I have seen blog after blog telling job seekers that they need a professional email address. They all say the same thing, but somehow I think that it hasn’t quite sunk in for some folks.
You DO need a professional email address. My first choice is Gmail, followed by all the others. Your email should have your name and not give any information about your personal life or hobbies. Prospective employers don’t really need to know that you collect teddy bears or believe in legalizing marijuana. Political statements don’t have any business in your professional email address. They will only help the hiring manager in creating a bias, so please, if you haven’t done so already, get yourself a nice professional Gmail address.
Over the last few years, I’ve seen some that have made me laugh and some that might shock you. Of course, I changed the names to protect the innocent (or guilty) depending on your point of view. Don’t let this be you:
Grab your name while you still can!
Krista Morris is the founder of Virtuoso Resumes and a two-time TORI Award winner who has helped more than 3,000 professionals land jobs faster with strategic, high-impact resumes. Known for bold storytelling and interview-based information gathering, she blends recruiting insight with clear positioning to turn complex careers into compelling brands. Before launching Virtuoso, she spent nearly a decade in workforce development with the State of Arizona and Maximus, helping job seekers move from unemployed to unstoppable. Today, her four-writer team serves clients across the United States and supports career transitions at every level.