Career & Finance

Writing a professional email can leave you feeling like you’re walking on eggshells. Especially if you’re new to the working world or have a few prickly coworkers. While no one email is the same, if you master a few basic and professional openings and closings and know what phrases to avoid when writing emails, you’ll soon find that you don’t have to nervously edit every email you send. 
Picking up good professional habits now will make all of your following workdays so much easier. That’s why we created the only email writing guide you’ll ever need. We’re going to break down the phrases you should avoid in the opening, body, and closing of your emails—as well as what phrases you should use to make sure you nail the landing every time. 

In this article

Openings
How you start an email sets the tone for your entire communication. When writing your next email, consider skipping these intros.
Sorry to bother you. Are you sorry? Are you bothering them? Probably not. Start off all of your emails from a confident place and never use language that can convince someone they should feel bothered by you. Instead of saying “sorry to bother you”, you can say “I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this presentation before our all-hands meeting.” You can show gratitude for their collaboration without implying you did anything wrong. 
Per my last email. If you’re following up on a request, this is one of the worst ways to start your follow up email. By now, everyone knows this is a form of not so passive aggression, so instead try “I still need last quarter’s sales numbers. Can you take care of this by the end of day tomorrow?” There’s no need to beat around the bush, you can circle back to what you need without potentially causing any office drama.
Hey. Stick with “hello” or “hi” so you don’t give off any of those “fresh out of college” vibes.
Hey guys. Even worse than “hey” is “hey guys” if you’re emailing multiple people. It sounds too casual and while most people won’t assume you mean to exclude female colleagues, this phrase can rub some people the wrong way. Go for “Hi team” or “Hello all” instead when emailing a group. 
Hope this email finds you well. This greeting is an infamously cliche opening and one that doesn’t really benefit anyone. It comes across as something you have to say, not something you genuinely mean, so usually you’re better off just jumping straight to the point. If you want to add in some pleasantries, try to make it a bit more specific. Like—”I hope your vacation in Hawaii was really relaxing.”

Body
As easy as it is to sweat the small things—like whether to start your email with “hello” or “hi”—it’s the meat of your email that really counts. The point of the body of your email is to clearly and concisely relay what you need to say to your recipient, whether that be a request, submitting work, or asking a question. Knowing what phrases to avoid can make the body of your email so much stronger and more effective.
You will want to pass over this language whenever possible:
Just. The word “just” weakens your language greatly. You don’t say “I just want to check-in on the status of your deliverables.” That makes it sound like you’re apologizing or as if you feel bad about making your request. Instead you can say “I am checking in on the status of your deliverables.” This language makes it clear you expect a status update. 
Maybe. Using the term “maybe” in email communications like “Can we maybe meet on Tuesday” or “Can you maybe get your final edits to me by the end of the day”, doesn’t do you any favors. You don’t need to give someone the chance to drop the ball. You will always benefit from clearly asking what you want. They may respond with a “maybe” answer, and if they do, that’s on them. 
Apologies for the delay. Unless you truly are late on something, there’s no need to apologize in an email for not responding immediately. We live in a world where it feels expected to always be online, but in reality you don’t have to respond to someone’s email within the hour or even within the same day. So you really have nothing to apologize for in most cases.

Closings
If you write dozens of emails a day (which many of us do), it can feel like your email closings are getting stale. But just like how now one notices when you wear your favorite pair of jeans three times in a week, no one will notice if you close your email with the same turn of phrase repeatedly. Point being, choose a salutation or two that are professional and that you feel comfortable with and use them as much as you’d like. To remain professional, refrain from using these endings:
Sincerely. You would use the word “sincerely” when writing a condolence card to a dear friend or a letter to your grandmother, not when communicating with a business colleague. This turn of phrase is way too familiar—try “best”, “regards”, or a simple “thank you”, and then you add your name. 
Love. Just in case you didn’t know, don’t ever sign off a business email by saying “love”, no matter how good of friends you are with the person receiving the other email. If you want to show some warmth in an email to someone you’re close with, you can say “warm regards”.
Cheers. Again—this option is just too informal and personal. If you want, before you close out your email, you can add a quick line wishing them a great weekend or that you hope they enjoy that vacation they’re about to embark on, and then you can add a normal salutation.

