Environmental job search tips: Your email address could be hurting you

Submitted by manager on Tue, 2011-11-22 12:56

By Gregg McLachlan
WorkCabin.ca

In a world where sending your resume and cover letter by email is now the norm, it's time to take stock of the email address you use for this type of professional correspondence in seeking environmental jobs in Canada.

Never forget, the first thing most people in HR see when your email arrives is your email address. It can make a big (or bad) first impression.

Here are a few tips:

1. If at all possible, have an email address that is your name (ie. Mark(at)MarkSmith.com). This instantly adds a touch of professionalism. You can buy a domain name for $10 or cheaper. If you buy it through a hosting provider, some offer hosting accounts as low as $6 per month that includes an email address. It's a small investment to send the right message. These types of email addresses are usually much more memorable too.

2. Avoid the inappropriate email address. Having an email address like I_like_to_party_on_weekends@gmail or beerkegger21@hotmail will almost certainly hurt your odds of getting an interview. If you can't be professional in your correspondence, can an environmental employer expect you'll be professional on the job?

3. Avoid using your current workplace email address. It sends the signal that you're not doing your work, and instead applying for a job on your current employer's timeclock. That's not a good sign. And it is common for it to come to your current employer's attention that you're applying for environmental jobs at work. All around, it's just a bad approach.

Gregg McLachlan is a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches