18-06-2025
These 7 common email mistakes are making you look unprofessional
BY
Before you hit send on your next email, pause for a minute. If you're like the average employee, you draft 112 emails a week, spending about five and a half minutes writing each one, according to this survey by Slack. If your messages go ignored or if the recipient requests clarification, you might want to consider how you're showing up in their inbox.
Professionalism in email communication is important, says Dr. Laurie Cure, CEO of Innovative Connections, an executive coaching and HR consultant. 'Ultimately, we want our communication to reflect who we are, but more importantly, we want people to hear what we are saying,' she says. 'When they are lost in poor text, grammar errors, emojis that they do not understand, or a confusing message, we are left with misunderstandings that damage our reputation and credibility. It also requires more time to unravel and clarify messages that were not received as intended.'
Whether you realize it or not, you're going to be judged by how you communicate—including your emails. Here are seven common mistakes that can make you look unprofessional.
1. You Get the Recipient's Name Wrong
While it sounds basic, you start off on the wrong foot if you get the recipient's name wrong. Unfortunately, it happens all the time, says Alexa Rome, director of PR and Communications at Omnus Technologies, provider of IT support.
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