What Your Email Communicates About You To Employers

By Dorcas Karuana,
Today, most job applications have shifted to online and emails have become an efficient way that employers are using to get candidates as fast as possible.

But what kind of email addresses do we use in job applications? Recently a recruiter shared with me that “the minute your application is received, the HR Manager starts judging you right from your email even before reading your cover letter and the CV.”

Therefore, the minute a job seeker clicks on the send button after you have agonized over your CV and perfected your cover letter, make sure you are not about to blow it all with a single email.

Martin Githaiga, a Recruitment Officer at Corporate Staffing Services agrees that some prejudice can be formed from your email address. “Like your clothing, your hair style, and your manner of speaking, your email address is part of your personal image,” he says.

“Certainly it’s a type of prejudice that a hiring manager might look over you because you have an “old fashioned” email address or a “stupid” username, which is not entirely different than a hiring manager being unimpressed that you showed up to a job interview dressed badly.”

Level of professionalism of a candidate – Advising job seekers to make an effort to have professional emails, Mr Githaiga says that, “the hiring manager will take you serious if you have an email with one or two names of the persons sends.” This is a sign of professionalism and actually someone took time to come up with the email.

Noting that the most important thing is that the email clearly identifies you as a person, Mr Githiaga says that “a silly one will turn off employers.” For instance, “your cute username might have been sweetie blessing in high school or college but entering the professional world it’s definitely time to retire sweetieblessing@gmail.com in favor of miriam.muya@gmail.com”

Even when your email address is too long, make sure your email address is uncomplicated so it is easy for employers to enter into their system.

On using your current work email address when making job applications, Mr Githaiga considers this a bad idea.  “It is considered unprofessional, insensitive and it makes you look disloyal, and as if you are spending your work time looking for another job,” he says.

Ask yourself – “What would my employer think if they saw an email to me with the subject line, ‘Your job interview’?” That will tell you straight away whether it’s a good idea to use a work email address.

Mr Githaiga advises that, “it better to have a personal account rather than a shared one since a personal email identifies you and it looks more professional. He advises job seekers to also provide an email address that one check frequently.

In conclusion, an email can affect your job applications. It is worth taking the time to assess what your email address says about you.

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