Let’s face it:

Our readers’ inboxes are already overflowing. Grabbing their attention and making things easy for them is a non-negotiable for the modern business writer.

So I was grateful to have Erin Lebacqz of High Value Writing as my guest on Career Cohort to share advice for wrangling our words and hooking our reader right from the subject line.

(By the way, if this is one too many emails today and you’re not in the mood for reading, you can listen to our full conversation here. I’ve got you 😊.)

The following is a sampling of Erin’s advice:

✨ The Magic of the 2-part Subject Line

Imagine this: You’re rushing to leave the office, scanning through your emails, and you come across a message with the subject “Food Drive: Donate Soon.”

Without opening the email, you instantly know what it’s about and the action required.

💡 You know to pick up some cans of soup from the store on your way home.

Now let’s apply this principle to another context—your job search.

If you’re sending your resume to a recruiter, consider a subject line like “Opening for Marketing Director: Resume Attached.” It’s concise and immediately tells the recipient what to expect.

💪🏻 The Power of Action Verbs

For resumes, I avoid the phrase “responsible for” and any variation of the verb “to be.” Instead, I encourage clients to use action verbs to say more with less.

But Erin reminds us that action verbs aren’t just for resumes.

In any correspondence, verbs serve as a powerful anchor for conveying information concisely—and even setting the right tone.

Consider: “Please join us for the session.” vs. “Please attend the session.” How do you feel when reading those 2 nearly identical invitations?

🎯 Knowing Our Audience and Tailoring Content Accordingly

Tailoring our message to our audience is key. The president won’t need the same level of detail as the tech team that’s working with us on a project.

Let’s just remember…

🤝 Tailoring Content Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Respect

If there’s one place where consistency matters, it’s how we communicate with others across our organization—no matter their title.

After chatting with Erin, I’m even more motivated to read every email (before I hit send) and ask myself, as the reader:

🤔 Do I feel motivated? Do I feel like my time is respected? Is there a balance between clarity (writing IQ) and empathy (writing EQ)? If not, I’ll need to work on my message. 🤔

To listen to the full conversation, tune in to your favorite podcast app.

Or listen here on Apple Podcasts and get more great advice from Erin on:

• Avoiding trigger words. Hint: You’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t should all over yourself.” Well, Erin challenges us to avoid “shoulding” all over others, too!
• Giving feedback. How about starting with, Have you tried…? Also works as a great replacement for Should!
• Balancing brevity with warmth. Concise doesn’t have to mean cold. As Erin says, we can be “concise AND nice!”

ABOUT ERIN

Erin Lebacqz helps you write with confidence, clarity, and strategy. Her book and curriculum, High-Value Writing offer strategies for informing and connecting with readers—and for using writing as a management tool. Erin has been teaching writing for 25 years, in the academic, business, manufacturing, and public sectors.

RESOURCES

Erin’s High-Value Writing program and book can also help folks understand the power of both words and reader interpretation.

Learn more about Erin and see what she can offer:

Erin’s website: highvaluewriting.com/services

Erin’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel

Erin’s book: High-Value Writing: Real Strategies for Real-World Writing

Here’s the link to the episode on Apple podcasts

Your feedback is valued!

Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).

We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with me:

For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), Facebook (@CareersEmily), and Twitter (@CareersEmily)

You can also follow my blog, sign up for my monthly job search tips, and schedule a free discovery call right on this site.

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

Powerful Behaviors that Lead to the C-Suite

The Art of Personal Presence & Compelling Communication

Servant Authorship: Authentic Writing in an AI World