Your Email is Haunting You

I’m a software developer, but that hasn’t always been so. So during my transition I initially felt that the reputation of developers as judgmental jerks was overblown.

Then I found out why I wasn’t getting callbacks after submitting my resume to recruiters. It turned out that a hotmail email address effectively sees you blacklisted from tech jobs. Who knew?

I Couldn’t Get a Sniff

My applications struggled due to a lack of professional experience in software development, and I knew this would be an issue before I started my job hunt.

I thought that I’d be able to overcome this somewhat by applying for junior positions, so it came somewhat as a shock that junior developer positions required something like three years of experience. That didn’t matter to me as I prepared my applications and knocked together a portfolio of work. I crafted targeted applications to employers and … nothing. I didn’t expect my job hunt to be easy, but receiving nothing (in some cases not even an automated acknowledgment of application) shocked me.

So when I did get a few interviews (and later rejections) I asked for feedback. I was surprised with a particular answer I got. Using a Hotmail address was a blocker to my dream job, and that fact simply astonished me.I had used my Hotmail address for years, and I don’t care what you think.

The Hotmail Reflection

Do you remember Hotmail? Because I do, it’s still

solid, reliable, and only slightly embarrassing. But apparently, in the eyes of recruiters, it wasn’t “professional” enough.

“You should be using Gmail,” I was told.

Oh. Right. Because my ability to write quality software is directly tied to what free email provider I use. Clearly, my technical competency is measured by whether I have the good sense to switch to Google’s infrastructure.

I made the switch. Not because I believed it mattered, but because I knew it did matter — to the people doing the hiring. And in tech, perception is often more powerful than reality.

The Judgment Goes Beyond Email

I’ve reviewed my fair share of job applications, and let me tell you — I’ve seen some wild email addresses.

• “xXxShadowHacker420xXx@aol.com”

• “leetprogrammer69@hotmail.com”

• “fluffy_banana_master@yahoo.com”

Did I care? No. Well, not enough to automatically disqualify them. I might have had a chuckle, but if their resume was solid, I’d still interview them. But I know plenty of hiring managers who wouldn’t.

This is the kind of industry we work in. The same irrational judgment that applies to email addresses extends to tech stacks, job titles, and even entire disciplines.

Front-End vs. Back-End: The Same Nonsense

If you’re a front-end developer, you’ve probably been dismissed as “just a designer who codes.” If you’re a back-end developer, some people assume you “couldn’t handle UI.” Full-stack developers? Well, you’re “not deep enough” in anything.

It’s nonsense.

The languages and tools you use shouldn’t define your credibility. I’ve seen people look down on others for using PHP, scoff at those who prefer JavaScript over TypeScript, and treat Ruby developers like they just walked out of 2008.

Even within the same discipline, the biases persist. Use React? Fine. Use Vue? Questionable. Still on Angular? Oh no. Are you serious about your career?

Why Are We Like This?

The tech industry, for all its innovation, loves arbitrary gatekeeping. We laugh at traditional industries for clinging to outdated conventions, yet we do the exact same thing — just with different metrics.

It’s not about skills. It’s about optics.

The perception that your email address, your framework of choice, or your preference for tabs over spaces is somehow an indicator of your worth as a developer is ridiculous. Yet, it persists.

What Should We Do?

If you’re hiring, stop being ridiculous. If someone is competent, who cares if their email still references an old meme from 2006? If they’re a good developer, why does it matter whether they prefer Vue over React?

If you’re a candidate, yeah… maybe update your email address. Not because it should matter, but because it does. This is the industry we work in. Play the game if you must — but know that the rules are dumb.

And if anyone judges you for your stack, just tell them you use PHP and Vim. That should keep them busy.