Your university email should be used to send formal emails to staff members and students. It is also the place where you will receive updates and communications from the university.
We have interactive workshops available to help you develop your academic IT skills. Find the recordings on the Skills for Learning Workshops page.
We have online academic skills modules within MyBeckett for all levels of university study. These modules will help your academic development and support your success at LBU. You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required. Find out more from our FAQ What academic skills modules are available?
Emails should be written in a polite, professional, and formal manner.
Subject line
Your email should include a subject outlining the content of the email. You should try to make your subject relevant to the email you're sending. This will help people to find your email easily at a later date.
Include key information in your subject line, like your module code or the email topic. This helps others to understand the nature of your email.
If your email is personal, begin your subject line with 'Personal'. Provide a brief description of the email content.
Example email
Subject: Reflective Writing Assignment - HEAL616
Dear Clara,
I am emailing you regarding the reflective writing assignment due on 13th May for the HEAL616 module. I wondered if we have to use a specific reflective writing model for this assignment, e.g. Gibbs or Kolb, or if we can select the one which works best for our reflection?
Kind regards,
Claire Smith
L6 Dietetics
Student number: 1234567
Font Style
Your font should be accessible to make it easy for the recipient to read. Use a minimum font size of 11 and a san-serif font such as Arial or Calibri. Use sentence-case text (capitalise just the first letter of the first word in the title and only capitalise proper nouns after that). You should avoid writing everything in capital letters.
Appropriate greetings
Your email should include an appropriate greeting tailored toward the receiver. If you know their name, use 'Dear (name)' to open your email. If you do not know their name, use another formal greeting.
Formal greetings:
Do not use informal greetings such as:
The body of the email
After your greeting, you should write the body of your email. This is the biggest part of your email. Try to outline the main purpose of your email straight away. Give background information if this is needed. Be precise and concise when writing your email. Your email should be polite, formal, written in plain English and free of grammatical errors.
Signing off appropriately
After you've written the main body, you should close the email appropriately. Appropriate ways to sign off your email include:
It is important to include your full name and student number when closing your email. This makes it easier for staff members to identify you. You might also include the name of your course and the level of study.
Awaiting a response
Whilst your email might be urgent to you, it is not necessarily as urgent to the recipient. Ensure you send your emails giving the recipient plenty of time to respond. Generally, you should wait five working days for a response, before sending a follow-up email.
What if I don't get a response within five working days?
Once you have taken these steps, you might consider sending a polite follow-up email.
Dear [name of recipient],
[Main body] I am emailing regarding xxx.
[Any further information]
Kind regards,
[Name of sender]
[Level of course], [name of course]
Student number:
The Outlook (student email) webpage provides guidance on accessing your student email.
Writing a letter is often a formal means of communication. You might write a cover letter when applying for a job.
Structuring your letter
You should write your name, address and the date in the top right-hand corner. You might also decide to include your email address. For example:
Petra Clarke
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus
Woodhouse Lane
LS1 3HE
5th June 2023
Beneath this, on the left-hand side, you should write the recipient’s name and address.
Joe Bloggs
University of Leeds
Woodhouse Lane
Leeds
LS2 9JT
Ensure you use a formal letter structure, even if you’re sending it online.
Opening your letter
Your letter should include an appropriate greeting tailored toward the receiver. If you know their name, use ‘Dear (name)’ to open your letter. If you do not know their name, use another formal greeting, such as:
You might also decide to contact the organisation to find a named contact.
The purpose of your letter
Consider why you are writing your letter. Is it a letter of complaint or a cover letter? Ensure your writing is clear and to the point. Your letter should be written in a polite, professional, and formal manner.
Begin with a short introduction:
Explain what your letter is about. If it is in response to an online vacancy, say where you saw it.
You might also give your letter a subject heading with relevant details of the position you are applying for.
Why are you suitable for the position?
Outline how your skills and experience match what is being asked for in the advertisement. Try to draw on your most recent experiences. Make it easy for the reader to see why you are suitable for the position. Try to expand on the information you provide in your CV.
Why would you like this position?
Think about why you want this position. Outline what attracts you to the role, demonstrating a good understanding of the technicalities. Try to draw on your previous experiences, even if they are in a different field. How does this position build on the experiences you’ve had so far?
You might also reflect on why you want to work with this particular organisation. Take some time to research their website. Consider contacting one of their employees to find out more about the organisation.
Closing your letter
Close your letter in an appropriate manner. You might politely indicate your expectation of a reply, e.g. “I look forward to hearing from you”.
If you open the letter to a named person, you should close with ‘Yours sincerely’. If you opened with ‘Dear Sir or Madam’, you should close with ‘Yours faithfully’.
Finish by writing your full name.
Petra Clarke
10 Woodhouse Lane
Leeds
LS1 3HE
5th June 2023
Joe Bloggs
University of Leeds
Woodhouse Lane
Leeds
LS2 9JT
Dear Mr Bloggs,
RE: Mental Health Care Support Worker/FE101
I am writing to apply for the post of Mental Health Care Support Worker as advertised in the Yorkshire Evening Post on 5th May and enclose my CV for your consideration.
I am enthusiastic about working for the Mind and believe that I have a great deal to offer as a candidate. The post of Mental Health Support Worker offers the opportunity to help clients who might be struggling with their mental health, to access support services and to connect with their local community. Mental health support services are hugely oversubscribed, so I am particularly interested in your plans for developing additional support services to help individuals who might be in need. Having researched your website I am also impressed by the many new initiatives which have been developed by Mind, particularly your most recent campaign on People in Poverty and the support offered to your employees in terms of continuing professional development.
I worked as a volunteer information assistant with Sheffield MIND for six months, following completion of my studies in Psychology at the University of Sheffield. This helped to build the foundations of my knowledge in mental health services and sparked an interest in the sector more generally. This job involved providing information to clients and their carers, in person and by telephone, on a variety of issues such as employment rights, drug treatments and caring for children and young people. I found the job intellectually stimulating and derived satisfaction seeing users benefitting from the service.
I understand that providing advice by telephone, especially to carers, will be a major element of the Mental Health Support Worker role and my experience working in a doctor’s reception has helped me to develop skills which are highly relevant to this aspect of the work. In particular, helping clients to identify their needs, navigating and directing them to the appropriate healthcare practitioner, and dealing sensitively with their personal information, as well as managing their emotional needs.
My work volunteering with children in the local community centre in Leeds involved helping those beyond the reach of mainstream services, a skill I feel will help me to make a useful contribution to Mind’s outreach projects. In addition, working as part of a small and very busy team for SANE has improved my communication, teamwork, and time-management skills.
As a result of my enthusiasm, educational background, and previous work experience I feel I could make a significant contribution to your organisation. I look forward to hearing from you soon. If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Petra Clarke
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