Communication & Soft Skill Development,F. Y. B. Pharm. (Sem-I) SPPU (Pune University)

1. CAREER SKILLLS
Presented by :Mr. N.V.Thorat

2. CAREER SKILLLS
Interview Skills
Applying for jobs
Cover letters
Resume & Effective profiling
Group discussion
Letter writing
e-mail writing
e-mail etiquettes
Career Skills

3. Interview Skills
• There are some easy steps that you can take that will increase your chances of
success at interviews.
• The following suggestion will help you prepare for an interview:
Self-evaluation It is important for you to think about yourself and your past
experiences in order to be ready to articulate what you have to offer an
employer.
• Consider the following topics:
How your present and past experience relate to the position
Your current and future career goals
What skills and expertise you have to offer
The skills that you would like to develop or improve
Location, salary, and lifestyle priorities
Kinds of people and environments you prefer
Past experiences you want to highlight such as volunteer work, hobbies,
travel.
Career Skills

4. Before the Interview
• Research the Company - A company's website is an excellent place to begin. It
usually gives you information on whether it is international or domestic, what its
revenues are, how many locations it has, and the nature of its major products. Most
companies are very proud of their websites. Don't be surprised if one of the first
questions interviewers ask when you arrive is, "Have you have had a chance to look
at our website?" Practice interviews - Write down a list of possible questions that you
think may be asked, then have a friend act as an interviewer and direct them to you
in a practice interview situation. Don't stop until you feel comfortable answering each
question. Practicing beforehand will make you feel more comfortable and relaxed
during the interview.
• Dress Professionally - Contact the HR Manager of the company or your recruiter, and
find out what the dress code is for the company at which you are going to interview.
Then dress one level above. For instance, if it is business casual, men can wear
dress pants, dress shirt, and sport coat. Women can wear a pantsuit, dress, or a skirt
and blouse. Visual impressions are very important. Therefore, if in doubt, always
dress on the conservative side.
• Arrival - Try to arrive at the interview location a little early. This gives you time to
determine where you need to go, and will give you a few minutes to collect your
thoughts. DO NOT arrive late. Nothing destroys your chance at impressing an
employer more than arriving late and offering no explanation. If you learn at the last
minute that you are going to be arriving late at the interview, call and let the
interviewer know. Interviewers understand that things can come up suddenly. You are
never considered late if you call and make them aware of the fact.
Career Skills

5. During the Interview
• First impressions - First impressions take only thirty seconds.
• Establishing rapport, direct and sustained eye contact, a firm handshake, a warm
smile, good posture, and introducing yourself in a confident manner are important
ingredients. A well-groomed, professional appearance is critical. Greet the
interviewer with a firm handshake, whether it is a woman or a man. (No one likes
a weak handshake.) Always maintain eye contact while shaking hands. Smile - A
smile denotes confidence in a candidate. Try to smile often. Also, don't be afraid
to use some hand animation while answering questions. This suggests
enthusiasm in a candidate.
• Body Language - Use good posture, and look the interviewer right in the eye. Sit
up straight. Never slouch.
• Speak Clearly - Don't mumble. It portrays a lack of confidence. Speak with
assurance.
This indicates confidence.
• Listen Before Answering - Allow the employer to begin the interview, but be
prepared with some opening statements or questions such as, "I understand that
this position involves…," or "What are you looking for in a job candidate?" Make
sure you understand the question. If not, ask the interviewer to clarify it. Don't be
afraid to take some time to think before answering. Interviewers are impressed
with someone who thinks out an answer before speaking.
• Give Brief Answers - Make your answer concise and to the point. Rambling tends
to suggest that you really don't have the answer to the question (s) asked.
Career Skills

