Hotmail?

ABajaninCork

Hi - Once again I have a question, and just want to seek opinions on it.

I have a Hotmail account which I use for job hunting, enquiries and so on.

I've heard that having a Hotmail might not be the most 'professional' address to use. I've never heard of this before, and think this is a bit strange. The address is genuine, and is a 'professional' address in so far as it's just 'My Name' @hotmail.com.

What do you think?

Owen

Pretty much accepted that hotmail is not the domain to be used when eMailing. A GMail address is much more acceptable. Don't take my word for it, the other half works in HR.

Willbbz

Hotmail is tacky imo

Gmail.com is short and easier on the eyes

e04bf0c8

I'm afraid I have to totally disagree with PaintDoctor and Willbbz. For an employer to form an opinion about someone based on their choice of email server is complete snobbery in my imo. Granted if the email is something like kitten-fluffy-stars@xxxx.com it would be considered unprofessional but not because it is hotmail as opposed to gmail. tbh I would be completely shocked if any employer rejected somebody based on their email server!

btw first time poster so go easy on me!

MitchKoobski

Gmail looks a lote more professional to me.

Hotmail is something you set up when you got your first computer and internet because MSN was the homepage and it had hotmail on it.

No one will ever pikc you based solely on your email server obviously though.

mikemac

I've always used yahoo and never had any issues and always got replies

But then 10 years ago gmail didn't exist when I got it
I'm not changing and reckon yahoo or hotmail would be fine

now if you were partygirl@hotmail.com that would be something different altogether

Willbbz

My schools guidance councilor recommends not using hotmail. The shorter the better I'd imagine (even if it's two letters)

I'd agree with you e04bf0c8 in saying that it's unfair to get any impression by someones domain name at the end of their e-mail address :P

Also, welcome to boards

Asphyxia

It doesn't matter which email server you use an employer will not base their opinion on you because you're with Hotmail. Like the rest of the posters had said if you have a silly user ID then that's a different story your ID should be professional most likely your name.

I do however find Gmail the best, it's the first email service I set up with and have never had problems with it.

3DataModem

I have interviewed a LOT of people.

Email address doesn't mean anything, only recommendation is that the prefix is your name (as others have said) and not some other garbage or punctuation or numbers.

Gmail is not "more professional". It tells me nothing except you've only used this email address for a few years.

e04bf0c8

Willbbz wrote: »

My schools guidance councilor recommends not using hotmail. The shorter the better I'd imagine (even if it's two letters)

I'd agree with you e04bf0c8 in saying that it's unfair to get any impression by someones domain name at the end of their e-mail address :P

Also, welcome to boards

Thanks Willbbz!

BostonB

if somewhere doesn't want you because you've a hotmail and not a gmail, you don't want to work somewhere that stupid.

Owen

e04bf0c8 wrote: »

I'm afraid I have to totally disagree with PaintDoctor and Willbbz. For an employer to form an opinion about someone based on their choice of email server is complete snobbery in my imo.

Totally incorrect. I love how you can personally disagree with no experience, when I have a partner actually working in HR doing this for a living with experience and yet you dismiss that. There are studies carried out where in IT for example, anyone with a hotmail address is pretty much striken off the shortlist for interview candidates.

Ideally, the ones which impress HR most in the IT field, are the ones with their own domain Pat@Pats-site.com or something like that, gmail being a favourable second, but hotmail costing people their potential jobs. Hotmail was also the bastion of spambots for a very long time, and still is to a certain degree - it's an insecure form of email which has been broken into many times down throughout the years, and even lost users accounts completely (Yes, Google had data loss 2 weeks ago, but they restored the lost data fast).

Even if it were the case that only some employers viewed hotmail as inferior - why risk it? It's like thinking you could go to an interview with a tie and suit, but screw it combats'll do fine. You'd wear the tie and suit to make a good first impression, your email account should do the same. Anyone with a hotmail account to me sends me the signal that they don't understand the security holes it has, or the limitations of the service they're using, and most importantly, that they haven't researched the better alternatives out there - which then leads me to think they're not great with simple computer tasks - which then leads me to think they're not great at other things too.

