"Hey, it looks like we've got a great candidate for customer service here," said Joe. "The only problem is, this person's email address makes me wonder about her."

I checked it out. Hmmm... gothicbikerwitch@hotmail.com. (Email addresses have been changed for this article.) It certainly conjured up an image, but not one I associated with friendly, efficient customer service.

A few weeks later we had a new graduate apply for a management trainee position. "You know," said Joe, "this guy's application looks good except for (you guessed it) his email address."

I took a look at the email listed at the top of the resume. Hmmm ... cuddlygigglebuns@msn.com. "It doesn't exactly instill confidence in his business savvy and leadership skills," I admitted.

As I have witnessed first-hand, an "unconventional" email address can definitely be held against you when it comes to applying for a job. It may seem unfair, but it's no more unusual than employers making judgments about applicants based on other superficial criteria.

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