Email Address: Part of your Professional Image
One of the most common resume mistakes we see is with email addresses. Your email address is just one of the many elements that can contribute to your professional image.
Certain e-mail addresses do not convey professionalism: Hotmama78@hotmail.com or Benchpress247@yahoo.com, for example.
Aside from a professional-sounding address, for consistency of personal branding, I recommend an email address that closely matches the name on your resume. This kind of address has the added bonus of always being recognizable; it takes the guesswork out of a contact list.
Common Email Mistakes
Certain details that should not be in your email address. At Peak Performers employment agency, we are widely recognized for our nondiscrimination advocacy. Unfortunately, not every other employer shares this value. To play it safe, we recommend an e-mail address that doesn’t include:
- a reference to age or year of birth
- race or national origin
- religion
- familial status (marriage, children, being a grandma/grandpa, etc.)
- or a reference to any other characteristic that is a protected class under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
One of my favorite “inappropriate email address” real-life examples is the curse of a name that inherently sounds unprofessional.
Above all, the most important thing is that you give out an e-mail address that you actually check. The hazard of setting up a new, professional e-mail address is that you’ll forget to check it. The solution is simple: set up account forwarding. This way, you’ll be able to send and receive e-mails as a professional, with the convenience of being able to check both accounts.
