Can my email address prevent me from getting interviews? YES!

ABSOLUTELY! 

If you are looking for a great career with a reputable business, take a minute to rethink what your email address is. A personal email address says a lot about you. Are you a business professional looking for a serious job, or someone who isn’t fully committed to applying and working for a serious job? First impressions mean everything, and the first impression your email tells your future employer will be all the difference.

As a staffing coordinator, I have had years of experiences with email address, and the first impressions they give! When I receive an email from birdlover1950@me.com, I easily guess that this is someone who loves birds and was born in 1950. Yet, if you’re applying for an entry level position at a firm, I wouldn’t want to hire you! Why? It is immediately assumed by HR professionals that someone who is 63 years old - as suggested by the 1950 in the address - would not want an entry level job. Trust me, it happens! The HR professional disregarding your email is not discriminating against you, the applicant, but the HR professional is using the first impression that you gave them to make a decision.

So what should your email be? Remember that your email says a lot about you, and is your first impression to your employer. Create a professional email address specifically for professional correspondence. I highly recommend an email address with the first initial of your first name and your full last name. (For example, Sarah Adams would become SAdams@email.com) I also suggest using email accounts like gmail.com and outlook.com. They are both highly reputable and user friendly, and free!