Part of what Gmail offers with their email is the ability to put a plus (+) sign between your real email address and the @ (at) symbol to create an extended and unique email address from your regular Gmail email address.

I’ve seen a few web sites you may try to use this process on that will either error out and ask you to re-enter an email address or it can’t process it due to back-end programming issues that can’t handle the plus (+) sign properly in the middle of an email address, but for the most part I haven’t had many problems with creating and using an address this way.

When you sign up on a web page you should begin using this method if it’s a job search site, forum you read, or any other types of information you want to track from this source,  you can even use this email address on your resume.

Using this method you can create a number of email addresses and filters to help you sort out messages you receive during and even after your job search when you’ve landed and are working again.

I have an email address printed on my network/business card with the plus (+) address format so I can track where my information is being seen and used or passed around.  It’s another way to know if you’re marketing yourself well because you can ask someone where they saw or got that particular plus (+) email address from that they contacted you with.

The following are the steps to take to create a filter in Gmail and I’ve included screen shots to help you follow along as well:

• When logged into Gmail there will  be a “create a filter” link on the main page after the search options as shown below:

• Click on “Create a filter” as shown above and the following screen will appear:

• It will ask you to choose the search criteria, and as noted above, you would put the “new” email address in the To: field, which will be in the format of yourgmailaddress+somefilter@gmail.com, in the example given in the screenshot your gmail address would normally be testaccount@gmail.com and you would create a word to put after the plus sign and before the @ (at) sign to use on, and in the example above you are looking to filter emails from LinkedIn, so the full email address would be testaccount+linkedin@gmail.com.
• After entering the email address you are going to be using, you would then click “next step”, and the following screen will appear:

• First you would select apply the label, and in the drop-down that is next to it, either use an existing label you’ve created, or create one to handle these newly filtered messages
• The next two steps are not entirely necessary, but I’ve found if I’m looking for an email to this email address and want to see it immediately, I send it to another email address that doesn’t get a lot of messages (for example a blackberry address) and because you want to save these messages, check the “Never send it to spam”
• Lastly, click on “Create Filter” and the filter will be created for you.

To make it easier to follow, I have created a two page PDF document with the above instructions you can print out and follow along with that is available for download at the following link:  Using Gmail Email Filters to Assist in Your Job Search.pdf

If you have any tips on using email filtering, how and why you use it, on Gmail or some other platform (webmail or an email program on your computer) please share them in the comments below.

In composing this post I had most of it written and then I found a couple of articles on another web site that have some pointers, advice, and comments about the email address you use that I wanted to share.

One of the articles is titled “What’s your Email Address Prejudice?” in which the author,  Jason Fitzpatrick references an article,  “AOL e-mail address: Is it hopelessly square to keep it?” by Nancy E. Anderson a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune.

I personally still have an AOL email address, but I haven’t given it out or used it in a personal or professional setting in a very long time. I no longer have the AOL service either, but the email address remains free and I do check it from time to time.

I find nothing inherently wrong with an AOL address, but as mentioned in some of the comments on the posts above, it’s a throwback to ‘old’ technology.  I’ve had the old Compuserve address with the number.number@compuserve.com, as well as an email address on a internet service called Delphi, (the link to Delphi used here is what the site used to look like from web.archive.org,  a wikipedia article on the history of Delphi is located here. I was a member prior to 1997 but that is as far back as the Wayback Machine had a site snapshot) which is what I considered my first true internet email address, back then it was simply, firstinitiallastname@delphi.com for my email address and the service was completely text based.

Yesterday I saw another post on the lifehacker.com site also by Jason, titled “Know What Your Email Address Says About You”

After browsing through the many comments and reading through the articles, my advice below has not changed, and it seemed most agreed about not using the ‘cute’ email address names, and Jason makes an excellent point with this quote – “Like your clothing, your hair style, and your manner of speaking, your email address is part of your personal image.”

First and foremost, for those people especially in transition, you want to be able to project a positive image in your job search with whoever you interact with.  My recommendation is to use something in the format of firstnamelastname@domain.com, if it’s taken it’s okay to use a number or maybe middle initial to make it distinct.

Another choice is firstname.lastname@domain.com, just keep it simple and professional, that’s the main thing.  Addresses such as deerhunter22@domain.com or freakyfreddy@domain.com or sometypeofhobby@domain.com are ones that you should avoided using during your job search, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have an email address like that, but with so many different email services, making a new clean email address for your job search should be very simple.

I’ve talked to some local recruiters this week as well and they also recommend against using those ‘cute’ type of email addresses.  To be more professional, especially on a resume you’re emailing or handing to someone, most recommended the firstname.lastname@domain.com or some variation of that type of format.

Even if you’re using your internet providers email, the company I use, Cox Communications, allows up to 7 email addresses to be created per account, if you haven’t reached that limit, create one there to use specifically for your job search and networking. Also, if you own your domain name, you may have the ability to create an email address with your domain hosting account such as info@mydomainnamename.com.

