10 Pre Written Templates for Your Toughest Work Emails

We’ve all been there.

Hunched over the keyboard, staring at the flickering cursor on the screen, wondering, ‘How on earth do I write this email?’

You start writing, and then delete the whole thing, only to start over because you’re not quite sure of what to say (or how to say it).

The email ends up getting tossed into the ‘too hard basket’ (aka the drafts folder), and sits there idle for a few days – or weeks – until you can’t possibly put it off any longer, and finally have to hit ‘send’, feeling like a bundle of nerves.

Well, you can stop hovering over that send button like you’re about to launch a nuke. And there’s no need to agonise over whether it’s better to sign off with ‘Cheers’ or ‘Best regards’ (FYI: Use ‘Cheers’ for friendly conversations, and ‘Best regards’ for more formal emails).

Our team of writers has done all the agonising for you!

We’re serving up 10 perfectly phrased, concisely written and completely diplomatic email templates to help you conquer your toughest work emails and navigate those awkward work scenarios with the poise and grace of an Email Etiquette Ninja.

From sending a friendly (but not too pushy) follow up email to see whether you got the job, to asking a former manager for a letter of recommendation – we’ve got you covered. Feel free to adapt and use these as you see fit! 

Job hunting 

     1. You want to write a memorable thank you to your interviewer without sucking up

     2. You need to chase up a job you applied for but don’t want to seem pushy

     3. You have to reject a job offer that you've already accepted

 

At work/ In the office 

     4. There’s a conflict in the workplace and you need to tell your boss

     5. You need to say ‘no’ to a big project/client

     6. You need to ask for some time off work (but don't want to go into the details)

     7. You have absolutely no idea what the sender wants

 

Career progression 

     8. You’d like to ask someone to be your mentor

     9. You want to catch up with a new contact that you met while networking

     10. You need to ask someone to write you a letter of recommendation

 

Bookmark this page, or to take your email etiquette and productivity to the next level, try saving these emails as templates in your inbox.

Having them on file means that no matter how tough or awkward the email, you’ve got this! Enjoy.