to talk about the program that weekend. That weekend, my class was being slammed with the PTM Rube Goldberg project, so my time was very limited. My available times passed by with no response. Eventually I sent a couple more times, but did not get a response for about two weeks. I was not quite sure what to do, but I got advice from friends and other peers to send one last email, not including more times, but just checking up on the status of my application. It is hard to discern overbearing from excited!
I thought this article was decently helpful. It explained a lot of the reasoning behind the advice as opposed to just stating dos and don'ts, but I do disagree with the addressing the email piece of advice. I think the person they asked about this position is part of a newer trend in the world, but there are still plenty of people in hiring positions that might take offense or read someone calling them bu their first name informal or disrespectful. I think if you know the attitude or community of the company, feel free to adjust your emails accordingly, but I think airing on the side of caution, using Ms., and allowing the other person to introduce themselves with a preferred name is never a bad idea. I did appreciate the mention of informal language in emails and creating a relevant subject line, as I think both are often simple but effective ways to write a good email.
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