6. • Previous Employers - Never, ever say anything negative about your present or
previous employers. No matter how much you may have disliked someone, find a
way to give your experiences a positive spin.
• Be Truthful - Don't lie when asked about something you haven't done. The next
question will be "tell us about it."
• Know Your Resume - Be prepared to talk about every fact that is on your resume.
Many people embellish their accomplishments on their resumes. Avoid this, since
the only point of reference an interviewer has about you is the resume you
provide to him/her beforehand.
• Keep things at a professional level - Sometimes near the end of an interview, the
two parties start feeling comfortable with each other. Don't let this comfortable
feeling lead you to telling them something about yourself that they really
shouldn't know. Always keep things at a professional level.
• Look for Something in Common - This is something that has given us an edge in
the past. Try to find a common bond between yourself and your interviewer. If you
are being interviewed in an office, look at how the office is decorated. Look for
something you can identify with. Is his/her college diploma hanging on the wall?
Did you attend a nearby school, or perhaps one in the same Division? If so, make
a quick comment about it: "Did you attend Penn State? I attended the University
of Michigan. What a great football conference." Interviewers sometimes feel more
comfortable with people with whom they have something in common. This
approach has helped several candidates obtain a position over other qualified
candidates. Above all, be sincere.
Career Skills

7. After the Interview
• Back in Touch - Ask the interviewer when she/he expects to get back to you on
her/his decision.
• Get Everyone's Business Card - Before you leave, be sure to get the business
cards of all of the people with whom you visited. If you cannot do that, ask a
secretary for their names and e-mail addresses.
• Thank the Interviewer - Verbally thank the interviewer for taking the time to
interview you, before leaving. Within a day, send thank-you letters to all of the
interviewers with whom you spoke. This does not need to consist of a written
letter sent via snail mail; an e-mailed thank-you works just as well.
• Do not give up - Sometimes, within ten minutes of the start of an interview, you
will know that the job is not one you want to pursue. If you begin to feel this way,
don't give up on the interview. Continue to interview as if the job was the most
important thing in the world. This provides you with practice for your next
interview, which may be for your dream job! Not all interviews will lead to offers
of employment, but, if you approach every interview as if it's the most important
interview you ever had, you will come out a winner!
Career Skills

8. Additional tips
• Focus on presenting a positive, enthusiastic tone
• If you are asked to describe a weakness, mention lessons learned, and steer
away from negative descriptions.
• Think about three or four key points that you want to make about your personal
characteristics, skills you have learned, and relevant experiences that
demonstrate that you could perform the job well.
• Find specific, rather than general, examples from your experience that illustrate
important points about yourself.
• When answering questions, focus on experiences that demonstrate flexibility,
adaptability, responsibility, progress, achievement, creativity, initiative, and
leadership.
• If the employer signals the end of the interview and asks you for questions, and
you haven't discussed some key points, say: "There are a couple of points I
would like to mention."
• After the interview, write a brief thank you letter. Express your appreciation for
the opportunity to interview and learn about the organization, re-confirm your
interest, and re-emphasize how your background and skills might be of interest
to the organization.
Career Skills

9. Some Interview Questions
• Case Questions are often used by consulting companies to assess analytical
and problem solving skills. The interviewer presents a situation and asks you to
discuss possible solutions. A sample case question is, "Describe a managed
care company that you think is successful and explain why. What do they do
that works? What are their potential problems? What is your outlook for their
future? What suggestions do you have for their future?"
• Behavioral or situational questions are used to assess how you would behave
in different circumstances and to predict your behavior in future, similar
situations. An interviewer may ask, "Tell me about a time when a team you
were working on was unable to proceed due to some interpersonal conflict.
How did you respond, and what role did you play on the team?"
• Role-play questions entail the interviewer asking you to put yourself in another
role and decide how you would handle a specific problem.
• Industry-specific questions are questions regarding the latest trends or issues
in the industry. An interviewer may ask, "If you were a CEO of Microsoft’s main
competitor, what actions would you take in the on-line services market?"
• Brainteasers are quick questions where the obvious answer is not necessarily
the right answer such as, "Which would you rather receive: fifty thousand
pennies or a 10x10x10 room filled with pennies?"
Career Skills

