My fellow friends, an era has ended: Last week, Microsoft announced that all accounts using its Hotmail email service would migrate to Outlook.com by this summer. That “keggergirl00” username you got rid of years ago because it sounded unprofessional? Yeah, say goodbye to that too.
At first, you may be thinking, “Wait–people still use Hotmail?”, but as someone who is job hunting, this news made me think about how something seemingly small like an email address could say a lot about a job candidate. Could an outdated email domain make candidates look behind the times to potential employers? Well, that would depend on who you ask.
With regards to email response jobs, the way individuals manage their email addresses, particularly in their response to job application emails, becomes a point of consideration for potential employers in the job application response email process.
Recently, I showed my Yahoo! account to a group of younger co-workers. They responded with surprise: “You don’t use Gmail?” I felt old and out-of-touch, so I related the conversation to some friends my own age. One said comfortingly, “Gmail is overrated.” And another added encouragingly, “Don’t try to be something you’re not just to fit in! Stand up for your Yahoo!
However, I was aware that the people obsessed with Gmail could also be my future hiring manager, so would using a Yahoo! or AOL account make my resume seem unprofessional? (I thought peer pressure was something l left behind in high school.)
My fellow friends, an era has ended: Last week, Microsoft announced that all accounts using its Hotmail email service would migrate to Outlook.com by this summer. That “keggergirl00” username you got rid of years ago because it sounded unprofessional? Yeah, say goodbye to that too.
At first, you may be thinking, “Wait–people still use Hotmail?”, but as someone who is job hunting, this news made me think about how something seemingly small like an email address could say a lot about a job candidate. Could an outdated email domain make candidates look behind the times to potential employers? Well, that would depend on who you ask.
The way individuals manage their email addresses, particularly in their email response to job applications, becomes a crucial consideration for potential employers in the job application process.
Given the importance of professional email management, I’ve opted to switch over to Gmail for my job search. Despite feeling like a concession, I prioritize ensuring a professional image rather than risking any misinterpretations—even if it marks the end of an era for my email usage.
This post originally appeared on Ladyish.com.