Other Helpful Email Tips to Keep in Mind
Since we’re already on the topics of mastering email communications, let’s run through some other helpful quick tips that can make your emails as polished and effective as possible.
Keep it brief. People tend to skim emails for high-level details, so whenever possible cut the fluff and keep your email as brief as possible. Bullet points are your friend here. 
Dive right in. Along the same theme of keeping your email brief, dive straight into your request or debriefing as quickly as possible. We’re all inundated with too many emails, so the easier you can make it for people to process what you need, the better.
Cut the exclamation points and emojis. Written text can feel harsh, but trust us, no one will think you’re rude if you don’t use exclamation points or emojis. Professional emails don’t need to be dressed up to be considered friendly and appropriate. 
Tread lightly with reply all. Does everyone on an email chain really need you to respond to every group message with “thanks” or “got it”? Probably not. If you really want to confirm something with the sender, you can remove everyone else from your reply to save their inbox from further clutter. 
Don’t forget to set your OOO. When you’re going to be out of the office for an extended period of time, it’s important to set an out of office (OOO) message. This message should be brief and clear (this is a running theme) and should address what dates you will be out of the office and who they should contact instead if they need help immediately. 
Keep the recipient in mind. We’re not going to pretend like every single email you send at work has to meet the highest office etiquette standards. If you’re sending your work bestie a quick note about donuts being in the breakroom, it is okay to use an emoji or exclamation point. Just be careful that you don’t fall into bad habits and accidentally send too casual of an email to someone you don’t know that well or who is much higher up the chain of command than you. Email lives on forever in our digital world, so be careful what you write and who you write it to.
Best of luck with all your future email endeavors! More

Your performance review is your time to shine. It’s a dedicated time for you and your manager to discuss your accomplishments, goals, and career path. It’s also a time to receive feedback, both positive and constructive. While it’s great to hear how awesome we are, a performance review isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. 
The good news? There’s still time to make sure your review (including any feedback) goes swimmingly. A productive and positive performance review experience requires thoughtful preparation. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. So, to prepare for your next performance review, here are five easy things to do right now.

1. Make a List of Your Accomplishments
Like I said, this is your time to shine. To do that, you need the receipts to prove how valuable you are to your team and your company. Before you sit down with your manager, make a list of all the great things you have accomplished since your last performance review. What wins can you identify? Have you landed a big client? Write it down. Did you lead and finish a big project? Take note. Maybe you brought in a record-breaking amount of revenue for the company. Add it to the list.
Keep in mind your accomplishments don’t always have to be big, fancy items. They could be smaller goals you achieved or softer skills you worked on throughout the year. Maybe you coached and trained a new hire or the interns on your team. Or you attended a professional development opportunity that led to you sharpening your skills. 
Your accomplishments list will guide your discussion with your manager on how you met or exceeded your goals for the year and to show your value as an employee. Even if you don’t walk through your list bullet by bullet, this time to self-reflect can help give you the confidence to walk into your performance review with your head held high.

2. Think About Where You Want Your Career to Go
A performance review should be twofold; it should evaluate what you’ve done and where you want to go. Your manager likely has a plan for your future at the company. But it’s good to be prepared to share your vision for your career as well. Are you looking to get promoted in the future? Do you want to stay in your current role and develop your skills? Take a moment to think about what you want out of your career and how your manager can support you. Getting clear on this vision before your performance review makes the conversation more meaningful and helps you set goals for the year ahead.

Source: Social Squares

3. Compile Your Questions
You may be fortunate to have regular one-on-one time with your manager or have a great relationship where you can communicate freely. If that’s not the case, this is your opportunity to ask your manager questions uninterrupted. The workweek can often get away from us, so we may be unable to squeeze career and professional development questions into the conversation while trying to accomplish our everyday tasks. 
Take five minutes to compile all your burning questions and keep them career-focused. This isn’t the time to ask about the status of a project. Is your mind drawing a blank? Here are a few questions to mule over.

Where do you see my role progressing in the coming years?
Are there any upcoming professional development opportunities I should plan to attend?
I found an external learning opportunity that would benefit me in this role. Would the company be willing to cover the cost?
What new skills do you think would be beneficial for me to develop in this role?
How can I better support you and the team?
I have some ideas I’d like to present to the team. Can we set up some time outside of this meeting to discuss my ideas?
How do you see the team dynamic changing in the coming years?
Is there anything I’m not already doing that would help me succeed in this role?
What do I need to do to get promoted or receive a raise?
I’d like to get better at networking internally. How would you suggest I do that?

4. Prepare For Feedback
Two-way communication is integral for a successful performance review. While you’re preparing your list of accomplishments and questions, your manager is preparing their feedback to share with you. Often, this feedback will be both positive and constructive. 
Constructive feedback isn’t meant to be mean or embarrass you. A good manager provides constructive feedback to help you grow in your career and provide ways to get better at your job. When it’s your manager’s turn to share feedback in your conversation, keep an open mind and try your best not to get defensive. A manager’s observation can help point out blind spots and areas of opportunity. While it may feel uncomfortable or difficult to hear, you’ll be better off for it in the long run.

