As the familiar saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression". So, let’s just hope the first impression that you DO make is a positive one – especially when you’re in the market for a new job!

When looking for employment, most people meticulously update their resume, choose the perfect power suit, and arrive extra early for the interview; however, there is one crucial detail that some people seriously overlook--it is their email address. Over the years, Ignite has received numerous resumes and cover letters from applicants with email addresses that make one stand back and say, “You’ve GOT to be kidding!”

I first recall receiving a resume from pimpintraining@xyz.com. Needless to say, that individual did not get a call to schedule an interview! Since then, I have become somewhat obsessed with people’s email addresses and in essence, what their address “says” about the individual. Recently, iamanut@xyz.com and iambored@xyz.com came across my desk. I asked myself, “Are these applicants trying to be funny? Are they even aware of how silly they sound? Do they think a potential employer will seriously consider applicants who describe themselves as a nut and/or bored?” “Is princesstrish@xyz.net really from royalty or is she just high maintenance?”

yohomey@xyz.com, butterymama@xyz.com and bigboobs@xyz.com may be highly qualified for the job, but they already have a strike against them, before I even open their resume. Not only are these email addresses unprofessional and inappropriate, they also lead one to believe that the applicants are not to be taken seriously.

Do you want a potential employer to notice you because of your comical email address or because of your skills and credentials? Do yourself a favor and create a professional email address on yahoo, hotmail, or gmail--it only takes a few seconds and could make the difference between your resume getting put into the “yes” file or the “circular” one!