I’m not going to pretend to be a hip Gen-Z (as evidenced by the fact that I just said “hip Gen-Z”). And I get it – you don’t love email. You can just text someone on WhatsApp or post to Instagram or Snapchat (or whatever social media you prefer). There are easier, real-time forms of communication that you can use to connect with others.

But ironically, the limitations of email are precisely why it can be so useful when navigating adult relationships – from your parents to your instructors and employers. Email allows you to control how you present yourself, set boundaries on how you communicate, and decide when you receive notifications and check messages. That can be extremely effective in creating boundaries and establishing respect in important relationships. Plus … the University sends a lot of important information by email, so you gotta check it anyway.

Developing an Adult Relationship with Parents

Your parents have spent your whole life being responsible for you: physically, emotionally, financially. Becoming the parent of an adult child is a strange transition. While you were sprinting down the path to becoming an adult, your parents were only taking baby steps to becoming the parent of one. Then, they dropped you off at college and were summarily fired from the job that had been the core of their identity since the day you were born. That’s hard!

Your parents will miss you and will desperately want to know how you’re doing. And you’ll probably miss them a little too. But you’ll be busy, and won’t want your parents randomly texting or calling you all the time. It’s important to find a middle ground between being at each other’s beck and call and total radio silence.  

Email lets you keep in touch in a way that respects healthy boundaries. Your parents can support you, but not be hovering in real time. You can keep them in the loop, but only divulge what you choose, when you choose. Email is a great tool to help you smoothly transition into a supportive parent-adult child relationship. And if there’s an emergency, you can still text or call for an immediate response.

Creating a Professional Relationship with Instructors and Employers

Your relationship with professors, mentors, and supervisors are incredibly important — they can be invaluable networking resources who can help connect you to opportunities that will set the trajectory of your career. Your academic honors, grades, internships, professional history, and letters of recommendation will play a key role in getting a good job or being accepted into your ideal graduate program.

When it’s time to speak to your instructors and professional contacts about your course, job, or future career plans, you’ll likely be initiating the conversation via email. Here are a couple things to remember when using email to communicate in a professional setting:

• Start with a polite greeting. Consider something like ‘Dear Professor Soandso’ or ‘Hello Dr. Lastname’. If you’re not sure of their formal title, check the Canvas course syllabus or company website.
• Introduce yourself. Give your full name and the context of how you know them (especially if you don’t already have an established relationship). Tell a professor the course you’re enrolled in. Include your year and major if you’re asking about future career plans. Tell a professional contact how you met them or where you work within the company.
• Use correct grammar and spelling. An email is more formal than a text or a social media post, so don’t use Internet slang or be overly casual.  Use spell/grammar check and proofread the email. 
• Use a formal closing. Conclude your email with something like “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, or “Thank you” followed by your name. We also recommend including an email signature.
• Be time sensitive. Be considerate and respectful of their busy schedule. Don’t email a professor in the middle of the night the day something is due. Don’t ask for a meeting or letter of recommendation in just a couple days. Instead, send emails during normal business hours (you can use Delay Delivery in Outlook if needed), with as much notice as possible.
• Use a professional email alias. Pitt allows you to create up to two email aliases. If you have a silly one that you use with friends and family, don’t use it for professional communications. Use your actual Pitt username or a professional alias based on your name.

Start Using Outlook to Foster Positive Relationships

We recommend that you check your Pitt email account a few times a week. You can download the Outlook desktop app from the Microsoft 365 Portal, favorite the Pitt Email task in myPitt, or get the Outlook mobile app from the Pitt Mobile App Center.

Here are some helpful resources for using Pitt email:

• Read Pitt Email on Your Phone/Tablet
• Personalize Your Pitt Email Address
• Learn to Spot a Phishing Scam
• Ode to Outlook blog
• Pitt Email and Calendar Info