ADVICE TO GRADUATING STUDENTS: WHEN REPLYING TO AN EMAIL FROM AN AMERICAN YOU JUST MET . . .
. . . always use the name they used when they signed their email.
American professionals usually have two names in circulation: a formal version that appears on HR systems, diplomas, and legal documents, and the name they actually live by.
This short name is their public key: it tells you how they want you to address them, and it signals the level of warmth they’re offering. A “Hello Michael” response to “Best, Mike” rejects their invitation to engage on a less formal level. To an American that can feel jarring, taking a very abrupt step backward after they’ve taken a step forward.
If you know these unwritten rules you can navigate the cultural code effortlessly and build rapport faster with your US colleagues.
