This came up in discussion this week and it involves the idea of emerging professionals (i.e.: collegiate design students) taking the first step at creating a good first impression — or e-pression.
First impressions can mean a lot — and an email moniker (your email address or the name you go by in a chat room) is often someone's first impression of you. In the sentiment of the saying "dress for the job you want, not the job you have", a few small steps can go a long way in making your outward appearance as a young designer create a positive first impression and help to pave the road to your new career. While you might be in student-mode now and not take yourself too seriously, the potential harm an inappropriate email address might cause is far greater than someone thinking that you're a square if you were to have a more serious one.
In the past, I've had students with email handles such as "snugglybottom26" and "stonerguy_SFCA"... what is that saying about that person? You might really have an unusually soft backside or partake in recreational drugs, but is this something you want to advertise? Think of it as a slogan on a t-shirt — is that something you'd wear to a design lecture? To a job interview? Even to class? I'd hope not.
But where to start? Let's start at the top (best scenario) and work our way down.