It's a simple thing to get a half decent recognisable email address. We're gone beyond the days of email addresses like studman62@hotmail.com - it should be first.lastname@domain.com - professional. Least it beats 7778544345612967@compuserve.com

BostonB

I'm sure a lot of IT people, developers end up with a Hotmail address for Microsoft Passport and MSDN Subscriptions. I think it used to be a requirement at one time. Its easy enough to filter it through a gmail account to remove all spam. you might also use a Hotmail to test things. I have one, from years ago, though I hardly use it. Mind you I've about 10 different email addresses for different things. They all get pulled into one web account and backed up into Outlook.

PaintDoctor wrote: »

...
first.lastname@domain.com - professional. Least it beats 7778544345612967@compuserve.com

The email you suggest would be a spam magnet, as any spam generator will go through all combination of names and domain. The compuserve example will attract less spam for that reason alone. its a virtual address, its doesn't have to be literal. Unless you are dealing with people who don't understand that.

The logical follow through to this is that you have an email for applying to google, another one for microsoft, another for Vodafone, or Yahoo etc. TBH if email address is more important than a CV or skillset, theres something wrong with them.

ABajaninCork

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Anyone with a hotmail account to me sends me the signal that they don't understand the security holes it has, or the limitations of the service they're using, and most importantly, that they haven't researched the better alternatives out there - which then leads me to think they're not great with simple computer tasks - which then leads me to think they're not great at other things too.

That's a VERY sweeping statement to make. If that's what you think simply by looking at the (Hotmail) e-mail address, then that would indicate to me that you simply couldn't be bothered to read the entire CV which would presumably detail the experience you might be seeking...

I simply got the Hotmail address as I wanted an address which reflected my change of name. I have to say that in the UK where I'm from, this simply hasn't been an issue, has never been mentioned to me as a problem and has never been a bar to me finding work. Frankly, I was astonished to learn that by having a Hotmail address might be seen as an issue here!

From some of the responses here, this looks like another way for employers to discriminate then!

Thanks for all the opinions given here!

e04bf0c8

PaintDoctor wrote: »

There are studies carried out where in IT for example, anyone with a hotmail address is pretty much striken off the shortlist for interview candidates

These studies sound intriguing. Would you have a link to them by any chance? Or a journal where they have been published?

PaintDoctor wrote: »

which then leads me to think they're not great with simple computer tasks

Well you have me there. As a hotmail user I dont know how I ever got through my Masters of Engineering which involved the computer modelling of structural loads in a high vibration environment. Sure I didn't even know where the "any" key was!

dory

The Oatmeal has the answer to this with a useful chart and I totally agree.

Owen

That oatmeal link is hilarious. Brilliant!

pickarooney

As if there weren't enough reasons already to think that HR goons were incapable of making any sort of informed decision.

ICE HOUSE

Personally I think Hotmail.com is more professional

BostonB

dory wrote: »

The Oatmeal has the answer to this with a useful chart and I totally agree.

Hardly a surprise that a web designer and online marketer, who does websites, reckons having your own website/domain is the best way to go.

Everyone has a gmail. From granny, to the dog. Linked to their youtube account, picassa, and probably facebook, so you can see their last drunken work/college party.

GarRoIT

What do you think of @live.ie? Tt is a hotmail account but it seems more professional to me.

ABajaninCork

I don't think the Oatmeal link can be taken seriously. Funny, but I wouldn't hang my hat on that!

I'm confident in my computer knowledge, and like I say am frankly astonished that stupid assumptions can be made simply by looking at one's e-mail address. I thought people (HR) might be a little more sophisticated than that and actually bother to READ the bloody thing, but maybe I was wrong...

mikemac

If you have hotmail and yahoo you're might be a bit older and more experienced :cool:

I remember a time when you needed an invite to get a gmail address.
To hell with that, yahoo didn't have those restrictions and now I've been with yahoo ten years

Kensington

I'd always use Gmail. I've heard a lot of silly things HR judge people on, even as far as your mobile phone prefix.

ongarboy

I had a friend who worked for a WASPish investment firm in London and was given a job of binning all CVs that had ethnic sounding applicant names as the company only wanted employees that were white anglo saxon protestant types! Of course, discrimination like this could never be proven. Likewise, in Dublin, I have heard of companies binning CVs depending on what postal code you came from. It's all done silently of course but CV snobbery/discrimination is alive and well.

helimachoptor

I use gmail, in the first.lastname@gmail.com
mainly because i think it looks more professional.. also i couldnt get first.lastname@anothermail.com
i had to add in numbers and stuff

Adrock-aka

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Totally incorrect. I love how you can personally disagree with no experience, when I have a partner actually working in HR doing this for a living with experience and yet you dismiss that. There are studies carried out where in IT for example, anyone with a hotmail address is pretty much striken off the shortlist for interview candidates.

Ideally, the ones which impress HR most in the IT field, are the ones with their own domain Pat@Pats-site.com or something like that, gmail being a favourable second, but hotmail costing people their potential jobs. Hotmail was also the bastion of spambots for a very long time, and still is to a certain degree - it's an insecure form of email which has been broken into many times down throughout the years, and even lost users accounts completely (Yes, Google had data loss 2 weeks ago, but they restored the lost data fast).

Even if it were the case that only some employers viewed hotmail as inferior - why risk it? It's like thinking you could go to an interview with a tie and suit, but screw it combats'll do fine. You'd wear the tie and suit to make a good first impression, your email account should do the same. Anyone with a hotmail account to me sends me the signal that they don't understand the security holes it has, or the limitations of the service they're using, and most importantly, that they haven't researched the better alternatives out there - which then leads me to think they're not great with simple computer tasks - which then leads me to think they're not great at other things too.

It's a simple thing to get a half decent recognisable email address. We're gone beyond the days of email addresses like studman62@hotmail.com - it should be first.lastname@domain.com - professional. Least it beats 7778544345612967@compuserve.com

Personally, PaintDoctor, I wouldn't want to work for whoever you work for. And FYI, people can disagree with you for whatever reason they want. Your personal experience with your other half and his/her company is hardly a large enough representative sample to make a definitive statement on the matter.

My fiancee works in HR and she finds your theory farcical. So there you go, my irrefutable personal experience has negated yours. The issue can be opened up to healthy debate again - which is the purpose of this thread.

I had no problem getting a job offer from Google three months ago after I had initially sent my CV using Hotmail. The recruiter even made a joke about me not using Gmail. We had a great giggle. On to interview #2.

Maybe having gmail will help marginally more in some companies, I won't argue that. And maybe for pure IT/Tech jobs it is more important, like you said. However, to say that it's prohibitive to such an extent that you won't be considered for a job the majority of the time - is a stretch.

BostonB

I have no doubt that some HR people have talked their company into doing this. However all of the reasons for doing it are negated by the reasons for not doing it. Reasons which HR people are usually not aware of.

holystungun9

Yeah, I 'upgraded' my fairly childish hotmail address to a proper name at gmail one. I think it is the thing to do. And I use my hotmail everyday but my gmail is linked to it so I can keep tabs if anything has come in there.

Mrs OBumble

IMHO email address does matter.

My primary email account is with a reputable ISP in my home country, so it's firstName.SecondInitial@ISP-name.co.nz.

('cos I got it in the very early 90s and my first name is Mary ... not too many women were into email back then )

In Ireland, an email address like that looks like "foreign rubbish". I get a lot more responses from Irish employers when I use a gmail address with a name that looks Irish.

looksee

My 'main' email addy is myname@eircom.net which is handy as I don't have any problems spelling it out. I hate those email addresses that are all random letters or have satan or 666 in them.

The oatmeal thing was funny and while I agree it is totally illogical it does kind of reflect what I would have thought. I also have hotmail addresses though I don't use them since they did something strange and lost themselves in my gmail account. Don't ask.

I have come across people starting a business with a hotmail address and I do think that looks a bit strange.

