Online Business Blog

You may not realise it but your email address could be seriously hindering your chance of getting a new job.

A funny email address might have seemed like a good idea at the time, indeed when you were younger all your friends probably had one too, but now when entering the world of work your humorous or cheeky address might seriously put you at a disadvantage in a highly competitive jobs market.

Try putting yourself in the position of an employer who had just employed a recruitment services company to advertise your vacancies. If you have had many applications back for the position, all of which are equally qualified, who do you think are more suitable, someone with a standard email address such as firstname.lastname@gmail.com or something like chunkylover53@aol.com. The chances are you would, even if it’s wrongly, assume that the applicant with the first email would be a more appropriate candidate for your company.

It is perhaps then a good idea to cerate a more professional sounding email to put on future job applications, you don’t even have to use the email address long term simply just use for any job related situations. Though if its not your regular email account make sure you remember to check it often, you don’t want to miss an email inviting you to an interview!

A while ago I wrote a blog about the effects of controversial advertising campaigns that Direct Response Advertising agents have used for the likes of Benetton over the years. The latest national campaign to cause a stir was designed to prove there is more to getting the message across than advertising on Google.

The 1.25 million ad campaign was intended to run on more than 11, 000 billboards and poster sites across the country and was backed by one of the biggest media owners in the sector. The three messages that were planned to run were: “Career Women make bad mothers”, “1966. It won’t happen this year” and “Educashun isn’t working”. Each of the ads asks the viewers whether they agree with the statement and pushes them to join a discussion on the website: Britainthinks.com.

The campaign, which launched with its first statement ‘Career women make bad mothers’ on Monday 4^th January quickly ruffled the feathers of women the length and breadth of the nation and an influx of angry and upset Mothers posted their rage on the Mumsnet website stating their contempt and hurt at the blazon statement.

The Outdoor Advertising Association had intended these posters run for a fortnight on buses and billboard sites but have had to be scrapped due to the bad attention it has received. The next to run is the statement “1966. It won’t happen this year” which is sure to risk offending football fans and rubbing salt in old wounds, but its got to be said that whilst this campaign has already offended a great deal of people, the attention it has achieved is exactly what it set out to do, which many UK Advertising Agencies often can only dream of.