Use a professional email address

Image credit: MG

I’ve lost track of the number of bizarre email addresses I’ve seen throughout my career. The one that really stood out recently started with “sookiebutt.” Maybe this is cute or funny to friends and family, but this email address is not professional and not one you want to use on job or college applications.

Now I realize that there are more than six million people in the world and most likely a few of these people have the same name as you, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to “sookiebutt” for an email address.

For job and college applications it’s best to use an email address that includes at least part of your name. There are several free email options these days, so if you can’t find the email address you want on gmail, then try yahoo or hotmail. Shop around. You can always use periods or dashes to break up your name too.

If your name is super common, like “John Smith,” then try adding a word that indicates your skill set, such as “johnsmith.writer@” or “johnsmith.engineer@” or “johns.writer@,” play around with several options until you find one that’s available.

Find an email address that sounds professional, one that will give potential employers or a college admissions committee confidence in your judgment. Responding to an email address that includes body parts or strange nicknames could be a deal breaker.