10. General questions
• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your key experiences and accomplishments?
• How would you rank your achievements?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• How would your friends describe you?
• Explain your reason for leaving your current job.
• What are the most important things to you in a job?
• What do you value in a supervisor?
• How would you describe your management style?
• What appeals to you about this job and organization?
• Describe the ideal position in our company.
• What qualities do you think make someone successful in our industry?
• What would you like me to know most that is not on your resume?
• Explain your understanding of the issues and trends in your specialty & in the overall
industry.
• Why are you qualified for this position?
• Give an example of a situation where you demonstrated leadership.
• Give an example of how you worked on a team.
• What questions do you have about the organization?
Questions for the interviewer are queries that usually focus on the culture or mission of the
organization, and job responsibilities. This is not the time to bring up questions about salary,
benefits, and vacation about which you can inquire after you have been offered the job.
.
Career Skills

11. The Phone Interview
• Due to a company's geographic location, travel costs, and divergent schedules,
a phone interview may often be your initial contact with a prospective employer.
Therefore, we're offering some phone interview tips.
• Objective - The idea behind a phone interview is to gain an invitation for a
personal interview, and to gather more information for future steps in the
process. Preparation - Have a pad, pen, and a copy of your resume near the
phone. Use a phone in a quiet area. Avoid any background noise. Also avoid
using a cordless phone, because they tend to transmit poorly.
• Speaking
• a. Smile and be enthusiastic. Your enthusiasm will carry through to the
interviewer.
• b. Speak in a conversational manner, and be sure to speak loudly enough to be
heard. Speak with some inflection and tone.
• c. Let the interviewer do most of the talking. When s/he asks you a question,
expound upon the answer. Use the opportunity to sell your skills and
experience.
• d. When the interview is over, let her/him know that you are very interested in
scheduling a personal interview at her/his place of business
Career Skills

12. Applying for jobs
Step 1 Decide what kind of job you want..
• In order to streamline the job application process, examine
what your needs and desires are for employment. You can
narrow down your options by taking a few things into
consideration:
• Consider the career field.
• Consider your salary and benefit requirements.
Step 2 Do your research.
Before you begin sending out resumes and cover letters en
masse, look into the companies you are applying for.
Get a sense of the company’s personality and values by
reading its mission statement.
How to Apply for a Job
The first step towards nabbing the job you want is knowing how to navigate the
application process. With a little research, some finely tuned writing, and proactive
communication, you can be well on your way to getting that call for an interview.
Method One of Two: Getting Your Foot in the Door
Career Skills

13. Step 3 Write a resume
•Even if the job you want doesn’t require the submission of a
traditional resume, having an up-to-date resume is highly
recommended. Resumes not only outline your education and
work history, but they can also point to specific projects you’ve
worked on or awards you’ve won. Information to include on
your resume should entail:
•Your current contact information,
•Your educational background
•Your work history for the past few years.
•Your relevant skills. etc
Step 4 Contact the employer to ask about the application
process. Before You will likely have your call routed to the
hiring or human resources manager. If they have openings,
they may ask you to either come in to fill out an application or
that you send them your resume and cover letter by mail or e-
mail. Be sure to note this contact's name, and address all
future communication to this person, by name.
Career Skills

14. Step 5 Write a cover letter,
Make sure it is specific to both the company and the job.
If possible, address the contact letter to a specific
contact person. This demonstrates that you took the time
to research the information and are not simply mass-
emailing every employer you can find. Consider
discussing the following topics in your cover letter:
•How your background makes you valuable asset to the
role & to the company.
•What it is you hope to gain from working in this role.
•What unique talents would you bring to this position?
•What specifically interests you about this position
Step 6 Get a second (or third) opinion.
Ask friends or family members to review your resume
and cover letter for typos. They may be able to point out
things that are missing, or items that could be rephrased.
If possible, get advice from someone working in the field
you are applying for.
Career Skills

