A new school year is just around the corner, which means that organization is more important than ever! With today’s modern technology, getting ready for school doesn’t just mean taking a trip to the local office supply store. One of the most important things you can do to prepare for this upcoming term is to learn more about optimizing your Gmail account to improve your organization, timeliness and professionalism. Let’s walk through a few tips that will help you get started:
Optimize your settings
The first thing you should do is customize your inbox settings. When you are on your Gmail home screen, click the gear in the top right corner to adjust these preferences. Not only can you change the wallpaper, you can also organize your messages to have new, important or starred emails sent to the top of your inbox, which can help keep critical emails from getting lost. We also recommend checking out Gmail’s Tips and Tricks for more customization options.
Add a signature
To help prepare you for the workforce, it’s important to start implementing professional practices, starting with your email signature. In Gmail settings, you can add a signature to the end of all your emails and include different signatures based on new emails or reply messages. As an artist, it can be important to include your website, social media and LinkedIn in this section to help potential employers or connections learn more about you and your art. For a few sample signatures, check out this HubSpot blog post.
Create labels
It can be frustrating to not be able to find an email with an important attachment or assignment, especially if your inbox contains thousands of messages. By creating labels or folders to divide up your emails, you’ll save yourself tons of searching time. To create a label, use the label tool on the left under mail settings, and then drag emails into different named folders. While color coding and creating, be sure to put the labels in your own language and think through how you want your inbox to be organized. You can create a folder for each class, club or even larger assignments. By creating this organization plan prior to the start of classes, you’ll set yourself up for email success.
Utilize the schedule tool
A favorite but sometimes underutilized tool in Gmail is the ability to schedule messages. When you are composing an email, you don’t have to schedule right away. By using the down arrow next to the send button, you can pick the time and day you would like the message to be received. This tool helps eliminate any forgetfulness and ensures you are being respectful of the receiver, so they aren’t receiving messages in the early hours of the morning.
Looking to get the most out of your Google Workspace? Keep an eye out for more tips and tricks in the RMCAD blog. We hope these tools help you have the ultimate organized school year!
