By Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

Whether 2012 is the year you resolve to snag your dream job or the year you master your current job, email is essential to everything you do. Yes, that sounds simple enough, but it’s incredibly easy to misuse and abuse email. Believe me, I should know, I have unknowingly made such mistakes and am passing on the advice I have received on correcting them. In 2012, plan to follow these simple email rules to get your message across.

ALWAYS use a subject line.

Yes, I really mean ALWAYS, but not just any subject line—you need to make your point clear. State exactly and succinctly what the email is about. Not only is your subject line good for “marketing” your email and making the recipient want to open it, it also makes it easier to find later if someone wants to refer back to your email. If you are job hunting, you want your email to stand out so employers can find it quickly before meeting with you or after a first-round interview

Keep it short and sweet.

Unless more information is requested of you or you are including a brief introduction of yourself (for a job), do your best to keep emails to three lines or less. A busy coworker or recruiter may open a lengthy email and put off reading it or only skim it in the interest of time. If you want to catch someone’s interest and get a response in a timely fashion, you have to be straightforward and brief.

Be polite and sincere.

This is not to override the rule about length, but it doesn’t take much to show a coworker or recruiter that you are interested in more than just how they can benefit you. Add a timely greeting to your email (ok, ok, this can be in addition to your three line limit) such as “Happy New Year” or “Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.” Always be thankful if you are asking for someone’s time. End your email with a brief thank you for X, e.g., reviewing your application, helping you content review a document, etc..

Include a signature.

If you are sending work emails, periodically confirm that you have the most up-to-date signature. If anything changes with your organization (contact information, name, so on) change the signature immediately. If you are emailing application materials from a personal account, include your full name, contact information and any other relevant information, such as your school if you are looking for an internship. Again it is so important not to be delinquent on updating this information. You would hate to miss a call from a potential employer because you forgot to give them the correct telephone number.

Proofread.

Typos can be embarrassing. It should only take a second to reread a three-line email, so there is no excuse to send something unedited.

When used properly email can be quite efficient and professional, so be sure that your emails are well thought out. What steps do you take before you send out an email? Let us know by commenting below.