My editors asked me to revise this note three times. Welcome to The Economist’s newsroom, where we take great pains to write in one voice—clear, succinct and to the point.

In my Bartleby column on writing the perfect CV I compare the prospective jobseeker to a man walking into a bar. The beginning of the proverbial joke is also a metaphor on the exchange of information: writing a résumé is like walking into a room full of strangers. The words you choose and how you place them form your style. 

This applies to most forms of communication. Accordingly, in an out-of-office reply there is no need to tell us whether you’re surfing in Maui or writing a novel. If you’re signing off an email never use “ciao”, “thx” or “take it easy”. 

Getting it right is important. Whether in the initial seven seconds of making an impression or in the electronic trail you leave behind—pay attention (and rewrite as many times as it takes).