3 Executive Job Search Email Misconceptions

You’ve taken the time and care to write a meaty, brand-reinforcing job search email message.

You feel you’ve gotten all your ducks in a row, and you’re ready to hit “send”.

But wait . . .

It’s time to take one last look at your email message . . . tweak it before sending it . . . and consider what happens to it, once you’ve sent it out there into the email stratosphere.

3 Job Search Email Misconceptions:

1. Your email message will convey tone and nuance.

Email recipients can take your meaning the wrong way. They may misread your intention. If you stick with a professional tone, you’ll probably be fine. People often get in trouble when they try to be lighthearted.

Think about how your tone may come across. Be sure your message is clearly stated, so that it will be taken just as you intended. Have someone else read it, to be sure it’s okay.

2. Your email messages will always reach their destination.

I don’t know how many times an angry potential client has emailed me berating me for not answering their previous email. But I never received it. And I’ve checked my spam box. Email sometimes gets lost in the ozone, and we never figure out why.

Follow up. If you get no response from an email you’ve sent, try again in a few days, or sooner if your message is very time-sensitive.

3. Your intended recipient is the only one who will read your email.

You have no control over who will see and read your email and any attachments, once you hit “send”. Don’t expect your emails to remain private. They can be passed around within (and outside) the organizations you’ve sent them to. Several different email servers may be involved, and your email can even end up online somewhere.