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Student Guide > Professional Dress and Etiquette

Professional Dress

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Professional Etiquette

THE RIGHT WORDS CAN GET YOU THE JOB!

Do you speak the language of business?

Don’t be fooled into thinking that correct grammar no longer matters when corresponding with employers regarding job opportunities. All too often job seekers lose out on great opportunities because Employers pay careful attention to proper use of grammar in writing and conversation. A few grammatical errors are increasingly apparent in everyday speech, with these four among the most widely heard:

MISUSE OF PAST PRINCIPLES: The past tenses and past participles of certain verbs are often confused, as in the conjugation of the verb “go.” “I should have gone” is replaced by the erroneous “I should have went.” The boat sank (should be “sank”; I shouldn’t have drank so much last night (should be “drunk”); and my blouse shrunk in the wash (should be shrank).

LACK OF SUBJECT—VERB AGREEMENT. Remember that a singular noun or pronoun takes a singular verb. One of the best things about this party are the hors d’oeuvres” should be phrased “is the hors d’ouevres”. Likewise, “An array (the singular subject) of exciting items are up for bid” should be…”is up for bids.”

CONFUSING AN ADVERB WITH AN ADJECTIVE. The suffix “ly” is frequently tacked onto a word where it doesn’t belong. No grammar lesson is required, but suffice it to say that if you are ill or must express regrets, saying “I feel bad” is correct and “I feel badly” is not.

The tricky thing about grammar is, the one talking is usually not aware of making mistakes. But the interviewer catches them all and often forms a negative opinion of the job candidate based on words spoken and written.

ERRORS THAT CAN HURT YOUR CHANCE TO GET THE JOB:

Misuse of past participles.

CORRECT	INCORRECT
I should have gone. The boat sank. I shouldn't have drunk so much last night. My blouse shrank	I should have went. The boat sunk. I shouldn't have drank so much last night. My blouse shrunk.

Lack of subject-verb agreement. Remember that a singular noun or pronoun takes a singular verb.

CORRECT	INCORRECT
One of the best things about this party is the hors d’oeuvres. An array of exciting items is up for bids. We were on our way to class. They were dressed professionally. We are very pleased to be here. They are the best candidates. William and Kendra are recent graduates. He writes well.	One of the best things about this party are the hors d’oeuvres. An array of exciting items are up for bids. We was on our way to class. They was dressed professionally. We is very pleased to be here. They is/be the best candidates. William and Kendra is recent graduates. He write well.

Confusing an Adverb with an Adjective. A common mistake occurs when the suffix “ly” is tacked onto a word where it doesn’t belong.

CORRECT	INCORRECT
I feel bad. (When you are ill or are expressing regrets.) The coffee tasted good this morning. I do not feel very well. (When you want to say you feel bad.) He writes well. I write well.	I feel badly. (When you are ill or are expressing regrets.) The coffee tasted well this morning. I do not feel very good. (When you want to say you feel bad.) He writes good. I write good.

A complete guide to grammar and sentence fragmentation can be found at: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/textonly.htm

THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE

Emails are often the official form of communication in many organizations. Job seekers often send emails to inquire about positions, to send their resumes to prospective employers, or to send a “Thank you” note after an interview. Any time you are communicating with or within an organization by email, take special care that the email is professionally done.

The first rule of business emailing is to give it some thought, both for the content and the act of sending, which if done carelessly can put information into the wrong hands more easily than ever before. During the interview process and at the office, email is designed for business messages—not office gossip, the latest jokes, or anything that gets too personal. Three etiquette precepts have emerged in email culture:

ALWAYS RESPOND. Whether it is to invite you to a meeting or to provide information you requested.
KEEP IT SHORT. Having to plow through mailings more than a paragraph or two is inconvenient for the recipient.
DON’T GET EMOTIONAL. Even though email messages are familiar in tone, keep your emotions in check. Do not share tidbits of your personal life with a business associate you know mainly through email.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE

Email is not an excuse for misspellings and grammatical errors—your familiarity with such rules should shine through no matter what the medium. Be sure to use proper grammar in all correspondence win the business setting and in particular avoid typing in all capital letters because CAPS INDICATE THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING YOUR MESSAGE.

Compose your email first in a word processing software that checks for spelling and grammar. Once correct, cut and paste the email into your email document. Instant messaging abbreviations are never appropriate in a professional email.

Making mistakes or misusing email can have consequences. Consider the following at all times:

PRIVACY. Whatever email you compose, send and receive on your office laptop, whether by interoffice Network or Internet, belongs to your employer. After all, your employer owns the computer, your time, and the work you produce while in his employ.

CONFIDENTIALITY. Be cautious about sending confidential or sensitive information materials—business plans, salary and sales information. Again, email is not private, and messages can be accidentally or intentionally intercepted or easily forwarded to unintended recipients without your knowledge or consent.

Most companies are setting email policies and communicating them to workers, requiring new employees to sign statements that they have read and understand these policies. Some employers post warnings on their office computers. But it is a mistake to assume that in the absence of a policy statement, you are free to use office email as you like.

Assistance for U of M students! U of M students may receive assistance with oral and written grammar skills through ESP (http://saweb.memphis.edu/cclt/). In addition, when you schedule a Mock Interview (Career Services), we will include feedback about your communication skills, including use of business professional grammar.

Adapted from:The Etiquette Advantage, Personal Skills for Professional Success, by Peggy Post and Peter Post.