15. Step 7.Locate references
Though you may not have to provide a list of references
right away, it is wise to tap people early to ask whether
they would consider being a professional reference for
you.
It is recommended that you secure at least three
references. At least two of these references should be
people whom you have worked with and who can speak
to your job performance.
Be sure you have your references' updated contact
information, including mailing and email addresses,
phone number, current title, and current company.
Step 8 Apply.
Once you have fine-tuned your resume and cover letter,
it is time to begin the application process. Applications
are typically submitted in one of three ways:
In person.
Online.
By mail.
Career Skills

16. Step 9.Follow up.
Checking on the status of your application shows your
interest in the position and ensures that your application
materials have made it to the appropriate person. Calling
right away can seem demanding and off-putting.
Career Skills

17. 1.Make sure your online presence is squeaky clean.
Employers and recruiters often scour the internet
looking for you, and any negativity they see can push
you to the back of the pack.
2.When you do finally get an interview, be sure to dress
for the job you want.
Clothes that make you feel good and confident can
influence the way you carry yourself in an interview.
Method One of Two: Getting the Job Offer
Apply to the job you want is just first in a series of steps towards securing an
offer. With some planning, forethought, and a little practice, moving through the
job hiring process will be a snap!
Career Skills

18. 3.Be prompt..
Plan to arrive at interviews 10-15 minutes ahead of time
to allow for any traffic or public transportation issues.
This will also give you a few minutes to compose
yourself and review any notes you have brought with you
4.Show interest and enthusiasm at your job interview
Being positive and speaking about the job in a
knowledgeable way shows you did your research, and
that can win you big points.
5.Refer to your notes.
Ask you interviewer if it's ok that you take notes. Your
notebook can double as a cheat-sheet where you list
accomplishments and highlight stories that demonstrate
your abilities.
Career Skills

19. 6.Employ proper etiquette.
Following up with a thank you note after an interview
demonstrates good manners, and leaves a lasting
impression. Try to make the note substantive and
mention what you were able to take away from the
interview.
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Tips
Honesty is the best policy when filling out a job
applications, too.
Always thank the employer for their time and
consideration.
If you were declined for the job, before thanking the
interviewer, ask what could have helped your chances
and if there are any other similar job offerings
somewhere else.
If you get an interview, follow up with a thank-you letter.
Career Skills

20. Cover Letter
Application Letter
• A job application is an offer for service by Applicant.
• Drafting effective job application letters is very important skill.
• Job application letter acts as covering letter to the applicant Bio-Data, or
Curriculum vitae to project for applicant as the ideal candidate for the post.
• Plays crucial role in deciding the applicant’s eligibility and ability for the particular
job position. The letter has to project adequately the applicant’s abilities, qualities,
traits and belief.
• It helps the recruiters, in short listing the candidates for the interview.
• Many deserving candidates not get the chance to appear for the interview because
of ineffective job application letters. On the contrary, many candidates with average
skills and qualification are short listed for the interview because of job application
letter.
• The Job application or covering letter
• Highlights the applicant’s academic background, experience and elaborate on his
accomplishments.
Career Skills

21. Objective – To draw attention of employer and create interest in meeting the
applicant.
• It requires the applicant to research the organization and the requirements of
the position on offer. If he feels that the job and the organization suit his
qualification and requirements then he should go ached and draft application
letter.
• Bio data of the applicant does not change; it is only the covering letter/job
application letter will need to drafted as per organization and post for which
application is being made.
• Applicant to research the requirements of the position for which he is
applying.
• The letter should be natural and project positive personality of applicant. The
letter should state how the applicant could prove useful to the organization
and how his qualification are apt for the post.
• Application letter should be so well drafted that it should make the employer
want to meet the applicant.
Career Skills

