What your email signature says about you

Students and new grads unknowingly commit a lot of email faux pas and sometimes we just need a little bit of help.

Although you may already know the basics of email etiquette (using punctuation, having an appropriate username, not writing in all caps, etc.), have you ever thought about what your email signature, or lack thereof, says about you?

Gone are the days when you can have a bunch of emoticons, an image or two, 16 colours, or a favourite quotation as your email signature. Everyone should have an email signature, but you should be aware of the impression yours gives off.

You use email to talk to classmates, professors, teaching assistants, employers and potential employers, and you need a signature that reflects who you are, what you doand how you can be contacted.

But why do you need a signature in the first place? It helps people contact you. Think of it as a little business card that is attached to the end of each and every email you send.

What to include:

You want something short but at the same time gives the respondent the information they require. You should at least include your full name and your email address. You may also wish to consider:

• Phone number
• Professional title and company (if applicable)
• Website
• Social networking contacts (Twitter, LinkedIn)
• A graphic
• Appearance

Not all email clients accept colour and images, so if you choose to include HTML or an image, be aware of the fact it may not be visible to all people.

If you opt to include a graphic, make sure it’s related to you in some way. The information in your signature should be listed on as few lines as possible. You can use a colon (:) or pipes (|) to separate the information.

Here is an example:

A. Student
Founder | A Student Solutions
555-555-5555 | astudent@astudent.com | http://www.websiteurl.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/twittername | LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/linkedinname

If you are a student without a specific job title, you can also include information on your program and institution. This will give the recipient of your email a little more information about you. This is especially true if you are in a program that has a lot of direct-entry possibilities after graduation.

It could look like this:

A. Student
Program Discipline, Year # | Institution Name
555-555-5555 | astudent@school.ca | http://www.websiteurl.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/twittername | LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/linkedinname

Regardless of your level of education and what you are doing for work at the moment, your email should include a signature. It is a marketing tool that many people overlook when trying to develop their personal brand.

This article was written by Danielle Lorenz

Danielle Lorenz is a long-time contributor to the Career Incubator as well as a former Eggtern and Assistant Editor. After graduating from McMaster University with two bachelor's degrees, she decided to pursue an MA in Canadian Studies at Carleton University. Now in her second year, her major research paper will focus on Indigenous representation in the Toronto Zoo's Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Trail.