Articles for July/August 2007

Email Can be Forever
I remember being told years back that you should never put anything in writing before careful consideration — especially if you are upset.Read More>>>

Keeping Business Email About Business
The key to writing successful business email is to communicate clearly and concisely.Read More>>>

StaffSTATS
Hiring Activity on the Rise, Reports Fed  Read More>>>

Temping Tales
Everyone has a story to tell or knows of someone who has a great story regarding their temping experiences – funny stories that still tickle your funny bone Read More>>>

Think Again Before Clicking SEND—Email Can be Forever

I remember being told years back that you should never put anything in writing before careful consideration—especially if you are upset. You were to first write down your thoughts and then put the letter aside to be reread prior to mailing it. You had to be sure that you wouldn't regret sending that letter.

These sentiments still ring true today regarding electronic media, commonly known as email. Not only is email almost instantaneous, it can last forever! Long after you've deleted it, email can still be found and retrieved on your computer. In fact, email is not as private as you may think, especially at work.

Many companies have specific policies regarding email and its personal use by employees. Some strictly forbid it and others are more liberal, allowing for limited, occasional or incidental usage. Be advised that despite its policy regarding personal email, companies retain the right to monitor and access your computer whenever there is suspicion of misuse or content. Policies generally dictate that email is not to be used to knowingly transmit, retrieve, or store any communication seen as: discriminatory or harassing; derogatory to any individual or group; obscene; defamatory or threatening; or engaged in any purpose that is illegal or contrary to the company's policy or business interest.

For communication to be effective, there are many different guidelines that should be learned regarding business email.

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Keeping Business Email About Business

The key to writing successful business email is to communicate clearly and concisely. Write in plain English, using understandable, complete sentences and short paragraphs – no more than can be seen in the space of a screen. Use bullets, if necessary, to keep words at a minimum.

How you write email can say much about you. Keep your business email strictly professional. Do not use several different fonts or colors, smiley faces or emoticons. In addition, do not use acronyms or abbreviations that might make your message confusing. Any of these can seem juvenile.

As with any correspondence, there are basic rules that need to be observed. Start every email with a brief greeting, such as "Dear colleagues," or "Good morning," and close with a courteous sign-off, such as "Warm regards," or "All the best" or even a simple "Thank you."

Never send email written only in capital letters. This constitutes shouting. Text typed in all caps is more difficult to understand and takes longer to read. Business email should always be typed in upper and lowercase.

While email messages are to be kept to a minimum, rules of spelling and grammar still apply. Think about the kind of image you are sending with email containing typos and poor grammar.

Proper communication is key and adhering to the guidelines established for business email sets the appropriate tone, ensuring that your message is understood and viewed as professional.

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We're searching for CareersUSA's next TEMP OF THE MONTH.

Nominate yourself or someone else that's deserving of this honor and if selected, they will be featured in our TEMP OF THE MONTH StaffFACTS column.

Enjoy the fame that comes after being chosen "CareersUSA's Idol."

Submit your entry telling us why you think this person should be considered CareersUSA's TEMP OF THE MONTH! Please also indicate which branch office this person is with, how long they have been with CareersUSA, and what current assignment they are working on.

Send all submissions to belster@careersusa.com

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Hiring Activity on the Rise, Reports Fed

Economic activity continued to grow at a steady pace, the Federal Reserve reported last week in its studies of regional economies (known as the “beige book”). Despite a continued shortage of skilled labor, hiring activity was reportedly on the rise, even as wage pressures remained relatively contained.

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Temping Tales

Everyone has a story to tell or knows of someone who has a great story regarding their temping experiences – funny stories that still tickle your funny bone, or temping experiences that led them to their current significant other or career.

We'd love to hear about yours!

Email your stories to either belster@careersusa.com or awallace@careersusa.com.

We will select the best ones to feature in our next staffFACTS

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