Professional Correspondence in Engineering and Computer Science

Engineers and computer scientists, like professionals in many other fields, spend much of their day communicating with colleagues, clients, and supervisors. Professional correspondence—especially emails and memos—forms the nervous system of most workplaces. Whether teams are working in the same office or spread across time zones, clear, respectful, and well-structured communication keeps projects moving and teams connected.

You can adopt the following key practices to ensure that your readers understand your message quickly and easily, while also feeling respected and engaged in a professional tone:

• Use an appropriate level of formality.
• Write in a professional yet natural-sounding tone.
• Write with purpose and choose the right format.
• Structure your emails professionally.

Let’s explore each of these strategies in more detail.

Using an Appropriate Tone and Level of Formality 

The tone and formality of professional correspondence depend on the situation and audience. You can associate levels of formality with three correspondence styles:

Personal style—used between friends and acquaintances (casual, conversational language)

When writing in a personal style, the tone is more relaxed and conversational. You may find the following points helpful when writing in a personal style:

• Use casual language that reflects how you naturally speak.
• Feel free to use contractions or abbreviations.
• Openings and closings can be less formal, such as

Opening: “Hey,” “Hi,” or just the person’s name.

Closing: “Take care,” “Talk soon,” or even just your name.

• Keep it short and friendly—there’s no need for formal structure.

Memo style—used for internal communication within organisations (still professional but less formal)

To apply memo style effectively in internal communication, you may find the following guidelines helpful:

• Use block paragraphs (no indents) and present information in a structured format.
• Use headings, bold, and italics for emphasis.
• Openings and closings can be less formal, such as:

Opening: “Hello,” “Good afternoon,” or “Greetings”

Closing: “Regards,” “Best,” or even “Cheers”

• Ensure flawless spelling and grammar—use spell check!

Letter style—used for external communication with clients, customers, or suppliers (most formal)

When writing in letter style for external communication, it’s important to follow a more formal structure. The following guidelines can help you write effectively:

• Use block paragraphs and present information in a structured format.
• Openings and closings should be formal:

Opening: “Dear Mr. Xu” (Use Ms. for all women unless otherwise specified)

Closing: “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” or “Yours truly” (avoid outdated phrases like “Warm regards” unless you have a personal relationship).

• Avoid informal abbreviations like “BTW” (by the way) or “FYI” (for your information).
• Use bullet points and numbered lists to enhance readability.

Before you start writing emails or memos, it’s important to think about tone and formality. Professional doesn’t have to mean stiff or overly formal. In fact, the most effective workplace communication often sounds clear, respectful, and to the point. No matter what style you use, your tone should match the situation and audience while still sounding natural and approachable.

Writing in a Professional Yet Natural Tone  

The best writing for professional correspondence is clear, direct, and human.

Clear writing means your message is easy to understand the first time someone reads it. Use simple sentence structures, familiar words, and avoid unnecessary jargon. Think of your reader, especially in the workplace, who may be skimming quickly. If your meaning is buried in complex or vague language, your reader can easily miss it.

Direct writing gets to the point quickly. In professional settings, people are often juggling multiple tasks and reading messages on the go. That’s why it’s important to state your purpose early. To do this, avoid giving too much background before explaining why you’re writing. Instead, present your reason as early as possible with a clear statement like “I’m writing to follow up on…” or “I’m reaching out about…”

Human writing avoids robotic or overly formal language. You don’t need to sound like a machine to be professional. In place of robotic or “stuffy” expressions, use plain English alternatives. Table 7.1 presents some common examples.

Table 7.1 Common Stuffy Phrases and Their Plain English Alternatives

By writing clearly and getting to the point with a natural tone, you show respect for your reader’s time. Finding the right balance between professionalism and plain language makes your correspondence more effective.

Choosing the Right Format 

On a typical day, you might find yourself writing several messages to share updates, ask questions, send reminders, or follow up on tasks. Email is one of the most common ways to communicate at work. However, not every situation calls for written communication, and email isn’t always the best or most effective option. Depending on your purpose and context, other formats might be better suited. Some examples are as follows:

Forms requiring completion: If recipients need to fill out pages, it’s usually better to distribute these documents via a website or in print.

