Office E-tiquette
By Nicola Six
Some Rules
1) Avoid slang and netspeak at all costs.
2) Strike a balance in tone between formal and conversational. People can’t stand bubbly, overly enthusiastic co-workers, but no one wants to talk to a robot either.
3) Keep in mind the recipient has to infer your tone of voice. Sarcasm and humour are difficult to pull off in writing (see this article) and could very easily backfire (see this article).
4) Pay particular attention to spelling and grammar. If the written word isn’t your forte, and your email doesn’t have spell check, type your emails out in Word, run a spell check, then copy and paste the message.
5) Be clear and concise. People don’t have time for your life story unless you were raised by a pack of ravenous wolves and, consequently, have been able to literally sniff out weapons of mass destruction. Even then, they’re probably more interested in those TPS reports.
6) Make sure you create a signature including your name, title, department, company name, phone number and email address.
DON'T>
Hey-hey-Heeyyy,You won’t believe this but I’m totally lost with these files!!! LOL!!! What happened was I scanned a bunch into the computer but I wasn’t sure if I should shred them cause I remembered seeing this thing on TV where this guy was gonna be arrested so he destroyed all his records but it was, like, illegal, I think?
Anyway, I really heart filing…
Holla back!!!!?????????
[Your inappropriate nickname here]
DO>
Hi there,I have a couple of questions about the files I’m working on. Should I shred the contracts after scanning them
into the system, or are we keeping the original copies?
If we are, where should I file them?
Thanks,
[Your name here]
Note: The dry subject matter in this email is all too deliberate. If you’re working an office job this summer, expect more (and more) of the same (and then some more).
They're Watching
Let’s say you managed to cover all your tattoos, and at least a third of your piercings, for the job interview. Well done, but it might not be enough. Potential employers, we’ll call them the jobarazzi, are increasingly snooping around MySpace and Facebook in search of reasons for not hiring you. For this reason, it might be prudent to create one account with your real name in full—complete with pictures of kittens and your favourite fax machines—and another, the one you’ll actually use, with your nickname. Make sure to use your full name on your resumé (if they ask what you like to be called, tell ‘em you prefer your full name) and, if all goes according to plan, the jobarazzi will encounter the fax-obsessed kitten lover rather than, y’ know, you.Last Word
Despite our humour, Vervegirl recommends you be genuine and job-appropriate. If you don’t think you are the office-type then don’t go out for that internship at Finkle & Brown. There are loads of work and volunteer experiences that cater to your interests. Do your research and have fun!eco-FREAK
Get rid of your power vampires. When a microwave uses more electricity to run its clock than it does cooking your food, you’re dealing with a power vampire. Unplug these and other power leeches (DVD players, iPod/cell phone chargers) and save about $175 a year and about 2,000 pounds of climate-changing CO2.