BostonB

JustMary wrote: »

....
In Ireland, an email address like that looks like "foreign rubbish". I get a lot more responses from Irish employers when I use a gmail address with a name that looks Irish.

So you want a job in somewhere that filters "foreign rubbish" out...

x in the city

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Hi - Once again I have a question, and just want to seek opinions on it.

I have a Hotmail account which I use for job hunting, enquiries and so on.

I've heard that having a Hotmail might not be the most 'professional' address to use. I've never heard of this before, and think this is a bit strange. The address is genuine, and is a 'professional' address in so far as it's just 'My Name' @hotmail.com.

What do you think?

80% of the worlds dr abullah jordans who own you 20million (TWENTY MILLION) dollars use hotmail of some form, so it is not professional for job seekers.

just get a gmail account, as paint doc said.

also half the hotmails you would send to companies would most likely not even get to the address you sent it to as it would be rightly spammed sooner than you can say 'twenty million'.

ciaramc

feelingstressed wrote: »

If you have hotmail and yahoo you're might be a bit older and more experienced :cool:

I remember a time when you needed an invite to get a gmail address.
To hell with that, yahoo didn't have those restrictions and now I've been with yahoo ten years

I agree. My personal opinion is people who use hotmail are more experienced as they probably have set up a hotmail account up to 15 years ago. Whereas people using gmail, which is newer, would only of set up an account up to 7 years ago.

It really just depends which was the most popular email server at the time you were setting up your email.

I have both hotmail and gmail. I use hotmail for job hunting and enquires. I think after reading this post, I might use my gmail account instead, so my email wouldnt be seen as spam. I personally much rather hotmail to use.

tenchi-fan

Do not use hotmail.

Recruiters probably remember from years gone by emails bouncing from hotmail when the recipient went over their 2mB limit, or the text ad that microsoft appended to outgoing mail that caused the mail to go to the recipient's spam folder. And let's not forget that microsoft has (had?) a huge problem with spammers using @hotmail.com addresses. In fact, I even saw a few jobs posted recently telling people not to apply using hotmail addresses because they were having problems will mail not being received.

Just do yourself a favour and spend two minutes setting up a gmail address. It looks more professional.

BostonB

x in the city wrote: »

80% of the worlds dr abullah jordans who own you 20million (TWENTY MILLION) dollars use hotmail of some form, so it is not professional for job seekers.

just get a gmail account, as paint doc said.

also half the hotmails you would send to companies would most likely not even get to the address you sent it to as it would be rightly spammed sooner than you can say 'twenty million'.

Pity the worlds not that simple
http://www.google.ie/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Nigerian+Sca%2Cs#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=Nigerian+Scams+Gmail&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=258a941ebc9cb1ae

DubK

I use a yahoo.ie address. It suggests you are from Ireland and it's just handy to access online.

I work out of the country a lot and sometimes only have access to mail from a hotel reception PC etc. yahoo lets me access a basic version on these machines and works for me but to be fair I haven't used any other webmail for years

briano

DubK wrote: »

I work out of the country a lot and sometimes only have access to mail from a hotel reception PC etc.

Completely OT, but if you are somewhere with low connection speeds you can use m.gmail.com, it'll load up fairly quickly. For the record, it also works for boards.

With regard to the original post, this is ridiculous. If a HR drone is going to throw out your CV for using Hotmail over Gmail, then they are probably going to throw out your CV for all sorts of reasons that make no sense, so there is no point second guessing them. Some combination of your first name, last name and you're all set.

ABajaninCork

briano wrote: »

With regard to the original post, this is ridiculous. If a HR drone is going to throw out your CV for using Hotmail over Gmail, then they are probably going to throw out your CV for all sorts of reasons that make no sense, so there is no point second guessing them. Some combination of your first name, last name and you're all set.

See my original post. I did say that I use 'MyName'@hotmail.com, did I not? I've never been into using anything other than that, as I don't have the patience to dream up a weird & funky name!

briano

ABajaninCork wrote: »

See my original post. I did say that I use 'MyName'@hotmail.com, did I not? I've never been into using anything other than that, as I don't have the patience to dream up a weird & funky name!

