introduction

The goal of this assignment was to give advice to a fake student, Evan Crisp, who had written an email to his professor but had not received a response. From this assignment, students learned how to properly draft emails for professional settings (I.e. academic and/or career) and how to properly write with a “You Attitude.” By critiquing a fake email and providing direct advice, I was able to learn how to properly utilize these techniques, which I can implement in my future career.

memo to evan crisp

To: Evan Crisp, UBC Undergraduate Student
From: Johnathan Tam, UBC ENGL 301 Technical Writing Student
Date: November 8, 2021
Subject: Best Practices for Writing Effective Emails

Introduction

Thank you for reaching out to the UBC ENGL 301 students for advice on writing effective emails. As requested, I have reviewed the original email requesting placement in a course that is full. Please see below for a list of suggestions that will help in future correspondences with professors to receive a swift response.

List Of Suggestions

Emails following these guidelines are the most effective:

• Corresponding with a professional email. If the email is recognizable to the professor and looks professional, they will be assured that it is not spam and be more likely to read the email.
• Including a subject line in the email will help professors understand the objective of the email quickly. This can be very beneficial as they will realize the urgency and can respond appropriately.
• Addressing the professor by their appropriate title, such as “Professor”, along with a salutation in the first line to establish a respectful tone and maintain professionalism.
• Introduce yourself to the professor to establish a connection and help them understand the purpose of this email.
• Ensuring to specify relevant details to the course in question such as the course name, section title, and time. Professors often teach many courses with an abundance of students registered in each course, so it is important to be as specific as possible to save them time from doing background research.
• Avoiding usage of the pronoun “you” and imperative verbs. By avoiding these two commonly used aspects, the email will create a friendly yet professional tone that leaves a positive impression on the Professor.
• Catering the email by explaining the reason for wanting to join the course and outlining a potential future career that could result from this course. A proper explanation of the interest will increase the chance of success as the Professor will have a better understanding of your reasoning and future goals.
• Double-checking the email for grammatical errors and typos. Careless errors in the email can exhibit unprofessionalism and a lack of interest as there was not an appropriate amount of time dedicated to drafting the email.
• Expressing gratitude for the Professor’s time and understanding if they are unable to help. As indicated above, professors have very busy schedules and may not have control over administrative aspects. It is important to be thankful for their time and considerate if nothing can be done. This will also leave a good impression for any future correspondences.
• Ending the email professionally with a proper closure phrase such as “Sincerely,” “Warm Regards,” or “Thank you.” Avoid using colloquial phrases such as “P.S.” or “Later.”

Conclusion

Emails have become a crucial part of communication in society. Learning how to write effective emails takes time, but it is undoubtedly an invaluable skill worth acquiring. Not only will applying the above best practices help in communications with professors at school, but it will also help in future correspondences with bosses and co-workers at workplace settings. Taking the time and effort now to master this skill will pay dividends in the future. If you have any further questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact me at tamjohn@ubc.student.ca.