5. Determine Your Ask
While you have your manager’s attention, a performance review conversation is a great time to make an ask. You may not always have one, but if you do, this is the time to do it. Think about what your manager can do for you and how they can support you. Maybe you feel you deserve a raise or a new title, or perhaps you’d like the opportunity to change roles. Your ask could even be that you’d like to work on a specific project or propose a new idea.
Be prepared to come to the table with all the facts to support your request (i.e., the awesome work you’ve done that you deserve to be compensated for or the new responsibilities you took on that you feel justify a new title). Determine what you need or want ahead of time so you can approach your conversation with a clear ask.
With a bit of preparation, your performance review can be the most beneficial conversation you have all year. You can talk about how you’re excelling in your career and learn what your future at the company looks like, all while forging open lines of communication with your manager. A few minutes of planning now can lead to your best year yet. More

If you’re gearing up for that second (or third) job interview and are freaking out just a bit, sit back and unclench your jaw for a sec. We’re here to help. While career guidebooks and college courses tend to place a major emphasis on nailing that initial screening, follow-up interviews are just as key. However, there’s often less information out there about how to make sure it goes swimmingly. That’s where we come in. We’ve spoken with three experts who’ve weighed in with interview tips. They discuss how to shine during a longer, more thorough interview, in which you’ll be asked about more than your general interest in the company and basic skillset. Read on. Then, get ready to impress.
 
Do your company research ahead of time
It’s time to enlist your BFF, Google. “You should be able to talk a bit about the organization and what is important to them,” says Miriam Salpeter, founder of Keppie Consulting. “This information should be readily available on their website.” It’s smart to then use your findings to shape your talking points on the day of the interview. “If their website mentions ‘teamwork’ on every other line, you’ll want to mention something about your commitment to working on a team,” Salpeter explains.

Look into your interviewers
If the company included the names of those individuals you’ll be meeting with, use this information to your advantage. “Some good places to start are their company website (if they have a profile), their LinkedIn page, and a Google search for any news alerts or publications,” advises Samantha Simmons, an executive legal recruiter at LHH Recruitment Solutions. She formerly worked in BigLaw. “There is no need to memorize their CV, but jot down a few things that interest you, whether it’s something you have in common or a new initiative that you’d like to ask them more about.”

Study your resume
Review your resume. Your interviewers are certainly going to be giving it a close look! “Make sure you are comfortable talking about anything and everything on there,” Simmons notes. “Then, take it one step further and decide on three highlights that you want to make sure you are communicating to your interviewer.” These may relate to a specific degree, credential, or work accomplishment, she explains.

Source: Color Joy Stock

Use the following technique when answering questions
You’ll want to practice answering questions at home ahead of time. Salpeter is a proponent of using the PAR technique. “State the problem, describe the action you took, and explain the result,” she says. “When you incorporate all of these—briefly, you aren’t writing a book—you have the best chance to succeed.”

Don’t worry about sounding scripted
Spending the evening before your interview going over all the key talking points you plan to cover is never a bad idea. “People would rather hear stories than simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses,” explains Sho Dewan, career coach and founder at Workhap. “Practice your storytelling skills and hook the interviewers’ attention in the first few lines of the story.” 
Simmons agrees. “Even questions that address a gap in your knowledge are an opportunity to share.” Suppose your interviewer asks you about your experience handling a certain task. If it’s something you haven’t yet encountered, use your reply to indicate how you’re a quick learner, Simmons suggests. “Instead of just saying ‘no’ and leaving the interviewer with a negative impression, you have shifted the conversation to your highlights,” she explains. “You should be in control of what you are emphasizing about your background at every turn.”

Don’t forget to leave room for a little improvisation
You do not want to sound robotic during your interview session. Reading the room is important. “Job interviews are all about connecting and vibing with the person sitting across from you,” Dewan adds. “Too many people get too focused on sounding perfect and memorizing their scripts when it would be ten times more beneficial to go into their next interview with the goal of making a new friend.”

