1. Networking for Work: http://networkingforwork.org.uk

2. Building an
online profile
- Assessing your current email address (if you have one)
using our Email address scorecard.
- Creating a new, professional-sounding email address to use
for applying for jobs.
- Key features and benefits of having a LinkedIn profile.
- Creating a LinkedIn profile – our how-to guide and other
resources at networkingforwork.org.uk

3. Having a simple email address can help enormously with job hunting:
- It's free and easy to set up using a simple webmail service such as Gmail,
which can then be accessed from any computer with internet access or a
smartphone.
- Simply having an email account demonstrates your computer literacy.
- Makes corresponding with potential employers easier, faster and cheaper (no
postage stamps required).
- Can submit application forms completed electronically rather than by
longhand, improving on their presetation and cutting down completion time.
[Image by Sean MacEntee]

4. An email account is invaluable for job hunting...
But what first impression might your email address be
giving? What are some of the more eye-opening email
addresses that you've encountered?

5. Use our Email Address Scorecard
Assess your current email address using our simple scorecard. What's your score?
How do you think your current email address might be impacting on your job-
search? Is it helping or hindering you?

6. Find our resources on networkingforwork.org.uk
Find The Email Address Scorecard and other email-related resources,
including a Communities 2.0 video guide to creating a Gmail account, on the
' R e s o u r c e s ' page on our website.

7. Common email address issues
- If you have a quirky or playful email address, this may well
put some employers off.
- Similarly, an email address which includes a date of birth
means people can form unfair preconceptions.
- An impersonal email address that is a mixture of numbers
and letters may not say much about you, but can be difficult
to remember and easy to mistype too.
- Avoid using a child's/relative's name instead of your own, an
employer might assume you're using someone else's email
account.

8. Some email address solutions
- It is well worth creating a new email account to use just for
job hunting if your current one is unsuitable, but don't forget
to keep checking it!
- K E E P I T S I M P L E and create an email address as
near to your full name as possible. Include middle
names/initials or underscores if your name isn't available.
- Consider the 'brand reputation' of the webmail service
you're using, especially when applying for positions that
require IT know-how. Gmail is generally considered to be the
best.

9. You can use your new, professional email account to build a
LinkedIn profile. See our video on 'Introducing LinkedIn' at:
http://youtu.be/iGUq9P9hiwc

10. Find our resources on networkingforwork.org.uk
Find our step-by-step guide 'Create a LinkedIn profile' and other LinkedIn-
related resources, including Kind of Digital's guide 'What is LinkedIn?', on the
' R e s o u r c e s ' page of our website.

11. By the end of this
Session you should have:
- A professional-sounding email address that you can use for
applying for jobs.
- A better knowledge of the LinkedIn professional network
and how it can support you in your search for work.
- The tools to get started with creating a LinkedIn profile for
yourself, using our how-to guide and other resources at
networkingforwork.org.uk

12. Further support:
http://networkingforwork.org.uk
Email: hello@talkaboutlocal.org
Tel. 0121 288 2910