Friday 12 March 2010

Those e-mail addresses

I was talking to someone today and asked for that someone’s gmail address to be added into my chat list. I was given:-

jin.long-chan@gmail.com (name has been changed)

My reaction was… gee, why is the e-mail so freaking formal? It’s like a freaking working mail type of address. Don’t you think so?

I was told that this particular e-mail is used for formal purposes, predominantly… application for jobs. And then it hit me! Indeed, one should really have a more proper e-mail address when applying for jobs.

While I was recruiting someone into my team last year, some of the e-mails of the applicants are… how should I put it… professionally inappropriate?

Can you imagine someone applying for a manager position and that someone’s e-mail is…
crazy_orange@hotmail.com?

Maybe, it shows the openness and adventurous side of the applicant. Or perhaps, it is craziness in doing work. Maybe you are a health freak and you are crazy about orange. But at the end of the day, it just feels weird.

I just ran through the CVs that I received and there are 2 that deserve a mention (domain has been changed)……

The first…
haha-linlin@yahoo.com. No, the first one has got nothing to do that that applicant’s name. On hindsight, maybe it shows that the applicant has got a very bubbly character. But then… linlin… no connection to that applicant’s name… hmmmm…

Second…
cutecute_kwan@hotmail.com. Try not to apply for senior professional position with such e-mail address, particularly when you attach your photo along. Enough said.


2 years ago…
The changes, the expected changes and the unchanged

3 years ago…
Prioritise life

22 comments:

Linda said...

I guess most of the formal names must have been taken up long time ago, and left them with no choice but to create something funny... haha. I had my full name on my hotmail address, which I wish I could have something a little less formal.

TG said...

I created a special email address with my full real name, which I use for applying for jobs. You're right, what you said. It does reflect the person's character. So what's your email address? ;)

Birthie said...

Aside from this, which is meant to be anonymous, I have mine the same throughout the net; emails, usernames, log-in names, etc.

To me it is some kind of an identity. Just like your IC. In the cyber world?

Monyet King said...

How very true. For a long time, my HR folks had a prejudice against people with these funny emails. HR perception was that people with funny email addresses would not be serious in their work. This has since been rectified - I told them to ignore the applicants email addresses. In fact, one of our top performers had a email address with roti canai in it when he first applied for the job.

Anonymous said...

Haha..I have never given a thought to having a formal sounding email address just for job application.

I just name it any which way I like. Most people probably have email addresses after their names.

Would a funny sounding email address jeopardize a potential job opening?

eiling lim said...

hahah this is so funny! I find people with "fancy" email addresses should have a more formal email add for formal stuffs. Like you said, it's not funny to apply a job with prettyhotbabe@gmail.com right?

missironic said...

Hahaha.. Yeah. I have frens who intentionally create formal email address just for applying jobs. But, for me I feel I'll just use what I'm always active on (even though the email address don't have my name in it), so tat I'll be constantly checking my mails. You never know when some people might reply u. Fortunately, my email address doesn't have the "cute cute" word or any funny words in it. :P It's pretty normal (if u remember what it is, Zewt). :)

sinlady said...

haha. then there is sinlady...

CK said...

i received a resume with long.schlong@sthsth.com

InjusticeSistem said...

wah lau eh, in tat case my gmail acc InjusticeSistem sure can get me a job in umno lehhhhh....dis is not wat dey practise, no?

p/s.....i noe how to spell system, i spelled it 'sistem' is to reflect our great NEP education

doc said...

you never mentioned which ones actually got the job.

Huei said...

really? an email address is so important?? i'm so glad i don't have something stupid! hahahah

Anonymous said...

mine : me_short@hotone.com !

bosscat said...

another is... try not to use the same email as your Facebook's email too. even if you do, make the facebook private. lOl

day-dreamer said...

HAHAHAHAHAHA which is why my email addresses are most of the time (quite) formal and reflect my real name so that it's more appropriate when I have to use it for academic/work purposes. :D

LX said...

I noted this trend of types of email addresses used in my secondary school yearbook. The more 'serious' and 'nerdy' students from the so-called better classes (academically, at least) all went by formal names. As you flip the pages, the emails get funkier and funkier that by the last page, you can't make out what the words mean. Fun though..

Terra Shield said...

Yeah, I use a very formal type email address for job applications. Seems like the right thing to do. But it's not my full name, though

Pinknpurplelizard said...

I have several email addresses. Each for certain purposes. :P

Jerine said...

There was a girl's email amicute@yahoo.com applying for job. When I interviewed her, I asked her why her email is "ami" when her name is not Ami. Then she told me, it's actually Am I Cute. I was like WTF? No, she's not cute at all. Anyway, I didn't pick her for the job because her email was too cheesy.

zewt said...

Linda - well, if for work purposes... should have some level of non-formalness i guess.

MKL - just my name... hehe...

Birthmark - yup... identity... me too.

Planet of the Monyets - it kinda give you a certain impression isnt it?

Mei Teng - depends on the hiring manager..

eiling lim - might just work, depend on the boss... haha!

zewt said...

missironic - haha... yeah, a formal one for u too. not that formal but nothing over cute i guess.

sinlady - for job too?

CK - i guess you dont wanna know.

InjusticeSistem - hahaha... that education sistem.

doc - a formal one.

Huei - you can have, just dont use it for formal purposes ler.

zewt said...

anon @ 12/3 6.15pm - which part?

bosscat - hahaha... yeah, nowadays, employers do survey ppl via facebook...

day-dreamer - but dont u just want one funky add?

LX - chances are, they dont use those e-mails anymore right?

Terra Shield - certainly u cant use terra shield... quite terrer that one is.

pinknpurplelizard - i wonder how many purposes are there.

Jerine - woaaah... already interviewing ppl... kudos!