Paralegal Blog

A strong correlation exists between the perceived quality of an applicant and the email address used. Think of your email address as an online business card. It is a vital piece of personal information and a primary means of contact. An email address is often seen as a reflection of professional identity, so it is worthwhile to consider how it will be regarded by others. Using a non-traditional address as your first touchpoint for employer interaction could directly impact your credibility.

When two people are equal in terms of background, experience, skills, and education, other fine points will be scrutinized – and that snazzy email name could be the deal-breaker! Bottom line: a person using 2hot4words@email.com may not be taken seriously or get the job. In my role as Director of Career Services, I have seen some cringeworthy name creations. I am baffled every time. A keen job seeker is best represented by an email address that is not overly “creative.”

While an email name is only a small part of the totality of your credentials and candidacy, it has great potential to impact your chances of getting hired if it is poorly conceived. There is a continuum from unprofessional to just not well done. Many job seekers overlook this important detail. They may lose first impression power simply by failing to integrate a respectful level of professionalism in their email name.

Do you want greater visibility as a job candidate? Then take full advantage of the range of resources being offered by your college career center. Doing so can extend your learning experience well beyond the classroom. A one-time interaction to spruce up a resume or prepare a cover letter will not give most students everything they need. Many can benefit from additional preparation in navigating from campus to career, whether they are seeking their first professional position or rejoining the workforce after earning a degree.

Conducting a job search without professional guidance can be both intimidating and stressful. Students and graduates who establish a relationship with career service offices have deeper and more meaningful conversations about their professional goals and how to achieve them. These conversations are core to the full student experience and equally important to graduate success and career readiness as the curriculum. Comprehensive services offered by these offices can enable students to plan and navigate their career path, make self-assessments, identify sought-after attributes, and take inventory of their relevant skillset and background experience.

A good instructor will evaluate your school performance in much the same way that a supervisor will assess your execution of work responsibilities. You will receive feedback on your knowledge, recall, competence, quality of product, completeness, communication skills, time management, punctuality, and more.

Sometimes that feedback can make you feel threatened and insecure.

Before shifting the blame for any shortcomings to your instructor, remember that getting better at anything requires feedback and follow-up. Accepting feedback, even if it is not candy-coated, is an opportunity to improve, grow your competencies, and advance your career. Faculty move into higher education because they genuinely like to teach. They care about their profession and want to make a difference – connecting with students is a big part of that. Keep the following points in mind the next time you receive instructor feedback:

Sometimes you are not the strongest candidate or the best fit. Sometimes it is not your fault. But sometimes it is. Here are the top 10 reasons you might not be getting hired.

When you apply for a job online your resume will often be scanned by an internet robot, also known as an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before it ever lands in the hands of a hiring manager. An ATS is an electronic filtering software that scans resume content for specific keywords to determine if the document should be passed forward for human review. ATS search for relevant information that matches a job posting, including education, training, former job titles, and other keywords that point to the required experience. At least 98.2% of Fortune 500 companies use BOT technology.¹