Email

Email, the glorious yet sometimes frustrating application. But there are many ways to improve not only your email skills, but also manage emails effectively.

​

Where to start

Start with folders, as Dhaval says. This allows you to sort your emails into categories of who it's from, when it's due and what to keep for future use. Emails from managers should always have a folder of their own. Dhaval runs over 40 folders through his email platform!

​

When opening your email, be strategic at what times you check it. While on a break is not the best time. If you prefer to check it every morning, be consistent. With the addition of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dhaval says that checking his email has become more frequent since working from home. When he was in the office, there was more structure to when he checked his emails. Find what works for you and stick with it.

​

Incoming Emails

Incoming emails should be sorted properly. Never delete emails, and archive emails to keep for future reference if needed. Depending on the time of year, Dhaval receives similar emails each year based on projects the college is working on. For example, when the school was designing Innovation Village, there are similar tasks that need to be done. By archiving emails, Dhaval can access the emails from previous years and know what to expect. Some activities can last for 3-6 months, then the nature of the emails will change.

​

Outgoing Emails

Dhaval has one very important tip when it comes to sending emails: be professional! If you need to google how to make a professional email, do it. Especially when starting a new position, be as professional as possible.

Once you are in the field for a while and your managers and coworkers are used to contacting you, release the professionalism just a tad. This means you do not need to say "I wish you well" at the beginning of every email, and you can address your managers by their first name (if appropriate). This makes sending emails quicker and since the rapport is already built with the team, it is ok to do so.

If you are emailing someone you have never emailed before, a department you don't usually work with, or an outside organization, then definitely stick with the professional format. A "good morning" or "good afternoon" can go a long way in helping the email relationship stay professional.

​

To keep it simple, follow these guidelines from Dhaval for a new email:

• Start off with a good, warm greeting

• Address the person by their full name

• Wish the recipient well

• Keep the body of the email professional. Don't use slang

• Sign off and remember to have a signature line added for easy access to contact you in the future.

​

Types of Emails

Hostile Emails

While being in this position, hostile emails are almost non-existent. Since Dhaval works mainly with managers, there is little interaction like this. Dhaval says in other positions he has worked, it hasn't always been this way. His tip when receiving hostile emails; don't take it personally, ever.

​

Repetitive Emails

Repetitive emails are not common for Dhaval. In other positions, he would have a list of answers and email a group of people asking the same question with the answer. In his position currently, that is not needed. Email templates can be helpful for certain repetitive questions, but use wisely.

​

Advertising Emails

Fanshawe has a great system for being able to sort through advertisements and automatically place them in the trash folder. Dhaval says that if 100 emails were sent for advertising, then maybe only 2 or 3 slip through the filter. He automatically sends them to trash. If there is a pattern of receiving them from the same company or person, then he sets a rule on his email platform to automatically send emails from them directly to the trash. This limits wasting time reading those emails. Now why would Dhaval receive those types of emails? He says that sometimes companies will just search for email addresses on Fanshawe's website and send a mass email to everyone. This is why Fanshawe's automatic filtering system is so great.

​

How To Improve Your Emails

Dhaval says that he likes to look at the style of other people's emails and use them as a template of how he should write emails. Also, practice makes perfect.

​

Technical Issues

Dhaval is quite tech savvy, so technical issues can typically be fixed by him. If there is an issue he can't fix, he uses the Fanshawe IT service help desk. He can access this service through an online help button, which saves time calling or going directly to the department. While not required in his job position, Dhaval believes that these technical skills are important for his position and recommends others learn basic troubleshooting as well.

​

Tip: When in doubt, google it.