Candidates! Be basic with your email address

I had to write this little blog because I just got an email from someone looking for a position with my company.

There are a lot of tips and advise that I can give to job seekers. but this is a piece of advise that seems so basic that I feel like it should be well known. Unfortunately, many people don't do it. The advise is....be basic with your email address. Or maybe not basic, but try not to be so off the wall.

If you are applying for a position, create an email address in Gmail, Hotmail, etc. that is professional. Keep it to pieces of your name or profession. It can be #1ITdirector@gmail.com. But don't send me a resume that I have to repsond to purplepeopleeater@gmail.com.

I don't know how many of the recruiters here actually look at the email address, but I just got one the was hustlers_dragons_pumas@???.com I begin to think abou the personality of the person that sent the resume and it isn't good.

This brings up another good point. Voicemail. If you are looking for a position and you have a voice mail greeting that says "yo yo what's up you know what to do," I am most likely not going to leave a message, because I don't see the professionalism.

Several recruiters might agree or disaggree, but I think that an email address and a voicemail greeting should be professional when you are looking for a new position. After you get the job, change it to whatever you like, but for the time being, show some professionalism.

This is my first post and I hope it wasn't to rambled, but you all understand what I am saying.

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Comment by Pamela Bovaird on February 14, 2011 at 1:10pm: Very funny! I absolutely love the "yo you what's up you know what to do". It totally made me laugh. I can't tell you how many times I have come across a vm like this one. It does help break up your day though with a little laughter. I agree. It is important to have a professional email and voice mail.

Comment by Amber on February 14, 2011 at 1:16pm: Agree, definitely! I have had candidates change emails adressess and voicemails, and it's surprising that it has been from all levels and types of people.

Back when I was in the corporate world, the company I worked for had an online system which required the applicant to create a password. The hiring manager and others with access to that req could see these passwords - more then one had profanity, sexual connotations, or just plain silliness. It was really hard to convince me that it might be someone I would want working for me.

Comment by Melissa Zentgraf on February 15, 2011 at 10:54am: I completely agree with you on the email address! I had someone send me their resume with an email address that was jaw dropping. I did a public service and called this person, even though they weren't qualified for the position, and told them how bad their email address was. He had no clue that he was making that kind of impression and he got a new email address right away. I've even taught my kids to keep their email address simple so when they apply for scholarships, camps, and colleges, there won't be a mad scramble to change things.

@Amber: I hadn't thought about that for the corporate systems. I will have to advise my candidates about that one.

Comment by Ami Wilson on February 15, 2011 at 10:56am: Don't forget those phones that have the music you can "enjoy" while your party is being reached... I've "enjoyed" some very inappropriate and unprofessional tunes while waiting for the candidate to answer their phone.

Comment by Debra A. Jamieson on February 15, 2011 at 11:11am: Wow, I totally agree and have thought of this many times but thought I was perhaps being to "old school". I too just love the music on hold that sometimes is not only unappropriate it also is so very loud. I feel better now about consulting candidates about changing their email address and voice mail messages if not professional. Great idea about our children of the future for their upcoming emails for colleges, etc.

Comment by Ken on February 15, 2011 at 11:25am: Totally agree with the post - Ami stole my comment about the "music" instead of a ring while they anwser. Some are very inappropriate.

Comment by Karen Kerr on February 15, 2011 at 12:05pm: I used to be a career counselor at a university and was prepping a high achieving student for her interview with Deloitte. Her email address was sexykitten@blank.com and I advised her to change it. She proceeded to stubbornly argue with me that "if they don't see me for me, or accept me for who I am, then they have a problem." Oy vey! Two weeks later she came back to see me and thanked me and apologized. She had changed her email address... and she got the job. I got the same reaction when I advised students about tattoos and piercings. The old "you can't judge a book by the cover" argument. Well, honey, all they see right now is the cover and that cover ought to be pretty nice to get them to open the book.

Comment by C. B. Stalling!! on February 15, 2011 at 4:18pm: I wrote this ver same info monthas ago but not a bad idea to remind people.

iamaplayer@yahoo.com

Comment by Alisa Tazioli on February 15, 2011 at 5:02pm: I think candidates also fail to recognize that an email alias like 'sexykitten' is also much more likely to get tagged as suspicious by a spam filter and not make it to their intended recipient. This kind of feedback should be given to candidates more regularly, kudos to you @Melissa for doing exactly that with the candidate.

Comment by Kelly Callahan on February 15, 2011 at 7:11pm: My funniest was: crazywhtgurl@... I had to call her to find out what I had done wrong to generate her interest. Sadly, it was a referral.