1. Tips for Staying Professional with Online Communication

2.  E-mail is very important to employers  It is part of a company’s permanent record  Employees are expected to follow the rules of Standard Written English  Always send professional e-mails no matter who the audience

3.  Always have an appropriate e-mail address  Appropriate e-mails include:  ssmith@email.com  S_smith@email.com  SallySmith@email.com  Sally_Smith@email.com  ssmith1@email.com

4.  Do not use any silly e- mail addresses  Inappropriate e-mails include:  SamluvsJohn@email.com  partygirl@email.com  ilovebeer@email.com  boycrazy42@email.com

5.  Always type something in the subject line  Appropriate references for the subject line include:  Staff Meeting Agenda  Request for Appointment  English 102 Take Home Exam  Sally Smith Resume

6.  It is important to avoid informal subject lines  Examples of inappropriate subject lines include:  Hey  Question  What’s up  Confused  Help

7.  Use regular capitalization and complete sentences  Do:  I am writing this letter in reference to John Smith.  Don’t:  this letter is re: john smith  Always use complete sentences, correct punctuation, and correct capitalization

8.  Include a salutation  Examples:  Dear Mr. Smith  Dear Dr. Thompson  Dear Ms. Allen  It is extremely important to include a salutation whenever writing an e- mail, no matter who you are writing to

9.  Proofread every e-mail  Proofread for even the smallest mistakes  Taking the time to proofread your e-mail helps eliminate any unnecessary errors  Always spell-check your e-mails before sending

10.  Always “sign” your name  Do:  Sincerely, Sally Smith  Best Regards, Sally Smith  Thank you, Sally Smith  Don’t:  Later  Seya (see ya)  Peace  Never end an e-mail without “signing” your name

11.  Remember, an e-mail can be forwarded to anyone without your knowledge  Once you send it, you have no control over it  Make sure there is nothing in the e-mail that you might regret having written later on