Email Etiquette and Safety Tips for Job Seekers

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Article written by Romina Jennison
Exclusively for Megabite 

In today’s digital world, many professionals turn to the internet for their job-hunting endeavors. As of 2022, 80% of job searches worldwide were done online. This means that having email correspondence with a future employer is integral, but several scammers have been taking advantage of this process. Reports of fake employment opportunities and fraudulent candidates have been circulating online, so professionals are advised to be wary and approach online job hunting with caution.

In this case, since an email is typically the first point of contact, it’s best to practice proper email etiquette to identify yourself as a legitimate candidate and employ safety strategies to protect yourself as well. For some tips on how to do these, see below.

Email etiquette tips

Include all relevant information

Your emails will tell your employer much about you, literally and figuratively. Apart from what you write, how an email is formatted indicates your level of professionalism and attention to detail. To be safe, you can check cover letter templates online to see how to incorporate these details comprehensively yet succinctly in an email. In these, you’ll see that apart from your name and contact details in your email signature block, it’s also beneficial to include how you found the job posting. This helps companies prove that you’re a legitimate applicant with lots to offer. Offering up such information in an efficient manner also encourages them to spend more time on your application.

Use a professional email account

Many workers fail to understand the importance of using a professional email instead of your personal account to send work-related messages. Recent surveys have found that workplace recruiters are biased against email addresses that sound too casual. For instance, emails with phrases or birthdays in them are likely to be passed over. Meanwhile, emails that include your first and last name (whether that’s spelled out or partly in initials) are preferred. If in doubt, just make sure to make your email easy to read and identify as yours. This is especially important when applying because a professional email will look more credible and professional to future employers. So, if your current email is not up to par, it doesn’t hurt to open a new, more professional one dedicated to your job hunt.

Mention any attachments

Attachments are a vital part of any application because it’s the primary way to include important documents like your resume or work samples. However, it’s not as simple as including them in what you send. It’s best to mention them in the body of your email so that recruiters know what to expect. This way, they’re also more likely to open your files now that they know it’s reliable. After writing about it in your email, just make sure to double-check to see if the correct documents are attached.

Email safety measures

Don’t click on unknown links

In 2022, experts reported that Americans lost approximately $40 billion in phishing scams. These tactics include fraudulent emails pretending to be from official sources and including suspicious links in their messages. When clicked, these links often inject malware into your devices and collect data that could be used to steal your money. This can easily happen when applying, as you will be sending out emails to several companies.
To avoid this, always check the emails you receive thoroughly. An easy way to do this is by hovering your mouse over the link to examine if the domain name is correct and does not contain extraneous letters.

Use a spam filter

Spam emails are one of the biggest issues most email account holders are warned about, yet many still fall victim to their scams. Luckily, many email platforms provide spam blockers for their users. Case in point, Gmail reports blocking 100 million spam emails daily. That said, should you find that some spam mail still manages to pass through their filters, understand online safety protocol, too. In this case, avoid opening mail from unknown sources, even if they end up in your main inbox. Be wary of any spam emails pretending to be companies reaching out to hire you, especially if you don’t know how they got your email address in the first place. The best practice is to block these emails right as you get them.

Online job hunting is helpful for many job seekers as it saves time and streamlines communications for candidates and employers. However, it’s always best to practice proper email etiquette and be cautious of any suspicious activity to avoid fraudulent emails.

Categorised in: Computer Security

This post was written by Megabite