When most people go to a job interview, they take care to make sure that their clothes are clean, their clothes match, and that their hair doesn't look like they spent the summer in the wilderness with Bear Grylls. They make sure their resume is immaculate with no grammatical errors. But what about their contact information? A new kind of elitism concerning what comes before and after the '@' sign of your email is one of the newest things that needs to be thought of when it comes to a professional environment. What does your email address say about you? I switched my personal email to Gmail as soon as the beta testing was finished from an email address hosted by CBGB, the now defunct punk rock club in New York City. It's very difficult for me to remember what life was like before Gmail, and my extremely unprofessional email. Would you want to hire someone with the handle "youngcrazedpeeling"? I think not.
Most people understand that handles like "BigManOnCampus" or "SuperQT7"should be changed to something like "jane.doe" or "jlsmith." What about what comes after the '@' sign? According to an article by the Chicago Tribune, even domains such as the once dominant AOL and Hotmail are looked down upon. Does it mean that you are so unprepared for the internet that you are still using dial-up? Or that you are pining for the 90s, and still spinning that Chumbawumba CD? Not necessarily. It all depends on where you are applying. Personally, I am glad to keep up with the times and use a sleeker, more dependable email domain. I've already signed up for Google Wave Beta, and life before Gmail is a memory that I have since forgotten.
It is so important for people to polish every aspect of themselves when pursuing any type of professional endeavor. Making the extra effort on a small thing such as an email address, which is a main channel for contact, makes a big difference between getting hired, getting an internship, and not living life as "SuperQT7."
I agree. This is also very important for businesses. Having a good email extension for your employees shows your company is professional and makes it seem less "home business based". We often get companies that come to us with @aol.com, @hotmail.com, etc. email accounts and one of the first things I recommend to them is to upgrade to a @yourdomainname.com email. This looks much more presentable for business cards and marketing materials and is easier for your customers to remember.