Confidential information: Email is not secure, so sensitive information is better conveyed through a phone call, an in-person meeting, or over a secure platform.

Printed materials: Messages intended for print are probably best distributed as print.

Complex information: If the content is complex or detailed, provide a summary in the email and attach a more detailed document.

Serious or important matters: These are best conveyed in a formal letter, phone call, or in-person meeting.

Back-and-forth discussions: If a topic requires multiple exchanges, a phone call, or video meeting is more efficient.

Brainstorming or consensus-building: These are better achieved in meetings rather than in email threads.

Choosing the right type of communication helps your message come across clearly and smoothly. If the format doesn’t fit the situation, it can lead to confusion or delays. Therefore, it’s important to choose one that suits the context.

Structuring a Professional Email  

A well-structured email helps your message get noticed, understood, and answered. Whether you’re making a request, sharing information, or following up, organizing your email in a clear and structured way makes it easier for your reader to understand your message. A well-structured email consists of the following elements:

Subject Line: Clearly state the purpose of your email. For example, a vague subject like “Update” doesn’t provide enough context. A more effective option would be “Project Review: Request for Updated Design Documents,” which lets the reader immediately understand the purpose.

Opening Paragraph: Establish the context and purpose of your message at the outset. Use phrases such as “I am writing to…” to help clearly state the reason for your email.

Middle Paragraph(s): Provide key details in a structured manner. Use one paragraph per topic for clarity.

Final Paragraph (Action Close): Clearly state the action you need the recipient to take.

The following email from university context follows a clear, professional structure and shows how to communicate your message with purpose, tone, and clarity:

This email is clear, professional, and polite, making it effective for several reasons:

• The subject line immediately informs the recipient of the purpose of the email. This helps the reader understand the context before opening the message.
• The tone of the message is courteous and respectful. Phrases like “would appreciate your feedback…” and “could you let us know by email maintain a professional tone without sounding too formal.
• The message gets straight to the point by stating the purpose at the outset. This helps the recipient quickly grasp the required action.
• The email ends with a clear statement of what the sender requires (“could you let us know by email whether this topic is appropriate”), along with an appropriate closing, “Best regards.”
• The email is brief and well-structured, making it easy to read and respond to. It avoids unnecessary details while still conveying essential points.

Together, these elements help create a message that’s easy to respond to and encourages a prompt reply.

When emails aren’t written well, they can cause confusion or even cost a company money. To illustrate, a cleaning company in Australia introduced an AI tool to help staff write emails faster. The idea was to speed up customer replies. However, emails ended up giving clients the wrong information, and this led to financial loss for the company [2]. This incident may show that what you write, how you write it, and how much care you put into your message make a big difference.

Now, let’s examine an example of a poorly crafted email message, this time in a corporate context. Read through it and consider what went wrong.

This email shows how ineffective communication can damage trust in a professional setting. The following issues make this email less effective in handling a sensitive topic in a company:

• The email lacks a subject line. Always include a clear and descriptive subject.
• The formatting of the email is inconsistent and difficult to read. The message is written in all caps, which feels aggressive.
• The tone of the message is accusatory. Phrases such as “if you used a weak password, that might be part of the issue” and “update your information immediately” create a hostile tone.
• The message lacks clarity. The email could be structured more effectively by first stating the problem in detail, then providing clear instructions for improvement.
• The wording in the message is harsh. Instead of issuing commands, the message should make polite requests.

To improve clarity and effectiveness, the email should

• Start with a subject line that reflects its purpose.
• Structure the body into clear sections: problem, necessary actions, and next steps.
• Use a professional and respectful tone.
• Format the message in a clean and readable way.
• Avoid vague language or assumptions that could confuse the reader.
• Include a polite and clear call to action at the end.
• Keep the message concise and focused on key points.

The following revised version shows how these changes can make the message clearer and more professional:

This email is much more effective than the previous version. It’s clear, respectful, and well-structured. This makes it easier for the recipient to understand and respond. Considering how much workplace communication occurs through email, adopting a clear, concise, and respectful style can positively impact your professional reputation.