Maintaining a Professional Online Presence

While e-mail and social networking sites are often used for connecting with friends, these are also ways of connecting with other people like professors and employers. While it is acceptable to be informal with friends and family, this is not always the case for professional relationships.

Professional Emails

When sending e-mails to your professors, colleagues, employers, and/or peers, one should follow some simple guidelines:

1. Write a relevant subject line for your e-mail (i.e.: "Quick Question"; "Can We Meet?"; "Possible Paper Topics"; etc.)
2. Address the recipient correctly with their chosen name (i.e.: "Professor Smith"; "Dr. Smith"; "Mr. or Mrs. Smith"; etc.)
3. Write complete sentences with correct grammar and spelling
4. Keep your writing formal. Do not use slang.
5. Explain your reason for the e-mail, but keep it brief (i.e.: "I was wondering if we could meet on Friday"; "I have a quick question from our discussion in class"; etc.)
6. Wait for a response. If the message is urgent, you should talk to the recipient face-to-face about it.

Facebook Privacy Settings

Twitter Privacy Settings

Branding Yourself

LinkedIn