Email Error

Thursday 14 July 2011

I like to think I'm pretty knowledgeable of how to produce a good CV and what common mistakes should be avoided.  But if you do a search for such common mistakes you've got to wonder how these mistakes are even made in the first place.

This little story was told to me by a friend a few years ago.  A fellow law student was job hunting; she'd put together a marvelous CV - her education, skills and experience were all ideal for the posts she was applying for.  Yet she never got a single interview.  She just couldn't understand why and was getting dejected with each unsuccessful attempt.

Finally, she had someone look over her CV.

Everything in it was perfect, bar one element.  Her email address was something along the lines of "saucy-sex-vixen" @whatever.com.    A million miles away from the professionalism expected!  No doubt the recruitment department took one look at that and plunked her CV in the reject pile.

She then set up a new email address, using her name, edited her CV and sent some out.

The interview offers then came rolling in.

One very stupid mistake and it cost her so many opportunities.  She did get into a law firm not long after that incident but she could have saved herself a lot of time and misery had she given just a few moments of thought to how her email address looked to potential employers.

I have two email addresses - one with a silly name for friends and family, and one made up of my name for work purposes.

Applying for jobs via email is such a common thing nowadays that I believe some individuals are shooting themselves in the foot by not sending their applications from an appropriate address.  Using your given name is the most sensible option - not nicknames, no clever puns, just keep it simple and professional.
.

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