As you enter the workplace either as an intern or as a full-time employee, learning how to professionally communicate in the workplace and understanding the communication expectations and norms of your workplace are important. Establishing a strong professional network can also be helpful in finding your community and sense of belonging.

In this section you will learn:

• Tips for communicating in professional settings
• How to navigate rescheduling or missed appointments

Resources and worksheets for this topic:

• “Thank You” email template
• [“I need to reschedule” email template](https://www.themuse.com/advice/email-template-reschedule-job-interview#:~:text=Email Template How to Reschedule a Job Interview&text=I'm really looking forward,interview for a later date.)
• “Apologies for missing our meeting or being late” email template
• “Post-meeting connecting on LinkedIn” message template

Professional Communication

Most employers are now connecting and communicating primarily online. Whether formally job searching or expanding your professional network, professional communication is a vital career management skill. When communicating with professionals in the tech industry, in both CodePath sponsored events and your own networking building, below are some tips to make it successful.

Professional Communication Pro-Tips:

• Always include a greeting: Before any request, use a formal greeting include the person’s first name or formal title (when addressing a Doctor, Professor or tilted profession)
• Frame the conversation: In the first few sentences, politely share context for your outreach (connection to a colleague, alumni connection, requesting more information) . This helps the reader understand what you’re looking for quickly.
• Represent yourself well: Little things go a long way in setting you apart from other students including a professional subject line in emails, having a signature line set up, thanking the person for their time, sharing the why of your message, etc.
• Build connection: Don’t go into a message just with an ask, provide a little bit of background on yourself and share any common connections you have with the person you’re reaching out to. You never know what connections you share until you ask.

Navigating missed appointments

No one likes being canceled at the last minute or ghosted. While scheduling mistakes do happen, a best practice is to acknowledge the mistake as soon as possible and to not assume the person is able to reschedule. Below are some email templates in the event that you miss an pre-scheduled meeting or that someone misses one with you.

APOLOGY FOR MISSING A MEETING EMAIL

Hi {First Name},

I want to extend my sincerest apologies for missing our scheduled session today. I realize you took time out of your schedule to meet with me, and I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, I had unforeseen circumstances arise this (morning/afternoon) that meant I could not make it to a computer in time. I hope you’ll accept my apology and, if you’re open to rescheduling for later in the week or providing me with any feedback by email, please let me know, although I completely understand if that’s not possible.

With gratitude,

{Your Name}

University of ______ | Class of 2024

{LinkedIn link}

INQUIRY ABOUT MISSED MEETING EMAIL

Hi {First Name},

I believe we were scheduled to meet at ______ (time) this morning, but I’ve been waiting in the Zoom for about 5 minutes, so I wanted to reach out and make sure there was not a miscommunication. I’ll keep waiting in the Zoom for 5 more minutes, but if we’re unable to connect today, I’m wondering if you’re open to rescheduling for later in the week. I’ve included my general availability below. Please let me know what works best for you.

General availability:

M/W/F:

T/Th:

Of course if the windows above don’t work above, I’ll do my best to work within your availability!

Best,

{Your Name}

University of ______ | Class of 2024

{LinkedIn link}