22. Contents
Heading-Consist of name and complete address of the applicant on the top right
corner of the letter.The date should be positioned just below the heading.
Inside address-The address of the organization and addressed as indicated in the
advertisements.
Subject- Cleary mention job position for which the application is written.
Reference-Mention the source from where the applicant has received information
about the vaancy.
Salutation-should be ‘Sir’
Body-First paragraph should mention purpose of the application letter, specific
position and source of information about vacancy. Second paragraph should draw
attention to the applicants educational qualificvation and eligibility.The applicant
should highlight every accomplishment given in bio data.Third paragraph give
details of the experience and the contribution in the field for which application is
requested.Concluding paragraph should requestfor an interview.
Complimentary close-“Your’s faithfully’
A copy of Curriculum vitae (C.V.) or resume enclosed with the job application.
Photocopies of educational certificates should be enclosed with the application.
Career Skills

23. Career Skills

24. Resume a document used by persons to present their backgrounds and skills.
Resumes can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to
secure employment.
A typical resume contains a summary of relevant job experience and
education. The resume is usually one of the first items, along with a cover
letter and sometimes an application for employment, which a potential
employer sees regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen
applicants, often followed by an interview. The resume is comparable to a
curriculum vitae (CV) in many countries
The word resume comes from the French word resume meaning
"summarized" or "summary".
Thus the two meanings are false friends. Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with
the first resume.
Description
In many contexts, a resume is typically limited to one or two pages of size A4
or Letter-size, highlighting only those experiences and qualifications that the
author considers most relevant tothe desired position.
A resume is a marketing tool in which the content should be adapted to suit each
individual job
application and/or applications aimed at a particular industry
Resume & Effective profiling
Career Skills

25. Styles
Resumes may be organized in different ways. The following are some of the more
common formats:
Reverse chronological resume
A reverse chronological resume lists a candidate's job experiences in chronological
order, generally covering the previous 10 to 15 years. Positions are listed with
starting and ending dates. Current positions on a resume typically list the starting
date to the present or to the current year. Both are considered acceptable.
Functional resume
A functional resume lists work experience and skills sorted by skill area or job
function.
The functional resume is used to focus on skills that are specific to the type of
position being sought.
Hybrid resume
The hybrid resume balances the functional and chronological approaches. A resume
organized this way typically leads with a functional list of job skills, followed by a
chronological list of employers. The hybrid resume has a tendency to repeat itself
and is, therefore, less widely used than the other two.
Career Skills

26. Online resumes
Some employers only to accept resumes electronically.
Many employers now find candidates' resumes through search engines, which
makes it more important for candidates to use appropriate keywords when writing a
resume. Larger employers use Applicant Tracking Systems to search, filter, and
manage high volumes of resumes. Job ads may direct applicants to email a resume
to a company or visit its website and submit a resume in an electronic format.
Some require Microsoft Word documents, while others will only accept resumes
formatted in HTML, PDF, or plain ASCII text.
One advantage for employers to online resumes is the significant cost saving
compared to traditional hiring methods. Another is that potential employers no
longer have to sort through massive stacks of paper.
Infographic, video and website resumes
As the Internet becomes more driven by multimedia, jobseekers have sought to
take advantage of the trend by moving their resumes away from the traditional
paper and email media.
Resume evaluation
Many resume development agencies offer resume evaluation services wherein they
evaluate the resume and suggest any necessary changes.
Career Skills

27. 1.Choose how you want to format your resume
In order to streamline the job application process, examine
what your Because you are writing a combination resume,
there is no strict format guidelines or boundaries which you
need to follow. Multiple people will have very different looking
combination resume, so focus on what you're good at. In
addition to your work and education experience, you can
choose to include skills, awards and achievements, volunteer
history, and special qualifications.
2.List your employment history.
This can be done in one of two ways. If your work history
includes positions in more than one field, you should list your
jobs under functional sub-headings, which categorize the
skills you used at each particular one. If you can demonstrate
that your evolving work history highlights the key skills you
want to promote, you may want to list your work history in
chronological order, without including any sub-headings.Be sure to provide the general
information for each employer/position including the name of the company, location, your
title, your duties, and the dates that you worked there.
How to Make a Resume
A resume is a self-advertisement that, when done properly, shows how your skills,
experience, and achievements match the requirements of the job you want.
Method : Combination Resume
Career Skills

