When speaking of e-mail style, this is my mantra: “I’d rather you call me a stuffed shirt than rude or silly.” So when writing thank-you messages—or any business message—whether they be in the form of a letter, e-mail, or text message, use the conventions of Standard English.
I was glad to see a Wall Street Journal article agree with me (July 29, 2008, D1). Satirically titled “Thx for the IView!” Reporter Sarah E. Needleman describes several examples from the corporate world when job candidates lost employment opportunities or at least their credibility because they wrote with an inappropriately informal style. Here are just two of several lessons learned from the article:
- Don’t message the interviewer’s mobile phone unless he or she has given you permission to do so.
- Use only the best style and language you can muster in any correspondence with the interviewer.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: https://www.firstbooks.com/product_info.php?cPath=14&products_id=144
To purchase your copy of The Art of E-Mail Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: https://www.firstbooks.com/product_info.php/cPath/53/products_id/196