All in all what I found in those articles and comments is that it does make a difference what is before the @ (at) sign, not so much who the email provider is.

What are your thoughts or ideas on the type of email address that should be used? Is it ok to use “cute” handles? Have you been told your email address is ‘dated’ (ie. AOL, Hotmail, etc)? Have you been told by a recruiter or some other authority in your job search to get or create a new email address?  Please comment below.

For those of you in transition and seeking a new opportunity, there are a few things at minimum that I think should be on the card:

• Name
• Title or a your main competencies
• Email address
• Valid current phone number(s)
• Web page (if you have a blog or web page you host yourself, you may want to put it on your card)
• Your social media site profile addresses (I’ve seen more recently on cards LinkedIn profiles in particular but if you’re on other sites such as twitter, or facebook  you can have that on your card as well)

I’m attaching an image of my current card for an example, I use Vistaprint but there are other printing services out there such as iPrint.com or a local print shop as well.

One thing that I got on my last order and it was only a couple more dollars was an electronic copy of my card, that I can attach to emails using Outlook, that is the representation that you see below, with the phone numbers blanked out.

I’ve found it gives a bit more professional touch than the card that’s created in an email when you click to add “Business Card” in Outlook. I delete the card pasted in the email by Outlook but leave my contact information .vcf file attached. This way someone I email will have my current contact information and can save it in their contacts.

You may notice the email address on the card being a bit different, and I will explain about that in another post.  I’ve had people question it thinking it was a mis-print or wrong, but it is correct.

One other tip for those in transition, if you happen to have business cards from your old employer -     do not use them when you are out networking and seeking a new position, having to write other contact information on an old card just doesn’t look right, and I feel you’d only  be hurting yourself by giving an old business card to someone new.  Spend  a few dollars and get new cards printed, even if you buy business card stock and print a simple card on your home computer.

What are some other items you would add to your card? How about the back of the card? Blank or some other information? Please comment below.

The following is a guest post by Frank Angelone; he is the founder of Social Tech Zone and helps businesses and individuals with news and tips for interacting with social networks and technology.

I think for anyone to build their business or brand themselves requires networking.  Whether you are trying to market yourself for a job or you are looking to grow your own brand that you’ve created; you won’t go far without networking.  For me I realized that there are two places to network that really help build credibility for yourself.  One is Twitter and the other is face to face networking.  Granted Twitter is great for networking and meeting new people, but let’s focus on face to face networking.  It’s the old school method and it is where networking first took place before online built the presence it has today.

The first networking tip I could provide anyone is go to a conference.  Seriously, if you haven’t been to one, you are short changing yourself.  There are so many people that go to these events and everyone is looking to meet someone and connect.  Talking to another person can be intimidating if you don’t know them, but it’s something you need to do if you want to get yourself known in the industry you belong to.  My first conference was Affiliate Summit East this past summer in New York.  I was feeling quite overwhelmed going there to begin with, but I knew I had good communication skills and I could talk to people.  You have to go into something like this with that frame of mind to succeed.

I talked to a good number of people and received a lot of business cards.  Granted people always exchange business cards.  That doesn’t mean anything.  It’s what you do with the business card after the conference that means something.  You need to build a conversation with people, take an interest in what they do, and in turn they will take an interest in what you do.  This can help lead to more opportunities for you and give you connections.  Out of all the business cards I received, I contacted maybe 5 of them that I really felt I communicated well with.  The next question you should ask yourself is, “how many responded and how many did you continue talking with?”  Well, maybe 3 of those 5 responded, but out of those 3, I came away with one actual contact from Affiliate Summit East.

Don’t for one second think that coming away with only one contact is a bad thing.  One contact is more than what you had before and it’s the kind of relationship you build with that person and how you both can help each other.  Having the one actual person I networked with from Affiliate Summit East has allowed me to meet a lot more people and introduced to many more along the way.  One person helped me reach about 8 more people.  So, don’t ever mistake the value of networking with people and going to large events.  You never know how one person can help change your goals and give you that edge you need.  Not to mention, you make a friend along the way.

‘one’s ability to gracefully accept — and apply — feedback from other people. For many professionals in transition, one of the biggest challenges they face (not that they always recognize it) is the difficulty of getting other people to provide them with direct, honest input in terms of their presentation skills, the clarity of their goals, their marketability, and how they’re coming across, in general. Think about it. Unless they’re sadistic by nature, your close friends and family certainly aren’t going to want to “go there” in terms of pointing out your flaws, mistakes, and blind spots — especially when they know you’re going through an emotionally-sensitive unemployment period.’

‘If you’ve attended a networking event or social function recently, just ask yourself whether  everybody you encountered conducted themselves properly, professionally, and made a winning impression.  Were there some people who seemed distant, arrogant, or unapproachable?  Others who came on TOO strong to the point it seemed obnoxious or insincere?  Others who blew you off?  Or didn’t dress appropriately?  Or kept interrupting you when you were talking?  You get my point.’

via The Art of Accepting Feedback « Career Horizons: The Blog!.

