Handle asked HR professionals and recruitment consultants whether or not an unprofessional email address would deter them from shortlisting a candidate. 89% of respondents stated that it would be a factor affecting their decision.
Some claimed that it would definitely stop them putting a candidate forward with responses including: “With it being so easy to go out and get free email addresses these days I would say yes. It shows poor judgement and a lack of professionalism” and “to me it is like showing up for an interview in shorts and a T-Shirt”. Others believed that the email address wouldn’t be the only factor affecting the shortlisting process, but may contribute: “For me an unprofessional email-address is not a killer but it won’t help the applicant climb up the list”.
“We see handfuls of CV’s every day, and our job is to send only the very best to our clients” commented Brendon O’Sullivan, Manger of the Office Temps division at Handle recruitment. “Competition, particularly for entry level roles in the media and entertainment industry is fierce at the moment and the CV is the one document you have to convince an employer that you’re worth an interview. Most people wouldn’t reject a job seeker purely based on an email address, but faced with two CVs, an employer will choose the person they deem to be most skilled and professional, so don’t let something as small as an email address damage your chances.”
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