Which email address would be better to use?

Career Opportunities & Internships
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<p>Lately, I've been thinking about what an appropriate email address (besides your school email) for resume use, etc. would be? </p>

<p>I have a few options. For example:</p>

<p>Let's say, for a moment, that my name is Jane S. Doe. </p>

<p>1) I have an email that is my first name, middle initial, and last name @gmail
so, it looks like this: janesdoe@gmail
(Although, the real email address is a bit longer than the example because my real name is longer). </p>

<p>My name isn't available at gmail without my middle initial.</p>

<p>2) There's also my first initial, full last name, and birthday (without the year) @gmail so, that it looks like: jdoe726@gmail </p>

<p>3) Another is my first name and last name @live.com so, that it looks like this: <a href="mailto:janedoe@live.com">janedoe@live.com</a> </p>

<p>4) I also have my first name and last name @outlook.com so that it looks like: <a href="mailto:janedoe@outlook.com">janedoe@outlook.com</a></p>

<p>5) And last but not least, there's the combination of my first initial, last name, and the last two digits of my birth year @outlook.com which looks like: <a href="mailto:jdoe91@outlook.com">jdoe91@outlook.com</a> </p>

<p>6) The day of my birthday is also avaliable which makes it looks like <a href="mailto:jdoe26@outlook.com">jdoe26@outlook.com</a> </p>

<p>I have heard many things in regards to email addresses for resume use and professional use. I have heard people say that numbers should be avoided. I have also heard people say that gmail is the preferred domain at the moment. Is there something really wrong with using something else besides gmail such as yahoo, live, outlook, aol, etc? </p>

<p>With all of that said, which of these examples do you guys think is the best example for an email address that can be used on resumes and other professional stuff?</p>

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<p>I would be inclined to use janesdoe@gmail or <a href=“mailto:jane.doe@gmail”>jane.doe@gmail</a>. (Except, of course, that I would use igor.sikorsky@gmail, or perhaps <a href=“mailto:igorsikorsky@gmail”>igorsikorsky@gmail</a>. And, no, Igor Sikorsky isn’t my real name, either.)</p>

<p>Or at Yahoo. But probably not at aol. </p>

<p>I’m kind of a luddite, so I’m not the person to express an opinion about live or outlook.</p>

3

<p>IMO as long as it is simple and mainstream you’re good to go … so the examples you have are fine. I can’t imagine any variation of your name, including ones with numbers, would cause a problem in any official/serious context … the names to avoid are things like “<a href="mailto:partybabe@g-mail.com”>partybabe@g-mail.com</a>"</p>

<p>I also can’t imagine anyone caring which provider you use as long as it is anything not controversial … so avoid <a href="mailto:jane.doe@partybabe.com">jane.doe@partybabe.com</a>.</p>

<p>My outlook on this kind of stuff is to use your common sense and not spend too much time on issues like this one. If there actually is a hiring manager who cares if you use … jane.doe … janedoe … or … jdoe13 … in your email address I want NO part of working with them or for them … so my email address may self select myself away from bad fits.</p>

<p>(PS - I live this advice on a bigger decision. I have a beard … and have had one for a long time. Every time I look for a job a ton of folks advise me I should shave off the beard … personally, I look at it as a test of my fit with the boss … if the beard bothers her/him when I interview I’m probably a bad fit for that group.)</p>

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<p>What’s wrong with janesdoe[at]gmail[dot]com? Generally, name[at]gmail[dot]com is perfectly adequate for any professional correspondence, in the absence of a school email. I’d leave out numbers if you can avoid it. If you hate gmail, you can use a different email provider. If you have no problem with gmail, just use the first option. I feel like you’re really over thinking this.</p>

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<p>I kinda agree that you’re overthinking this. Also, why would you not want to use your school email address?</p>

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<p>^They may be worried about what happens when they graduate after their school email no longer works. When I was a senior, I stopped giving out my school email all together because I didn’t want to have to worry about changing emails after I graduated.</p>

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<p>I’m sure it varies by school, but in my experience, everyone can maintain a school email address long after graduating. For example, I still get email to my undergraduate account, and I also have an alumni account. Many times, your undergraduate account will be disabled, but all of your email will be forwarded to an alumni account. You should really check to see what the deal is before assuming that your email will be deactivated, and if it is scheduled for deactivation, you should see if you could get an extension on it. Email addresses are the kinds of things that aren’t reused by universities, and since it’s so cheap, there’s really no reason to deactivate accounts anymore.</p>

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<p>School email stays active for couple of years after graduating. So if you are a new graduate ill probably use that for job applications. Once you land your first job you can discontinue using it.</p>

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<p>No, it depends on the school as to how long the email address is valid. I got my MS at UT-Austin in 1986 and can still use <a href=“mailto:MaineLonghorn@utexas.edu”>MaineLonghorn@utexas.edu</a> if I want.</p>

10

<p>IMHO it does not matter what you use. No employer will think more of you or less of you because of a normal email address. If you have something offensive that is a different story. But <a href="mailto:jane.doe@anything.com">jane.doe@anything.com</a> vs <a href="mailto:janedoe1992@anything.com">janedoe1992@anything.com</a> will not make a difference to any employer. Don’t overthink the minute details. Focus on your Resume, Cover Letter, the way you Dress and how you conduct yourself in Interviews. Nothing else matters.</p>

<p>Good Luck!
Jay.
[Intern</a> Beat | Postcode HR](<a href=“http://www.postcodehr.com/intern-beat]Intern”>http://www.postcodehr.com/intern-beat)</p>

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<p>That may be your experiences with school emails, but my school’s email address deactivates after graduation. You can still receive email for up to a year, I believe, after graduating, but you can no longer send email from the address. The OP’s school might be the same (or the OP might not even have an .edu address).</p>

<p>I personally didn’t want to have to deal with switching over my email address once my school email deactivated. I wanted to have one professional email that I could use for all of my contacts, regardless of where I went to school or when that email was officially deactivated. When I graduated college was the easiest time to do that, especially as I was building contacts and in graduate school.</p>

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<p>I think anything with your name would be fine, as long as it isn’t something like sexyjane@gmail or janedoe77723626284950 (random numbers that make no sense)@gmail.</p>

<p>I use <a href="mailto:janedoe@live.com">janedoe@live.com</a> as an alternative to my school email because every combination of my name does not work with gmail. I worried a bit too since @live.com wasn’t as popular (or cool…) as @gmail. I haven’t really run into problems except their spam filter is terrible and sometimes other people receive my email as spam. I assume this would be the same as outlook?</p>