Once upon a time - when I was young and naive -, I listed my work email address on my resume and chatted with recruiters about job opportunities via my company's email servers.  (C'mon, we all get curious from time to time.)  And then reality set in.  I mean, I knew corporate IT could and did review employee communications, but I never really thought much about it until I saw a real, job hunting-related example come back to bite someone.  (Probably deserved, but still.)

Now, work email addresses on resumes jump out at me … and not in a good way.  When I apply my recruiter filter, I sometimes wonder if those who consciously decide to bring their job hunting quest inside their current employers' walls possess sound business judgment.  Is a work email address on a resume a red flag?  Yes, it is to many recruiters, and it can potentially land you in hot water in your current job.   Remember, I used to do the same thing myself so I’m not one to pass judgment.  But if the work email address gives me pause, imagine what other recruiters are thinking.

So tip o’ the day:  Don’t conduct your job search using your work email.  You never know who may be reading or what unintentional message it may convey … and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

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