Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What's Your Email Address Prejudice?
Lifehacker: "Is an @aol.com or @hotmail.com address a risk on a job application? Do cutesy usernames mean a surefire path to the trash can? Chicago Tribune writer Nancy Anderson ponders the impact an email address can have on your career and job search."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
While I can understand judgements make towards applicants and persons based on silly email addresses such as sexxyhottgirl234@.....com, and other such examples, I do not think one should be judged based on your domain provider. Which provider you receive your email from, frankly is your own business. As long as I can recognize your email and can get in contact with you easily, that is all that should be important. However I do agree that companies should be judged based on this. If I need to email the Best Buy Store Help, I would be extremely discouraged to give that store my business if their email is bestbuyhelp@gmail.com. It's much more professional for a company to have their own domain name, but as for people, use whichever service you like best.
I had an interesting situation during the college application process surrounding the username, rather than the domain provider. My primary personal email address revolves around the phrase "front row center", referring to the seat in a theatre. However, I was faced with a dilemma. Although I was applying to all theatre programs and specific theatre schools, I knew that the Admissions departments would be seeing my applications and would be responding to them, so I felt that using the FRC email address would not be appropriate for submission to the school. I ended up making a new account with my first and last name, which I provided for the applications. HOWEVER, I did use the FRC email address for a summer job application at a performing arts camp, which I received the job. So perhaps specialized addresses may be beneficial, such that you can put the foot you want forward to the email recipient.
I think that there is a lot to say for the professionalism of an applicant, through their email address. For instance, the question if I would consider hiring someone who used the address foxxymom99@aol.com, and the answer is that I would give it a quick glance and if there wasnt something extraordinary about it I would throw it out. Because having an email like that makes me wonder how serious you take your work, work habits and so on. However, i dont think that aol or hotmail or any other provider shouldnt have any bearing on professionalism. So long as your credentials are in order I dont see why someone wouldnt get the job, at least when it comes to eamils
Email addresses have a HUGE effect on how others view you. It is, in a sense, your identity. It is your email identity, it is how others communicate with you. If you have a questionable name, even domain name, people will question your character during the hiring process. I hate to admit it, but its true, AOL and HOTMAIL domain names are a little sketchy. I don't think I would put those domains on a resume or application, because they are starting to get a bad rep for spam and "cheap/sketchy" email. GMAIL is kind of the server to have, unless you use a personal domain, but you do need to be careful about the domain and how it will reflect upon your public appearance.
Since I am right now in the position where seeking future career, this is a timely and critical issue. And I totally understand there would be "prejudice" over Email address. Through my experience in preps for job-hunting in Japan (I have changed company three times before I finally came back to this industry), I realized that the situation was the same everywhere; How employers narrow down the candidates to a few people to call for an interview. Before they go to the details in the resume, they first overlook the appearance, structure, and spelling on the document. No matter how perfectly you wrote a resume, they approach in that way.
Actually, I have used a hotmail account for a long time for my private and also networking purpose, because I did not know that account is perceived "Sketchy, for Kids". Indeed, I can see a lot of "playful" functions other than just as an e-mail account, which I, as an "grown-up", do not use.
I agree with the idea of having own website, domain name and Email account of the domain is efficient way to show seriousness and professionalism towards my business. I believe the best and safest way is to choose e-mail address is to use a standard "firstname&lastname@myowndomain".
I recently changed my email to my name. and got a gmail account. Narelle told me to so obviously there must be some bias in the professional arena?
If an email adress is sexual, rude, or just plan dumb you shouldnt use it for professional matters. Who would want to hire someone who can't take themselves seriously.
As for domain names such as aol and gmail, I dont have a bias personally and I dont think anyone else really does, unless again it is something sexual or offensive. Professionally I think it is more professional to have a domain name like ...@FHdesigngroup.com.
I wanna hire someone professional. If someone can judge me on my one page resume, why can't I judge them on their choice of email?
I think that your email address plays a factor in getting a job. It shows how serious and how professional you are. You can just get a free email for Google and make it something like your first initial and then your last name if you want it to be professional. This is free so I find it somewhat lazy for a person that does not do that. Another plus would be that you have a separate email for people that are connecting with you for potential jobs. I think that there should be some thought put into your email address on your resume.
Post a Comment