This made me think of my reactions to feedback.  I have had some criticism made about my appearance, in particular about my standard of dress, and I received some feedback or as they called it ‘constructive criticism’ from someone after I attended a network function almost a year ago.

They told me that an associate of theirs noticed me and made a comment about my appearance, I was wearing jeans and a polo shirt, which was standard for the job I had prior to attending this meeting.  This person told me that I should think of networking events as pre-interviews, and should dress accordingly.

I took this criticism well, and stepped things up a notch the next time I attended this function. I wore dress slacks, button down shirt, tie, and was approached by this person at the event, who saw the change in me, and knew I had taken their advice to heart.

This goes with the saying, “you rarely get a second chance to make a first impression.”

I’m grateful to this person for bringing it to my attention, and know that they meant it in a helping way, because they want me to succeed. If someone tells you something, it’s likely others see the same thing, and it’s best to heed their advice.

So if someone offers you some constructive criticism, or feedback, let it sink in, and don’t rush to defend your actions so quickly. Hopefully you will have people in your network that can and will speak up, in a kind and considerate way when presenting this feedback, and you can learn and grow from it as I have.

Happy Reading!

-Martin

Friends and family

This is probably the easiest place to start, people who know you, and you know them. Ask them to help you rehearse, have them show you how they would introduce themselves in a network event setting, and practice your elevator speech with them. Practice that firm handshake, practice making and keeping eye contact, and smile. Practicing with them will help build your confidence and make it easier for you to initiate that contact with someone else.

Network with people you have a common interest with

In keeping with my last post about meetup.com,  network with people you have a common interest with. Regardless your career path or field, having that common interest makes things easier, and for me, two activities I enjoy are hiking and geocaching. You will meet people who share that activity or interest, and it will be easier to speak with them, and open up the discussion to other topics.

Arrive at the event a little early

I have done this myself, and found this does help me, depending on the venue, and how the event is organized (breakfast or lunch meeting, evening business mixer, open forum, conference, panel discussion, job fair, etc), this can be to your advantage. Including the chance to meet and introduce yourself to the host(s) and/or special guest(s) before things get very busy.

Ask for introductions

Two ways you can do this are:

1. Attend an event with someone you know
2. Seek out the host of an event and introduce yourself

In the first case, having someone at an event that knows you, will make it easier. You already have a relationship with him or her, and they may be able to make a warm introduction to someone who can assist you with your goal. This ‘tag-team’ approach goes both ways, you may find someone while you’re there that may benefit from meeting your friend, and you can make that introduction.

Another thing that has happened to me is being introduced to someone who after a few minutes would say, “I think you may want to talk to John, it sounds like you may have something in common, let me introduce you.” Then proceed to introduce me to that person, making that warm introduction. I’ve never looked at that as a brush-off, and appreciated the new introduction.

In the second case, you will have to get over your shyness, take the initiative, and make that initial contact, but it will be worth it. For some events I’ve attended the hosts have been VERY helpful in making an initial warm introduction to someone else after you speak to them and they can ‘match’ you with someone who they know that matches closely with what you’re seeking.

After being introduced to someone, ask them a question

Simple thing here is to listen, in being shy and reserved, you have the chance to listen instead of speaking, and getting to know more about the person. A great way to break the ice and depending on the meeting if it’s business or more social  is to ask them about their business or a hobby.

If you’re introduced to someone standing with a group already engaged in a conversation, listen to the conversation, to get a feel for it and join the conversation if you have something to add and contribute.

Closing the deal

After you’ve made that connection with someone, they may ask for a business card, and if you don’t have a card I recommend Vistaprint.com as a source for business cards. If they did not ask for a card, ask them for one. Always carry a pen with you, and on the back of their card write down something about them, something you discussed, also jot down the date and place you met.

Followup after the event

I recommend taking their contact information and adding it to your contact list. Follow up with an email or phone call, mention where you met, and even briefly what you discussed. You’ve done the hard part, making that initial connection. In that followup, if you want to take it to the next level, invite them out for coffee, to really get to know them better with some slow networking. I met both my financial adviser and insurance agent at networking events during the last year. I’ve recommended them to others, which is part of what networking is about, building and keeping those relationships. It will take a while for you to build up your network, but the more you practice, the easier it will get.

Use social media

Several sites come to mind for helping build your network and helping you reach your goals, LinkedIn is one I highly recommend, and when you make a followup with someone from an event, ask to connect with them on LinkedIn.  Who sends the invite is up to you. I’ve got my LinkedIn web address on my card, so a lot of times I’ll get the request before making the request of them. If they have a website or blog, or are on some other social media sites, that’s also a good place to get to know more about them, their passions, likes, dislikes,and even how you can help them. Other aspects of using social media is being able to connect with like-minded people, joining discussions online, being a contributor.  This in itself can help build your confidence when meeting people face to face for the first time.

Ask for help

In closing, plain and simple, ask for help from those who are closest to you, ask a friend to go with you to an event with you, and practice, practice practice.

Happy Reading!

-Martin