Sorry, I should have made it clearer that I was agreeing with you. I was saying that the argument over hotmail/gmail/eircom etc was ridiculous

ABajaninCork

Ah - sorry about that. Speed-read your answer and didn't compute!!:P

x in the city

guys guys guys

work away and use a hotmail, i can pretty gurantee many companies will automatically spam any incoming hotmails.

the chances of it happening with gmail are vastly reduced.

halkar

I have hotmail account which I use since it's first launch 1996. I used IOL account with netscape before that which I had since 1993. It was dead handy at the time being able to use web mail. It is my main mail account and used in cvs for all my job applications. If any of my cvs went to bin because of my e-mail address it is their loss not mine How can one judge experience based on e-mail account beyond me.:rolleyes:

BostonB

You really shouldn't hire anyone with a common name. Because for sure John.Smith@ anything is going to a spam magnet.

Mrs OBumble

BostonB wrote: »

So you want a job in somewhere that filters "foreign rubbish" out...

I want a job in a place that pays a fair wage for the job done. It's not my problem if their HR people are racist - just so long as they don't expect me to be.

Some of you folks appear unaware of just how many applications employers have been getting, and thus how much they need to filter on apparently ridiculous things just to get the numbers manageable. My favourite story involves a manager who's given two large piles of CVs: their first response was to say "I don't hire unlucky people" - and toss one of the piles into the bin without even looking at it.

BostonB

I was really only thinking about daft HR policies not beyond that. Sometimes we got to do a job we'd rather not, especially when times are hard. So my comment wasn't really appropriate.

ABajaninCork

In the interests of research, I was speaking to a couple of recruiters (in a well-known firm) today about the 'Hotmail' question.

Guess what? BOTH of them told me they had absolutely no problem with candidates using Hotmail as their domain, and do not use this as a criteria when assessing candidates. One of them even went so far as to say they'd never heard of Hotmail being labelled unprofessional, and thought the whole idea silly and 'a load of waffle'!

So there!!:P

Irish_Elect_Eng

This debate is interesting as it brings up a couple of issues:

(1) Which email address is better for job applications?

Well as an owner of several email addresses and interviewer of many applicants I can say that it does not matter a huge amount once I am reading your CV. However I will not be reading your CV if your email address ore indeed the contents of your email mean that our corporate spam-filters delete your mail. So it's your call, it really depends on which you value more, your email Addy or a new job.


(2) Filtering of job-applicants by email address.

My personal CV filters at the moment are as follows:

(a) Legible CV + Cover Letter
(b) Experienced
(c) Qualified
(d) Availability
(e) Salary Expectations

But after that if I still have too many CVs its a crap shoot. From people with interesting hobbies to the closest geographical candidates, it becomes hard to separate CVs, so if there are people out there that decide based on email Addy it would not shock me.

(3) GMail Vs Hotmail Vs Other.

Well I have all three types of addy and they all serve a purpose. However as an interviewer in the engineering field the emails address that gets me interested would be john.smith@relevantprofessionalbody.org for example ELEC.ENG@IET.ORG or computer.geek@IEEE.COM or similar. Membership of a professional body is a big plus on CVs. (But the MIEEE after the applicants name on their CVwould have been a giveaway and I would not have been looking for this as an email address specifically.

banshee_bones

Curious to know what peoples thoughts are on using your college email account is?

like first.lastname@tcd.ie or ucd/dit etc would be?

Adrock-aka

banshee_bones wrote: »

Curious to know what peoples thoughts are on using your college email account is?

like first.lastname@tcd.ie or ucd/dit etc would be?

I'd say its fine for milk rounds/graduate recruiting. After that, using it to get jobs may not be a great idea. You wan't to highlight your experience, not the fact that you are fresh out of college!

tenchi-fan

Adrock-aka wrote: »

I'd say its fine for milk rounds/graduate recruiting. After that, using it to get jobs may not be a great idea. You wan't to highlight your experience, not the fact that you are fresh out of college!

Not to mention most universities and colleges have a habit of nuking your email after a few months/years.