Job Searching 101- How Email Addresses Define You

Updated 3/10/17**

If you are applying to jobs with the following types of email addresses, here are a few examples of what your email addresses say to a recruiter:

AOL - I'm Old.

Hotmail- I’m not tech-savvy.

Yahoo- I haven’t converted over to Gmail yet.

GinaB1990@yahoo.com - I’m 26 or was 26 when I created this email address.

hotboy69@gmail.com or SexiiLexxie@hotmail.com - I’m totally unprofessional.

Wesley@companyname.com – I don’t respect my employer so I’m using my work email address to apply for a new job.

Believe it or not, email addresses are just as important as your resume and cover letter. They tell a lot about your character and how you should be perceived…literally. It’s a sad reality but a bad email address can determine your fate in the selection process. How do I know this…because I was once a recruiter and worked alongside other recruiters in different industries who laughed at or scolded those with bad or questionable email addresses.

IMMEDIATE STEPS TO TAKE

Don’t panic! You do not have to get rid of your current email addresses. Instead, create another one strictly for your job search and add the new email address to your resume, cover letter, job boards, and any social media accounts that are tied to your resume (i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, etc).

CREATING A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

You can create a free email account with Gmail or iCloud (if you have an iPhone or any Mac product). When creating your new email address, be sure to use your first and last name. Also, avoid using numbers, special characters (see chart below) and underscores (particularly because once your email address is hyperlinked, the punctuation is no longer visible). If you have a very common first and last name (meaning the email address is already taken, opt to try these different ways below using a combination of your first and last name:

cchis@email.com

cchisholm@email.com

crystalchis@email.com

chisholmcrys@email.com

cryschisholm@email.com

chisholmcrystal@email.com

cchisholm@email.com

If you want to make a really good impression, purchase a domain name (via GoDaddy or Google Domains) and create a customized email address (ex: Kim@theinteriordesigner.com). Having a customized email address will not only set you apart from those who have the same type of email extensions, it will also brand you as an expert in your field.

****SPECIAL CHARACTERS****