Compare these two emails from a first-year student to his tutor, who is working on her Masters:

EMAIL 1

hi cant make todays tutoriel will catch up

EMAIL 2

Hi Chantel

I’m so sorry, but I can’t make today’s tutorial. I will get the notes from Vusi and make sure I catch up.

Regards John

If there’s an internship available next year, who do you think will get Chantel’s support?

Every time you write anything, whether it’s a WhatsApp, an Instagram post or an email, you are building your brand.
Every communication affects the way people see you.

Any digital content can and probably will be forwarded. Always consider: what if all my friends or my future employers saw this?

Before you start writing, imagine you’re standing in front of the person you’re addressing and talking to them. You won’t start without saying hello. Your tone and attitude will fit the person you’re talking to – it will be very different if it’s your best friend as opposed to your maths lecturer. At the end of the conversation, you will say goodbye. With that in mind, a few basic tips:

– In emails, start with “Dear xxx” and end with “Regards” and your name.
– Don’t use slang and abbreviations like ICYMI when you are writing in a professional contexts, not even in text messages.
– Check spelling, grammar and punctuation carefully, especially when typing on your phone. Careless, sloppy writing says you are a careless, sloppy person.
– Write to communicate, not to impress. Keep it short and clear.
– Be careful about social media posts. Even if you delete a post, once someone else has forwarded it, it is out there forever. Future employers, among others, will most probably check out your history on these platforms