Asking your interviewer some questions
It’s fine to come prepared with a few go-to questions. However, don’t be afraid to improvise a bit based on your specific conversation. “While it’s helpful to have questions in mind, you don’t want to sound like you are asking the same boring, perfunctory question to every interviewer,” Salpeter explains. One thing you definitely will want to inquire about every time: What lies ahead? “Always ask about the company’s timeframe and when you can expect to hear about the next steps,” Salpeter adds. “Be sure you know the name and contact information for your interviewer so you can send an email thanking them.” More

It seems that every year Q4 comes quicker and quicker. Even when I do my best to prepare in advance and anticipate the end of the year rush—I’m always somehow baffled at how it is already October.
If you haven’t prepped for the mad dash that is Q4, hope is not lost. Let’s talk about ways to set yourself up to crush the last three months of the year—from reaching current goals to planning for the year ahead.

Get Your Personal Affairs in Order 
I must admit, whenever anyone says “get your affairs in order”, I think, “what affairs? Should I have affairs?” What I mean here is that we need to take the first month of Q4 to arrange our personal schedules. The last three months of the year always get jam packed with end of year reports, yearly planning, and every single holiday party or event you can think of, so it’s time to get real about our personal calendars.
We know that come November and December life is going to get a bit hectic. So let’s plan in advance. Before doing any event scheduling, think about what you need as a foundation in your life. Just because the holidays and Q4 get busy, it doesn’t mean we can skimp out on the self-care that brought us this far.
Take an hour to map out the next few months. Make sure your workouts, nightly routine, daily walks, 20 minutes of reading—whatever you do to stay sane and sharp—is scheduled. Now more than ever is the time to prioritize you. While you’re at it, evaluate what’s working and what’s not. What worked for you last season might not work for you this season. Don’t be afraid to change.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to look at the personal events and obligations you have coming up. Pencil in anything that you know will pop up—your yearly holiday party with the girls, your trip home to your family, or your time to Christmas shop. Get it all in your calendar so that you don’t have to worry about it popping up out of nowhere later (believe me, there will be enough surprise events coming at you in the next few months!).

Source: Color Joy Stock

Take It to the Office: Review Your Team’s Scheduling
Now that you’ve planned for your personal needs and obligations this quarter, let’s take it to the office. While it may seem early to begin to plan around holiday vacations and out-of-office emails, let me tell you: it’s not. 
Now is the time to look at your calendar and the days you need to take off. Then, it’s time to go to your internal team or bosses and discuss everyone’s availability. Make sure coverage is in order and everyone is on the same page about holiday planning (so you know, you can actually enjoy the gingerbread cookies and mulled wine when you have them!).
Now, let’s take it a step further. Once you have all of your vacations planned, it’s time to loop in any external companies or contacts you work with. The last thing you want is for your client to need something from you when a majority of your team is out of office, or to only email you about something needed while you’re out skiing the slopes. 
Connect with critical people to communicate days off, company holiday schedules, and plan accordingly. As long as it’s well planned out and transparent, usually all parties involved will understand.

Plan Additional Time for Reporting 
While pulling together unexpected reports seems to be an inevitable part of the workplace, there are things you can do to mitigate the end-of-year fire drills.
As you get into Q4, think about the different end-of-quarter and end-of-year reports that will need to be pulled. Begin putting together templates, and pulling data from last quarter or last year so that once you can put together this year’s information, you are already ahead of the game. Discuss with your boss or clients when their internal and external deadlines are for end-of-year reporting or presentations, and ensure they know you are around to help out (and that a heads up for planning is always appreciated!). 

Anticipating what your boss or clients may need or want is a simple key to success and how you can stand out in your career. 

Here are some simple questions to ask: 

What reports will be needed? 
What are their internal and external deadlines?
What template should reports be in? 
What date ranges are they looking for?

Now, before you ask these questions, I’d challenge you to take it a step further by actually having ideas for the answers. For example, suggesting a PowerPoint presentation to show year over year growth of your company social media accounts and asking for input, is better than simply asking “hey, what do you want for this report?”

Source: Color Joy Stock

And… Plan Additional Time for Planning (yes, we’re planning to plan)
In addition to considering what reporting is needed, it’s time to think about what planning needs to happen for the following year and especially the first quarter. What worked this year? What didn’t? What goals need to be met to surpass this year? Begin to think about these questions now and get plans in place for the new year.
If you don’t know what your goals are or don’t have the expectation to set them… ask! I would be shocked if your boss or client doesn’t appreciate you asking them what the goals of the organization are so that your work can play a key role.
Once you’ve done that, break your brainstorming and planning for the new year into these key steps: 

Review your goals and performance from this year (if you don’t have those, review what was accomplished and what it resulted in).
Review what is on the horizon for the next year in terms of company goals and industry shifts (What is trending? What are competitors doing?).
Begin planning for what goals you need and want to hit, as well as what initiatives will get you there (loop your boss into the conversation if you need to!).
Break it down into the first quarter. What can you do in January, February, and March to move the needle and set the tone for the rest of the new year?

