Having an unprofessional e-mail address can kill your chances of landing your dream job, whether you're just out of college or seeking to move onto bigger and better opportunities.

BAD: kool_dude2342@aol.com
Why is this bad?
Who is the person using this e-mail address? "Kool dude" might be "kool" for you and your frat buddies, but it is NOT cool when you are looking for a job. Additionally, have an @aol.com means you cannot customize the from line, so it will just say from your AOL e-mail address. Not a good way to stand out if a recruiter needs to go back and find your e-mail in a stack of thousands.

BETTER: ginasmi1209@yahoo.com
Why is this better?
You can probably guess that the person's name is Gina, you might be able to guess her last name is Smith. Not sure what the numbers mean, but okay, at least she's not a "cool dude." Using a Yahoo address allows her to customize the from name, so at least it could say "Gina Smith" in the from line. Yahoo still advertises in the bottom of the message, and you have no control over what they say. Hotmail does the same thing. This is better than before, but far from perfect. Additionally, have numbers after your name indicates you have zero originality or motivation to find a better home for your e-mails, plus you get zero points for being memorable, because if I'm sending you an e-mail, will I ever remember what the numbers are after your name? Probably not.

BEST: tom.smith@gmail.com or tsmith@gmail.com
Why is this BEST? For starters, the full name is in the e-mail. That's a good thing, to be sure. Easy to remember, as both are short and sweet. If you have a long last name, this could be a challenge, but still, this is good. Why do I highlight gmail? For starters, they don't advertise on the bottom of your e-mail. Secondly, you can customize your name as you can with many of the others, but it's new enough that you can still get the name you want and need without getting too fancy.

BONUS POINTS: bill@billsmith.com
Why does this score bonus points? First, this puts your name in people's heads TWICE. Repetition is a GREAT way to be more memorable. Additionally, it shows you have some initiative to get a domain, and maybe someone might go check out your website BillSmith.com, on which you should re-post your resume and other professional things that relate to your career. DON'T do this if you have nasty pictures of you and your booze hound roommates on the site.

There are many places to get free e-mail addresses that can help your job search get off on the right foot. Inbox.com, Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com, and AIM.com to name a few. If you want a free gmail account, send me an e-mail and I'll send you an invite right away.