These 4 Email Mistakes Will Make You Look Unprofessional
Stop sending emails that scream ‘junior’
Gen Z’s email habits — from funny OOO messages to emojis and jargon — have sparked a lot of conversation. However, there are more important aspects of business communication that young people often miss. As National Email Day on April 23rd approaches, and Google searches for “email writing tips” have risen 300%, it is important to be aware of the subtle email mistakes that can make you seem less experienced — and know how to fix them.
Stop killing your emails with subject lines
You probably write the email to achieve something, right? The subject line is your first impression. Think of it like a TikTok hook: grab attention before diving into the details.
Exercise by saying exactly what you want (e.g., feedback, approval, decision). So “Quick question” as a subject line is a no. “Client feedback needed by Friday | slide deck attached” is way better. And remember that people often check their inboxes on their phones. Keep it short — aim for 5-6 words.
It gets trickier with cold emailing. In this case, your subject line needs to work like a news headline — short, specific, and catchy. For example, “Why [name of the company] needs [your service].“
Find the vibe: not too formal, not too chill
Writing like a Victorian ghost child (“Dear Sir or Madam, I hope this finds you well”) is definitely too much. Writing like you’re texting a mate is obviously not enough. Where’s the sweet spot?
The easiest thing to do is to mirror the tone of the person you’re emailing. If you’re initiating the conversation, keep it professional but friendly, while considering standards and mentality.
Besides, stick to clear, friendly language, like you’d use in a meeting, not a tweet. For example: “Hi Hadija, just wanted to check if you had a chance to review the doc I shared yesterday. Happy to adjust anything if needed!”
Start strong and make it scannable
If your email looks like a college essay, you’re losing your reader to the void. People’ve got things to do, so start with the whole point of your email, then add context on top, like “Can you approve the pricing layout by EOD Friday? You can find the details below.”
If you’re emailing someone for the first time, don’t open with a full paragraph about who you are. They need to know why you’re in their inbox. A simple line like “I’m reaching out to suggest/clarify/ loop you in…” gets to the point. Add your intro after the ask if it actually matters.
And don’t forget formatting. This isn’t about cute emojis, it’s about line breaks, bullet points, bold text, and headers that respect people’s time.
Stop overexplaining and apologizing for existing
Make your emails smart, clear, and confident. So skip these “Sorry to bother you,” “Hopefully this isn’t annoying but…” — you’re not an inconvenience, you’re doing your job. Instead, flip the script: “Appreciate your time on this” still sounds polite without handing over your confidence.
Over-explaining everything “just in case” is another email crime. This is how your emails turn into novels. Don’t try to pre-defend every sentence — trust yourself.
And before you hit send, one last thing: double-check if you’ve clicked “Reply to all” when there are multiple people copied.
Written by Avery Morgan, Chief Human Resources Officer at EduBirdie