28. 3.Provide information about your education.
The details you include about your education will be the
same as the details you’d include in other resume styles;
the difference is in where you present the information on
the resume. For each college, university, or trade school
you have attended, list the name and location of the
institution, the degree or certificate you received, and the
years you attended.
4.Supply other pertinent information.
After you've made note of your education and work history,
give a list of any other information you feel like might be
helpful for your employer to have. Choose to include any of
the additional sections such as special qualifications, skills,
awards and achievements, or volunteer service.
5.List your references.
Include 2-4 professional references (not family or
friends)along with their contact information. Be sure to
include their name, your relationship to them, and their
email, address, and phone number.
Career Skills

29. Effective profiling
• A well written profile statement can make your resume come alive.
• A profile statement or profile summary is an essential component of modern
resume.
• The interviewer is flooded with resumes from which he has to pick the one he
wishes to interview.
• The profile statement provide an opportunity to the applicant to grab the
interviewer attention and provide a snapshot of unique qualities he has to offer.
• A profile statement should be designed to articulate the strongest and most
relevant skills and achievements in the most effective manner.
• The profile statement should make the candidate standout from a whole lot of the
aspirants.
• Use concise language to highlight the candidate’s positive aspects.
• It should describe professional experience.
• It can also include career objective of the candidate.
Career Skills

30. Group discussion
Group Discussion is a forum where people sit together ,discuss a topic with
the commonobjective of finding a solution for an issue or analyzing an
issue that is given to them to discuss.
The group members are expected to discuss the topic / issue and try to arrive
at aconclusion within limited time period.
Purpose-
To evaluate certain attributes.
Group Discussion is litmus test for the individual behavior as a team player.
Apart from the flow of original thoughts and ideas it become very important
that the way they are communicated and the ability of an individual to asset
well her/his idea in acceptablemanner.
Career Skills

31. •No criteria for group size.
•The group size ranges from 8-15 per group.
•The most popular group size is 10-12 members in a group.
Importance
•Enhance learning-Learn more.
•Shows weakness & helps to strengthen them
•Rectifies mistakes
•Helps on ‘How to study & how to male preparation for exam’.
•Helps for oral exam
•Improves your communication skills
Career Skills

32. Letter writing
The business letter unlike personal letter has to be drafted very carefully as it
projects the image of the company to the public.
Elements of Business letters
•Letter head- At the top,Company’s name,logo,Addr,Tel,Fax,e-mail,website etc
•Date
•Reference (Optional)- no. by which letter reffered in future
•Inside address- Address of person /company to whom letter is addressed
•Attention marking (Optional)
•Special marking (Optional)
•Salutation- e.g- Dear Sir/Madam. Respected Sir etc.
•Subject- subject/purpose behind the correspondence
•Body- Introduction,Main body,Closing paragraph
•Complementary close- Yours respectfully,Yours sincearly,Yours faithfully yours truly etc
•Signature-
•Name & Designation of the communicator
•Identification mark (Optional)
•Post script (Optional)
•Enclosure/Attachments (Optional) -If attaching any documents with letter
•Carbon Copies / C.C.(Optional) -extra copies of the letter which sent to other person
Career Skills

33. Layout of Business letter
The Heading
-----------------
PH-----------------------
_______________________________________________________________________
Date:-----/-----/----
Inside Address
---------------------
---------------------
Subject:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salutation
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------The Body----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Complementary close
Signature line
Encl:1
:2
Career Skills

34. e-mail writing
. Sample Email Message
• SUBJECT: Technical Reporting – Memo Question
• Dear Ms. Gard,
• I am a student in your Technical Reporting class, and I am
• confused about today’s homework assignment. I would appreciate it if
• you could explain what you mean by an “incident report.” Is there a place
• in the textbook where I can find an example?
• Thank you very much for your help.
• Sincerely,
• Jim Smith
• Jim.Smith@witc.edu
• 715-333-4444
Career Skills

