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Why "Bootylicious@ . . . " Doesn't Help Your Resume

By Jennifer Bryant
Black College Wire

Photo credit: Mark King/The Hilltop At resume workshops, inappropriate e-mail addresses are discouraged.

Some people might regard e-mail names such as "freak_a_leak69," and "2thug4u" as creative and unique expressions of individuality, but in the eyes of potential employers, they might get your resume a one-way ticket to the trash can.

Students and young adults might have a tendency to go a little over the top. Fashion and hairstyles have already seemingly been pushed to the limit. Now, many students are trying to set themselves apart by creating colorful, unique e-mail names.

Jodi Richardson, a freshman biology major at Howard University whose online name is "fluffy_face," explained that she acquired the moniker from a relative.

"That was my nephew's nickname," she said. "I thought it was cute, so I used it."

Richardson said that she has only one e-mail account, and on resumes and job applications she gives out her "fluffy_face" address to prospective employers.

"I've used it on pretty much everything," she said, though she knows "it doesn't sound as professional as it could."

To her knowledge, the name has yet to keep her from getting a job. In some ways, she said, she believes it works to her advantage.

"It's a good conversation starter," she said.

Walter Pearson, president of Webcast Resume, a company founded at Howard to assist students in applying to potential employers, said he wholeheartedly disagreed.

"If it is sexyhotmama@ . . ., it shows that the student really doesn't understand business decorum," he said. "It's what we call an eliminator."

Pearson named a popular free e-mail provider on the Internet and suggested that students use it for business.

"[One] girl sent me an e-mail from HUBarbie," he said. "I e-mailed her back and told her to change her e-mail address."

In the article, "What's in a Name?" posted on calawjobs.com, Web site of a California-based legal staffing agency, Michelle Stute, marketing director for the firm David Staffing, urges job applicants to choose e-mail names wisely.

"As a job seeker, you must realize that your resume is part of a marketing campaign, and potential employers are your audience," she wrote. "Every bit of information you send to an employer communicates and reveals something about you."

Karen Lawson, a sophomore audio production major at Howard, said she agreed completely. She said she has a friend whose online name is Bootylicious6969.

"I really don't think it's good. To have an e-mail like that doesn't seem professional at all," she said.

Nell Bradley, president of Howard University's D. Parke Gibson chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, said she feels very strongly about the negative consequences of inappropriate e-mail addresses. She said she brought the issue up for discussion at a PRSSA "Pimp My Resume" workshop at the Howard School of Communications.

"Everyone is not on the same level as you are," she said. "If you put 'Ginuwines_future_babymomma,' everyone will not understand it. Keep it as professional as possible so it will not be a disadvantage for you."

The reality is that e-mail addresses do influence the way employers, and people in general, perceive you.

"That doesn't mean people should not be able to express themselves, but there is a time and a place for everything," Bradley said. "Most students and employers suggest having two e-mail accounts: One for professional use and one for friends. That way, you can still be 'Iverson's_wifey' and get a good internship, too."

Jennifer Bryant, a student at Howard University, writes for The Hilltop.

Posted Nov. 29, 2004