Semicolons are used to join complete thoughts. They generally appear before transition words such as however, therefore, consequently. Both examples below show correct semicolon use:

• Rachel was about to graduate; she was looking for a position.
• Rachel was about to graduate; consequently, she was looking for a position.

Colons are used to introduce lists and long quotations. Occassionally, colons separate two clauses when the second clause explains the first. The following examples show correct colon use.

• Rachel started by checking two popular sites: Monster and CareerBuilder.
• The recruiter said: “A thoughtful follow-up letter carries as much clout as a cover letter. Be sure to send both.”
• A post-interview message should deliver one main point: you want the job.

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