Most people don’t think about it, but it’s always a good idea to create a separate email account just for your job search. In a time when we’re constantly bombarded with emails about everything from sales, to job postings, to birthday parties, and work requests, creating separate email accounts can make a big impact on your productivity and sanity. Here are four reasons why you should create a separate email just for your job search.
Your old high school email account shouldn’t be on your resume
Let’s be clear: Your old high school email account (i.e. your old AIM username) should not be on your resume. If you have an email along the lines of doglover101 or hottamale3000, it’s important that you create a new email account to use for professional emails. Create an email with your first and last name, or some combination of your initials to create an account that is acceptable to use on your resume. Your friends might not mind that you use an old email address with a silly username, but potential employers will. Make things easy and create a simple email address to use for all things job search.
It allows you to prioritize emails accordingly
Finding a job is hard. There’s no way to get around it. This gets amplified when you’re trying to juggle your job search, your current job, and other responsibilities like family, friends and self-care. Creating an email account that you only use for your job search allows you to prioritize emails accordingly so you can be sure to see job search emails quickly after they come through.
When it comes to finding a job, it’s important that all emails you send are timely, clear, and are free from errors. By creating a separate email just for your job search, you create separation so that you can prioritize emails that come specifically to that email. The email about the big department store sale can wait, however an email from a potential employer cannot. When all of your emails end up in one inbox, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by sheer volume or simply miss an email within a sea of messages. If you create a separate email account just for your job search, you’ll know exactly when you get a high priority email, and can ensure to respond quickly, professionally, and efficiently.
It will free up your everyday email inbox
Depending on how you go about your job search, you may be getting emails when new jobs become available. This is a great tactic to help you stay abreast of new opportunities, but it can begin to clutter your inbox. By creating a separate email solely for your job search, you can free up some space in your main email account. Doesn’t it sounds nice to have an inbox that doesn’t have a million unread messages in it?
It removes any potential conflicts that could arise from using a work email
A lot of people use their work email to apply for jobs and for personal use which can cause a huge issue. Companies can legally look at employees’ work email to monitor activity and ensure it aligns with company policies. It might sound violating, but the truth is that if you’re only using your work email for work purposes (like you should be) they can’t find anything personal. If you’re applying to other positions from a work email, chances are that you are violating some sort of code of ethics, and you’re likely sharing personal information such as why you’re interested in leaving your current role. This kind of information can be used against you.
If you feel like this is unheard of and don’t feel like your company is paying attention to these details, you’re likely wrong.
A recent survey conducted by Alfresco, a digital business platform suggests that 98% of companies monitor their employees’ digital activity, while 11% of employees aren’t aware that their company captures digital activity at all.
Specific results showed that 87% of companies monitor email, 70% look at your web browser history, 55% monitor Slack or Chatter, 41% check your work voicemail, and 34% look at Facebook or LinkedIn.
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If you’re trying to create a more organized email inbox, one of the easiest ways to start is to create a separate email account just to use for your job search. This will give you a professional email address to include on your resume, will help you prioritize job search related emails, will help you organize your current inbox, and will ensure that you keep your current work email and job search emails separate.