Is Your Email Address Hurting Your Job Search?

Job recruiters have a lot more tools available to them when considering job applicants than in the past. They can now have resumes sent directly to their email address instantly instead of having to wait for traditional mail or faxes. However, while this makes job submissions easier for you as well, sending resumes via email can work against you. If you have an old email address with a less-than-professional handle, it's time to change it.

Everything about you online sends a message about who you are. While you can try to hide some things behind privacy settings and limit who you share your social photos with to some degree, there's still a chance a job recruiter can and will see it. More recruiters check for social media presence than ever before when considering job applicants. However, they don't have to search at all for your email address, because it's either on your resume or you emailed them from it directly.

Your email address says a lot about you. If you're sending resumes to tech firms, you likely don't want to use an email domain that goes back to the start of the Internet. While most companies probably won't judge where your email is hosted, every little detail helps paint a picture of you. You want that picture to read professional, competent and up-to-date. If your email address is anything other than your name, consider starting a new account to use strictly for business purposes. Anything with a nickname can sound unprofessional, and a bunch of numbers in the address can get confusing. Special characters like underscores also cause problems at times. Computers often underline email addresses automatically when they're typed out, and the underscore sometimes disappears into the underline when this happens. Simpler is better.

This is more challenging if you have a very common name. Add a middle initial if you have to or something else to individualize your email address while still keeping it simple and business-like. Don't use an address from your college unless you're just graduating. You want an address that you can use and keep for years for your work that won't become dated or send the wrong message. Consider spending a little for your own domain name, allowing you to personalize your email both before and after the "@" symbol. This allows you to have your name on both sides of the email address, making it easier to remember. Consider using your first name on the left side of the "@" and your full name as the domain name. The extra effort in setting up that email also tells a recruiter that you are conscientious and pay attention to details.

Your first email to a recruiter can make or break your chances of a new job. Take advantage of everything in your control to portray yourself in the way you want potential employers to see you. You don't have to stop using your old email addresses entirely, and many people have more than one. Keep your business email for business only, and choose a handle that makes the recruiter want to hire you.

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