by Rachel Wood

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 08, 2009

Email is now a very popular way of communicating when at work. In my current work place, it's more common than using the phone. The advantage of email is that everything is put down in black and white which can help resolve any problems that may crop up later. However sending an email to a work colleague isn't like sending one to your best friend. There are things that you should bear in mind.

Regardless of how you feel about the recipient, you should always be professional and polite. Use correct grammar and check your spelling. This is especially important if you are emailing a client.

Don't waste the other person's time by writing an unnecessarily long email. An extremely busy co worker won't have time to read it. Stick to the facts. It can be easy to get confused or misinterpret what somebody is saying in an email so be as clear as possible.

Set up a signature which will be added to the bottom of any email you send out. This can contain your position, address, mobile or office number. Not only does it look professional, it means the recipient knows how to reach you easily in case they need to follow up.

If possible fill in the subject line. If you or the other person need to go back through your inbox at a later date it makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

Don't type all in capitals! This also applies to chat rooms, articles or anything else you may post on the internet. It's annoying to read and makes it look like you're shouting.

Don't use your work email for private conversation. It can be intercepted by other people. Be careful when putting in the recipient's email address. It can be easy to click on the wrong contact from your address book and not realise.

If you receive a chain or junk email don't forward it onto anyone else. They won't want it and will get annoyed with you for filling their inbox with rubbish. You should also be careful in case anything you forward on is infected with a virus. Also think twice before passing on joke emails. You never know what is going to offend somebody.

Check your emails on a regular basis. If you are able to respond to one straightaway then do it. If not and you know it will take some time to sort out the query, then reply to the other person and tell them that so they aren't waiting around.

More and more work places are setting up email accounts for their employees. Remember what it's designed for and don't abuse it. Word them appropriately and be concise.

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