What your email signature says about you

February 19 2010. TalentEgg Incubator.

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.

E-mail etiquette for students and recent grads

"E-mail etiquette for students and recent grads", July 2 2009

An employer's first impression of you often comes through e-mail when you apply for a job at their company and it's not uncommon for students and recent grads to alienate current and future employers with their spelling, grammar and other e-mail behaviour.

While the suggestions below may be obvious to some, when I was working as a co-ordinator in a university department and as a manager of a student service on campus at McMaster University, I received countless e-mails from students and recent graduates that made me cringe. Students and recent grads are used to writing to family and friends, and many don't easily make the switch from personal to professional e-mail etiquette.

Check out my tips for avoiding the most common mistakes:

What's in a name?

Using an e-mail address without some variation of your name in it can come across as unprofessional. If you're adamant about keeping the e-mail address you've had since you were a teen, set up a secondary account to e-mail employers from, such as firstnamelastname@email.com.

Regardless of the content in the e-mail you send, a message from lil_cutie_baby_69@email.com won't be taken seriously by employers.

Spelling and grammar

Good spelling and grammar are imperative to any e-mail. Many e-mail servers and some web browsers, such as Firefox, have a spell check function built in. However, the computer will not be able to discern between alternative spellings (but different meanings) of the same word. For example: there, their and they're; or to, two and too.

It's important to proofread an e-mail before you send it, and if you're not confident about your spelling and grammar skills, get someone else to read over your e-mails before you send them.

What's your point?

For the most part, e-mails should be brief. Give the reader your point as soon as you can, but at the same time remember to include the necessary details. If your e-mail is going to be long, consider apologizing for your wordiness in the first line of your message.

Also, each separate idea in an e-mail should be a separate paragraph. It makes the e-mail easier to read than one large chunk of text and also allows the reader to find important points at a later time.

Don't abbrvt plz

Never use text messaging abbreviations in e-mails. Getting your messages across with a limited number of words can be challenging, but e-mails do not have the same restrictions as texts. Unless you are sending a personal e-mail, you should be avoiding abbreviations, with the exception of words such as FYI, Mr. and Mrs., etc.

Are you tone deaf?

Come across as friendly, respectful and approachable in your e-mails: you don't want to appear demanding or curt. Sometimes this can be remedied by re-arranging your sentences or paragraphs. For instance, instead of "I need a copy of those forms. I hope your week is going well," try "I hope your week is going well. When you have a moment, may I have a copy of those forms?"

You also don't want to seem too casual in professional e-mails, especially to a potential employer. Unless you have already communicated with the person and have a more personal relationship with them, always avoid using emoticons and slang.

The type case of your messages is also important. Don't use all capital letters and, although many of us have gotten into the bad habit of not capitalizing anything thanks to instant messaging, capitalize letters where appropriate, just as you would in a formal letter or essay.

Mind your manners

There are three simple words you should never forget when sending e-mails: "please" and "thank you." Forgetting to use those words makes you look ungrateful and rude.

Kind regards, dear

If you don't know the person you're writing to, you should include their title or, at the very least, use Mr. or Ms. (try to avoid using Miss or Mrs. - never assume a woman is married). Once they respond, follow their direction by addressing them by what they sign their e-mail with.

When concluding the e-mail, use a transitional word or phrase such as Sincerely, With kind regards, or Cheers if you are able to be less formal.

Take your time sending, but be prompt when replying

Take your time when e-mailing a prospective employer; re-read the e-mail at least once before you send it. In terms of response time, reply to e-mails as quickly as you can because making the other party wait several hours or days is quite rude - especially if the e-mail is an urgent one.

Remember, if you make a mistake and do not realize it until after you hit "Send," there's no option to undo or take it back. A poorly-written e-mail reflects on your potential as an employee and it will often result in your e-mail being deleted.