35. Basic Rules of Email Communication
• Be sure to include the following:
- proper subject line
- greeting
- introduction (if necessary)
- request
- thank you/closing remark
- signature
• Use proper written, not spoken, language.
• Do not assume that the reader will “get” a joke or understand sarcasm.
• Be thoughtful and respectful in what you write.
• Do not make demands.
• Choose your words carefully.
• Assume everything you write is a public document.
• Avoid talking about other people in an email message.
• Use proper grammar and sentence structure. Spell-check your message!
• If your message includes a request, always close with a thank you to the recipient for
considering it.
• Do not expect or demand an immediate response.
• Reread your message before sending it, and rephrase if necessary.
• If you receive a confusing or unclear email message.
- give the writer the benefit of the doubt.
- ask politely for clarification.
- suggest discussing the matter in person.Career Skills

36. e-mail etiquettes
•Etiquette governing communication on the Internet
•Rules for how to communicate appropriately and respectfully online .
•When we converse, we expect other people to observe certain rules of behavior.
The same is true for e-mail, the most popular form of online communication.
Here are a few pointers to help you communicate more effectively.
1. Clearly summarize your message in the subject line.
Properly titled messages help people organize and prioritize their e-mail.
2. Don't use the CC (Carbon Copy) function to copy your message to everyone.
This is particularly true at work. These days everyone receives too much e-mail.
Unnecessary messages are annoying. If only a few people really need to receive
your message, only direct it to them.
Similarly, when responding to e-mail, do not respond to all recipients. By choosing
Reply to All or a similar button when responding to a message, you may end up
broadcasting your response to your entire company.
•Sending Attachments
•Some wireless devices don't have the software required to open an attachment like
a Word document or spreadsheet.
Career Skills

37. 3. Use BCCs (Blind Carbon Copies) when addressing a message to a group of
people who don't necessarily know each other.
Just as it's not polite to give out a person's telephone number without his or her
knowledge, it's not polite to broadcast everyone's e-mail address. For instance,
when you send a message to 30 people and use the To or CC fields to address the
message, all 30 people see each other's address. By using BCC, each recipient
sees only two--theirs and yours.
4. Keep your messages short and focused.
Few people enjoy reading on their computer screens; fewer still on small
smartphone screens and other mobile devices. Recipients tend to ignore long
messages.
5. Avoid using all capital letters.
IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING! IT'S ALSO MORE DIFFICULT TO
READ
6.Don't write anything you wouldn't say in public.
Anyone can easily forward your message, even accidentally. This could leave you in
an embarrassing position if you divulged confidential information, made a nasty
comment about someone or circulated an off-color joke. If you don't want to
potentially share something you write, consider using the telephone.
Career Skills

38. 7.Use a smiley to make sure that a statement is not misunderstood.
Smileys are typically used in personal e-mail and are not considered appropriate for
business. Insert them judiciously in office e-mail. If your message needs a smiley for
better understanding, most likely you should not be delivering it via e-mail. Even with
a smiley, someone may misconstrue your message.
Smiley
Use smiles to support a statement. It's rude to write something mean or derogatory,
then place a happy smiley at the end of the sentence. Refer to the Smiley article for a
list of commonly used ones
Check Your Spelling
Use your e-mail program's spell checker to make sure your message isn't
compromised by misspelled words.
8.Avoid sending e-mail to large numbers of people unless you have a legitimate reason
to do it.
E-mail sent to many recipients may be considered spam.
9. Avoid nasty e-mail.
These messages have their own term: flame. Flame e-mail is an insulting message
designed to cause pain, as when someone "gets burned."
Career Skills

39. 10.Include your name at the bottom of the message.
The message contains your e-mail address in the header, but the recipient may
not know that the sender's address is yours, especially if it's different from your
real name.
E-mail etiquette may take a while to learn, but don't let your fear of making mistakes inhibit
you. All Internet users were beginners once, so most people are quite forgiving.
Career Skills