Harnessing Your Communication Style: The Passport To Your Dream Job

Your Digital Persona: The Unsung Hero of Your Job Application

Today, we interact more than ever through emails, text messages, voicemails, and social media. Each interaction contributes to a digital persona that provides potential employers with a preview of your professionalism, attention to detail, and communication skills. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Business Communication indicated that employers often judge a candidate’s seriousness and competence based on their electronic communication. This makes your digital persona as critical as your resume. Therefore, adopting best practices in digital communication can set you apart in your job hunt. Keep reading to learn more about how you can improve your digital communication style and achieve your career goals!

Email Etiquette: Your First Impression

Email is usually the first interaction you will have with Adventure Nannies or potential employers. According to Daniel McGinn’s article “The Science of Pep Talks” in the Harvard Business Review, effective communication is pivotal for positive outcomes. This is especially true for emails, where a well-crafted message can lay the foundation for a successful first impression.

1. Professionalism: Use a professional email address consisting of your first and last name.
2. Subject Line: Ensure it’s clear and succinct – ‘Job Application: Your Name.’
3. Content: Maintain politeness and formality. Avoid emojis, abbreviations, and slang, and proofread for grammar and spelling.
4. Response Time: Respond within 24 hours, even just to acknowledge receipt.

Text Messages: Striking the Perfect Balance

While more informal than email, text messages should still embody professional standards:

1. Clarity and Brevity: Be clear and concise, avoiding text slang and emojis.
2. Promptness: Respond promptly – ideally within a few hours.
3. Etiquette: Resist the urge to send multiple consecutive messages. Patience pays off.
4. Correctness: Maintain correct spelling and grammar, as text messages too contribute to your digital persona.

Voicemails: Your Vocal Business Card

When leaving a voicemail, consider the following:

1. Concision: Keep your message brief, preferably under a minute.
2. Clarity: Clearly state your name, contact information, and the reason for your call.
3. Professionalism: Maintain a professional tone throughout your message.

Social Media Direct Messages: The Virtual Handshake

1. Privacy: Respect privacy by seeking permission before sending a private message.
2. Content: Keep your content professional and job-related, bearing in mind that the people moderating social media pages are rarely the people involved in screening, recruiting, or coordinating job interviews, and typically are not able to offer job-specific details over social media in an effort to protect the privacy of the hiring families.
3. Grammar and Spelling: Even on social media, avoid slang, abbreviations, and emojis.

Taking a cue from Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, remember that a majority of communication (55%) is visual. In digital platforms, visual cues are absent, making it crucial to ensure your message is impeccably crafted and accurately represents who you are as a talented professional seeking a new role.

Mastering Your Digital Persona: A Checklist

Summarizing the above, here are the do’s and don’ts of digital communication:

Do’s:

1. Uphold professionalism across all digital platforms.
2. Respond in a timely manner.
3. Proofread all your messages for spelling, grammar, and clarity.
4. Be succinct and concise.

Don’ts:

1. Avoid bombarding agencies or employers with multiple messages.
2. Refrain from using slang, abbreviations, or emojis in professional communication.
3. Do not delay your responses.
4. Steer clear of sharing inappropriate content.

The Art of Digital Communication

Effective communication, whether verbal or digital, is a crucial competency for workplace success. As you engage with these guidelines, remember, in the words of Simon Sinek, “There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.”

At Adventure Nannies, we aim to equip you with the tools you need to land your dream job. As you hone your communication skills, always remember that you are communicating with real people. Courtesy, timeliness, and professionalism can create extraordinary opportunities. As Lee Iacocca, the former CEO of Chrysler said, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” In every digital communication, be sure that the tone and content of your message are an exemplary, excellent representation of who you are as a professional and an accurate depiction of how prospective hiring families can expect to interact with you if you are selected for the role.

Quick Insights:

1. A Research Article: In a study published in the Harvard Business Review titled “The Science of Pep Talks” (2017), author Daniel McGinn states that effective communication is crucial for ensuring positive workplace outcomes.
2. Influential Businessman: Lee Lacocca, former president, and CEO of Chrysler, once said, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”
3. A Study on Workplace Communication: A 2019 study titled “Workplace Communication: A case study on informal communication within an Organization” in the Journal of Business Studies Quarterly states that effective communication enhances job prospects.
4. Well-respected Professor: Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, developed a communication model where he concluded that the interpretation of a message is 7 percent verbal, 38 percent vocal, and 55 percent visual. This is a crucial aspect to understand while communicating digitally where visual and vocal cues are absent.
5. Thought Leader: Simon Sinek, a British-American author and motivational speaker, says, “There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.”

These sources underscore the importance of effective, professional communication in the workplace and in interactions with potential employers. We trust these insights will empower you to leverage your digital communication to unlock new heights in your career. Remember, as Dale Carnegie said, “What we say, and how we say it is how we make contact with the world and how we are evaluated”. Let your extraordinary digital communication be the passport to your next adventure. Best of luck with your job search!

References: Smith, M. (2018). "Impressions of Professionalism in Electronic Communication." Journal of Business Communication. McGinn, D. (2017). 
"The Science of Pep Talks." Harvard Business Review. Mehrabian, A. UCLA Professor Emeritus of Psychology.