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Academic Email: How to email a Professor for inquiry?

Are you looking for an academic job such as a PhD or a postdoc? Do you want to write an email to professors to inquire about the details of an academic position? If your answer to the above questions is yes, this post can help you find the right solution.

The first step of the application process is to get in touch with the host professor. You might wonder, what would be the best approach? In this post, we want to give you some practical advice on how to write or get in touch with a professor for a Postdoc or PhD.

What you should know before writing your email?

Always remember that when you write an Academic Email to a professor, you are not the only person writing to him or her. On average, a well-established professor in a top 100 university in the world receives more than 50 emails per day! If he or she wants to give full attention to every Academic Email (let’s say 10 minutes each), then 500 minutes of his or her daily work will be gone for e-mail responses! So, no time will be left for any other work!

Simple conclusion: university professors can allocate up to 1-2 hours per day to read emails, so they can do their other duties such as teaching, student supervision, administrative tasks, grant/proposal writing, paper writing, and reviewing. What does that mean in terms of your Academic Email? Your future mentor will skim through your Academic Email and might spend a very short period of time on its content. Therefore, it is important to know “How to email a Professor for Postdoc enquiry.” There are two scenarios:

The professor that you have written to him/her does not have any openings in the group. So, no matter how good you write your e-mail, the answer (if any!) would be no!

In the second case, the professor would seriously look at your academic email IF AND ONLY IF it looks professional! Instead of explaining what is a professional and good email, let’s instead discuss the bad and annoying emails! In the following, we select a short email with a few parts and discuss the content of each part. As mentioned earlier, we start to use bad emails as our role models!

Tips on how to email a professor for an inquiry:

Emailing a professor for an inquiry can be an intimidating task, especially if you are contacting them for the first time. However, sending a professional and concise email can help you to make a good impression and receive a timely and helpful response. Here are some tips on how to email a professor for an inquiry:

  1. Use a professional email address:

When sending an email to a professor, ensure that you use a professional email address. Avoid using email addresses that are inappropriate or casual. Your email address should include your full name or a variation of it.

  1. Use a clear and concise subject line:

The subject line of your email should be clear and concise, indicating the purpose of your email. This will help the professor to identify the content of your email quickly and prioritize their response accordingly.

  1. Address the professor appropriately:

Begin your email with a professional and appropriate greeting, such as “Dear Professor (Last Name).” Avoid using casual greetings such as “Hi” or “Hey” as they can be seen as disrespectful.

  1. Introduce yourself:

In the first paragraph of your email, introduce yourself and provide some background information about yourself. Include your name, major, and any relevant information that will help the professor understand your inquiry better.

  1. Be specific about your inquiry:

In the body of your email, be clear and specific about your inquiry. Explain your request or question in detail, so that the professor can understand what you are looking for and provide an accurate response.

  1. Use proper etiquette:

Use proper etiquette when communicating with a professor. This includes using proper grammar, avoiding slang or informal language, and being respectful and polite throughout your email.

  1. End your email with a professional closing:

In your closing, thank the professor for their time and consideration and use a professional sign-off such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards.” Include your full name, email address, and any other relevant contact information.

  1. Proofread your email:

Before sending your email, ensure that you proofread it carefully for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors. A well-written and error-free email will help you make a good impression and increase your chances of receiving a timely and helpful response.

Examples of Good and Bad Academic Email

Salutation or Greeting at the start of the Academic Email:

Terrible examples: Dear Sir, Respected Professor, Hello

Good Example: Dear Dr Johnson/ Dear Professor McMillen

The main body of the Academic Email:

Terrible examples: I have read your research and found them very valuable and interesting. I am terribly want to join your team to learn from your esteemed expertise!……

Good Example: My name is Johny Depp and am currently finishing my PhD at the University of Jiang working on the Life Cycle Assessment of plastics. Having read your recent papers on LCA such as XXX and YYY, I found that my background fits with your research expertise and I could be an asset to your team as a postdoc. For your consideration, I have attached my detailed CV and list of publications. In short, I have got three first-author papers in the Journal of LCA and Environment and received the best poster award from the LCA2019 conference. Please do not hesitate to write e if you need any further documents and I am available for a Skype meeting anytime that suit you.

Closing statement:

Terrible examples: Thank you, John

Good Example: Sincerely Yours, John Jeans

In conclusion, emailing a professor for an inquiry requires careful consideration and attention to detail. By following these tips, you can compose a professional and effective email that will help you get the information you need while also making a good impression on the professor.

We hope that these devices help you to gauge your text/Academic Email in a way to is effective and ultimately secure you a Postdoctoral position.

Save time and effort with these fastepo.com positions for PhD, Postdoc & Scholarships. They have an exclusive site just for scholars looking for more career opportunities.

You may want to learn more about how to write a project proposal. This video can help you figure that out and take action!

The Application Documents Section, it is aimed to give you all the essential information to be successful in the application process:

  • HOW TO PREPARE AN EYE-CATCHING CV FOR ACADEMIC JOB
  • How to write a Project Proposal with Template?
  • Equity Research Cover Letter: How to write a strong Application Letter?
  • 15 PRACTICAL GERMAN WORDS FOR NEW STUDENTS IN GERMANY
  • SIX STEPS TO GET YOUR ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN A PEER-REVIEW JOURNAL
  • INTERVIEW FOR ACADEMIC POSITION
  • HOW TO APPLY TO A POSITION?
  • HOW TO FIND A POSITION?
  • ENTRY LEVEL CERTIFICATE ENGLISH

Fastepo Team will update all different types of academic positions so you can find them on our Home Page and on our Academic Jobs page. Therefore, make sure to follow our page on Facebook to not miss any new vacancies, and also enjoy our tips and advice on academic jobs. But if you are bored reading text, watch our PhD and Postdoc-related videos on our YouTube Channel.

Would you like to know the salary amount of PhD and postdoc positions in Europe? 

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You can find all the available full-funded PhD positions in different countries here.

  • Germany – Fully Funded PhD
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  • Denmark – Fully Funded PhD
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  • Canada – Fully Funded PhD
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  • Luxembourg – Fully Funded PhD
  • Spain – Fully Funded PhD
  • Italy – Fully Funded PhD
  • Iceland -Fully Funded PhD

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