Nothing bad in using a Gmail. Try adding numbers at the end!

If you don't want to use your school's alumni email, or gmail/hotmail emails, then set up an @outlook.com email. Outlook.com is free and because Outlook is used in business, an outlook.com can be viewed as a more professional email option than a gmail email account

Hi all - thank you for the comments, it has definitely changed my mind and I will update to a Gmail account. One slight annoyance is that variations of my name are already taken. I've tried first.lastname, last.firstname, truncated version, etc. I personally don't like adding numbers - it feels more spammy, is that just me? But not sure what alternative I have at this point.

Hi Yvonne! Consider creating a new Gmail account with [email protected] to use for job search / business purposes. This can also help filter out these important e-mails from your personal inbox.

In the digital world, many people have multiple emails. I don't think having a gmail or yahoo email is unprofessional at all - just make sure that whatever that address may be it looks professional. Sometimes having more than one is helpful. I have an email that I use specifically for my freelance work/coorespondance (and on that business card) and one that I use for job hunting and general correspondance. Pro: It helps manage some of the email clutter. Con: Managing mutliple email accounts can sometimes be a pain.

I would suggest going with a gmail account. For many employers it won't matter, but to some it might make them think you graduated in the past year or two, which can cause problems when applying for more experienced positions. It's not a big deal, but why not give yourself every advantage you can? Especially when it's something as easy as an email address.

While I understand it states alumni, I know many may assume your age and experience tied to the assumption you just graduated. I would have a Gmail or hotmail address that has a professional presentation to use.

The alumni email address suggests immediately that you have recently graduated. If you are applying for a mid-level job, that could stop them in that initial 6 second scan. I agree with Katherine about hotmail, yahoo, etc. Those are very dated and can create age/technical adopter bias in the other direction. A Gmail address shows that you have adopted new technology, possibly including GSuite, and are progressive. Cheers Joanne Analytic Advantage Career Consulting

Thinking about the length of the email address too - it probably is something like [email protected] That's a lot longer for recruiters to read than [email protected]

Good question! I have been a recruiter for many years and I personally prefer to see a gmail. We have tools that help us identify emails so we can message them outside of Linkedin. The majority have gmails and then there are some that have yahoo, hotmail, etc. I would say I see fewer school emails and those tend to bounce back most often. Gmail is the most consistent email that works. With hotmail and yahoo - it's my own bias, but I always think why would anyone would still be using these services, they are old school. It seems that most people that use school emails are most often new to the workforce and recently graduated. Please note that most recruiters and hiring managers are looking at what school you graduated from, even if out of habit. That all being said, a recruiter finding an email address is like finding a jewel no matter what email it is, so if you choose to keep the school email, that's fine too.