An Unprofessional Email Could Cost You the Job

Even with pretty heels
and a pretty clutch,
they're still pajamas.

Imagine, if you will, that you have submitted a job application and resume for a position with a company you are hoping to work for. The hiring manager receives your application and resume and one of the first things s/he notices is your Skrillex4Life@yahoo.com email. It’s okay that you love Skrillex and you’re more than welcome to use this email between family and friends, however, this is most assuredly one of the reasons (if not the reason) your application and resume are ending up in that employer’s trash can.

When you’re applying and interviewing for a job, you want to show the best and most professional version of yourself. This snagajob article said using an unprofessional email is like “showing up to a job interview in your pajamas, so unprofessional.” 

What is an example of a professional email?

Lifehacker.com included this in their ‘Know What Your Email Says About You’ article:

“The username you select is vastly more important than the provider you use. Firstname.lastname@aol.com is preferred to and more respectable than sexkitten2010@aol.com—cutesy, offensive, or unprofessional nicknames are big mistakes.”

A typical professional email would include your name such as JohnSmith@gmail.com. This might be difficult for those who have names that are very popular, but if you include your middle name or even just your middle initial you may find that the email address is available. Or, you can use a combination of initials and your full last name like jarodriguez@gmail.com.

You can also try adding a period in between your first and last name. For example: Christine.Adams@gmail.com.

Try a Different Email Provider

I would definitely suggest trying to get an email account with Gmail first as it’s the most widely used email provider, but if you’ve tried and all the variations were taken already then that’s okay. There are other email providers out there like Yahoo!, AOL, and Hotmail. You can use one of these and try to see if any of the variations are available.

Don’t Make These Mistakes

Whatever you do, don’t have a professional email that falls under these 5 categories from Andrea Coutu’s article:

1. Too flirty. You’ve got some flirty, cutesy or otherwise goofy email address, leftover from college, your Internet dating days or a drunken moment at Gmail - hotsexythang@domainname.com and coolseattleguy@madeupdomain.com.
2. Shared with your life partner, meaning you have no separate identity, control issues, a domineering partner, computer skills too weak to manage your own account or some other “issue” people dream up –robandjulie@mytownslocalISP.com.
3. Too generic. You put a date in your address to set you apart –jane2007@gmail.com.
4. Make you look less than brilliant. Unless you’re flickr, a modified spelling looks like you either created your address in desperation or that you can’t spell – consltnt@gmail.com or propaytner@hotmail.com.
5. Spam filter nightmare. Many email filters are set up to look for numbers, underscores, and superlative adjectives. Even if you can handle the branding issues, your email may end up in the junk mail bin –angela_coopersmith1980@gmail.com.       

Have more questions? Why don’t you attend one of our Resume Development, Professional Interview Skills, and/or Resume Composition workshops by visiting: https://www.careersourcepinellas.com/pages/workshops

If you’re not sure whether an email is professional or not, or if you have an idea of a professional email and want my thoughts, just send an email to blog@careersourcepinellas.com and I’ll let you know what I think.