How to avoid email problems -

How to avoid email problems - Email is a crucial communication tool, both at work and during job search. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to make a detrimental email mistake that has the potential to kill your career or bring your job search to a halt. Dont let these happen to you. 1. Unprofessional email address. No, HotMama@gmail.com is not an appropriate address to use to send your job search correspondence. In fact, its probably dead-ending possible opportunities. Create a professional email account name for all professional interactions online. If possible, choose some version of your name, or your name combined with your professional title. For example, JohnSmithSales@gmail.com 2. Sending emails with too many links. This isnt dangerous until you need to make sure your crucial email lands in someones in box. Be aware: some companies have very sensitive spam filters that may identify emails with a lot of links as trash. If you use a fancy email signature including lots of links, its not a bad idea to delete or simplify it when you apply for a job or when you try to touch base with a new networking contact. When your intended recipient doesnt receive your message, it certainly puts a damper on future communication! 3. Failing to respond. How often do you check email from your phone and fail to file or mark it as an item to revisit later? In a busy day, its too easy to see an email (even an important one) and plan to respond later, but forget to follow up. If you have a tendency to forget details and receive a lot of correspondence, make sure you review the your seen email at the end of each day so nothing gets lost. 4. Forgetting the attachment. This doesnt sound like a fatal error, but when youve just applied for a job indicating how detail oriented you are, but forgot to attach your resume, it could be the end of the line for your application. Consider attaching documents before you compose the email so youll never send an email saying, see attachment without the accompanying documentation. 5. Not monitoring your email inbox. If your social networking notifications go to an email address you dont check, you could be missing opportunities. Be sure you know where those important messages will land, and if it isnt in email boxes you normally check, make a note to change the email or have them forwarded to an address you monitor closely. 6. Accidentally sending an email to the wrong person. It happens. You use the touchpad on your Smartphone to select an email and reply to it, only to receive an immediate auto reply â€" from the wrong person! Oops â€" you realize your phone pulled up the wrong message. If youre lucky, the content you accidentally sent was non-confidential or neutral and a quick note saying youre sorry to have sent a misdirected email takes care of it. But, what if it was an email meant for a friend complaining about your boss â€" that went to your possible next boss? Can you say career killer? How can you avoid this problem? Even when youre rushed and replying on the run, be sure to double check the TO: line of your email. Try to avoid composing emails on the run, or when you have only a few seconds to respond, since that will naturally make you less inclined to verify the recipient. If at all possible, consider waiting until you can use a computer or tablet (with a screen bigger than your Smartphone) to send highly sensitive or confidential emails. photo by RambergMediaImages