Which Email Address Should I Use?

Most everyone has an email address, well except for my 7-year old step-son and my 73-year old Grandma (not to be confused with Grandmother, she’s got Facebook and email).  And if you are like me, you have multiple email addresses.  I spend the most time in my work email and try to keep up with the other email accounts I have.

For most sites, especially when making a purchase, you have to sign up for an account.  And that account is going to require an email address.  The site may tell you its to send you receipts and delivery confirmations, but it is also for sending advertisements to entice you to spend more of your hard earned money.

Depending on the type of account you are signing up for determines which address you enter.  If the site is work related, then enter the work email address.  However, if the site is personal, then enter your personal email address.  If you are unsure about which email address to enter, ask yourself how would you explain the site to your boss if he/she looked at your inbox and questioned the email.  If you can justify the email as work related, then go for it.  If you can’t, then use your personal email address.

Or consider the fact that one day you may leave your job, whether on your own terms or someone else’s.  Someone will probably go through your mailbox and will make a judgment about you based on the emails they see.  Will the impression you leave be a positive one or will someone be wading through mail that is not at all related to work?

What most users don’t understand is that every action you take online leaves a digital footprint.  Every Facebook post, tweet, email I send and blog post I write is leaving a footprint that leads right back to my name.  If my co-workers or boss looks at my work email account and sees 75% personal emails and only 25% work related emails, I am not leaving the footprint I want.

You technically do not own your work email, your employer owns it and can access it whenever they want.  Your digital footprint says as much about you as the clothes you wear, how you speak, and carry yourself.  Make sure you are using the right email for the right reason.

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