Professional Etiquette — Small signals, large conclusions

A firm handshake. Arriving on time. Replying to messages promptly. These are not about virtue. They are signals. People form judgments about reliability from small courtesies before they see your work. The signals are fast to send and slow to repair if missed. First impressions have a disproportionate weight.

• In an email: greet by name, state the point in the first sentence, end with a clear next step. Brevity shows respect for the reader's time.
• These habits apply in school, in interviews, and at work. Building them early costs nothing.