The feminine urge to add exclamation points

Interview Boss

Ever typed “just checking in 😊” or added an extra exclamation point to sound friendly—then worried you sounded unprofessional? You’re not alone. This week’s episode is all about the tricky balance of being warm and respected at work.

Inspired by a listener question, Sarah and Emma unpack the pressure (especially on women) to soften their communication—using emojis, exclamation marks, or phrases like “just” and “I think”—and whether it helps or hurts in a professional setting.

They explore what the research says, when softening language is actually strategic, and how to edit your emails to strike the perfect tone: polite, warm, and confident. Plus, you’ll get real-life examples and swaps to help you communicate clearly without undermining yourself.

If you’ve ever stressed over how your emails come across, this one’s for you.

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Wendy who bought us FOUR coffees! “Emma and Sarah, Thank you for your amazing podcast and sense of humour. I had a job interview today and I felt I couldn't have been more prepared for it after listening to all your great advice and preparing for close to a week for the interview. I especially liked your advice on "telling them about yourself" even when they haven't asked you "tell me about yourself". Guess what, he didn't ask me that but I gave him nuggets from my response to "tell me about yourself" anyways! Lots of love from Canada!”

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References

https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-write-professional-work-email-women/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gracefoster/2023/09/14/when-to-use-adam-grants-weak-language-and-when-not-to/

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-56707-001

Writing Tools

Just Not Sorry https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/just-not-sorry-the-chrome/fmegmibednnlgojepmidhlhpjbppmlci?pli=1

Grammarly

https://www.grammarly.com/

Language Tool

https://languagetool.org/