All of this planning now will help you maintain boundaries throughout Q4 and enjoy yourself while you’re at it!

Make Time for the Unexpected
Last but not least, you can plan and plan and plan, but such is life… curve balls will come your way. Your boss will need a report by EOD, your client will need something by Friday. If you can, try to anticipate that things will come up and have some time allotted for when they do. 
Q4 can be a stressful time as budgets need to be used up, planning needs to be in place, and end-of-year reports need to be picture perfect (not to mention, you are also probably trying to buy ALL the perfect gifts!). Use these tools to get ahead of the game and make the next few months more joyful than overwhelming by getting a step ahead today.

3 Rules This Entrepreneur Swears Will Help Set You Up for Success More

Like many of you, I was told at a young age that the recipe for success requires three ingredients: education, hard work, and a good-paying job. And while that advice isn’t totally wrong, there is one problem with it: It just scratches the surface. The truth is, at the end of the day, success looks different to everyone. So, it only makes sense that everyone’s journey to finding it will vary.
This is something I recently had the privilege of discussing with former actress Kelsey Formost. You may have seen her in shows such as Modern Family or High Expectations. Or maybe you saw her in the 2015 movie We Are Your Friends, which starred Zac Efron. Nowadays, though, Kelsey Formost has moved on from acting to writing. And as an ex-actress turned copywriting and marketing expert, business owner, and host of the podcast, Find Your Magic, she isn’t shy about discussing mental health.
Throughout my interview with Formost, we talked about all things mental health and success. There were three key takeaways she kept coming back to that have helped set herself and others up for success. Regardless of what your goals are, she swears that turning to these three rules for guidance will help you manifest success in your life, however that may look to you. Read on to learn all about the three tips for success Kelsey Formost swears by:

Meet the expert
Kelsey Formost

Kelsey Formost is an actress turned copywriting and marketing expert. Through her business, Magic Words, Formost teaches other entrepreneurs how to use words to make their businesses and products stand out. She is also the host of the “Find Your Magic” podcast, which covers everything from business advice to creativity to social justice and beyond.

1. Strive for harmony instead of balance
We’ve all heard the term “work-life balance,” but Formost isn’t a fan. She believes the term can inadvertently shame you into thinking that you’re doing life “wrong” if something requires a large dose of your attention. In addition, she also believes the word “balance” implies that everything is equal in your life, which is impossible. After all, there will be times when certain areas of your life require more focus than others.
What Formost strives for instead is harmony. “I think of all areas of my life—like work, friends and family, romantic relationships, and so on and so forth—as voices in a choir that make up my life,” she told me. “Sometimes one voice will be very loud and require my focus, but if I’ve invested in the other areas and taken care of them well, those voices will work in harmony to support the area that needs my attention.” She went on to add that during times of discord she’ll essentially “stop the music” and see which area of her life needs a “tune-up” so she can get her choir working in harmony again. The key to having harmony in life is listening to the voices from all areas of it and taking care of what’s needed in any given moment—AKA the loudest voice.

2. Taking care of your mental health is vital
Formost also firmly believes that taking care of your mental health is the only way to ensure you’re showing up to work as your fullest, most authentic, and creative self. When your mental health isn’t in check, your work inevitably suffers. The energy that lives within you will be reflected outwardly into the world. “Sure, you can ‘hustle’ your way to a big payday, but that won’t be sustainable,” she said. Living with a frenetic and anxious mind will make you more liable to forget important tasks, miss deadlines, and eventually burn out—all of which will block you from reaching your fullest potential. Taking the time to ground yourself will leave you feeling calm and confident. In turn, this will help you manifest success.

3. Stop “should-ing” all over yourself
When it comes to attaining success, there is no one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s different, which means their journey will be, too. Instead of thinking about everything you “should” do, focus on doing what works best for you. To make sure you’re prioritizing yourself and your needs, Formost recommends taking one small step each day that incorporates more of what nourishes your soul. This can be anything from meditating to taking a bath to calling a loved one and anything in between.
She also added that mental health isn’t a quick fix. “It’s the result of the compound interest of many small investments you make in yourself over time,” she told me. Essentially, doing little things that better yourself and your mind each day will add up over time. This will help you embody the highest, best, and most authentic version of yourself. And that’s a guaranteed recipe for success.

A Financial Advisor’s Top 4 Tips for Securing Your Future More