Do You Need to Sign a Cover Letter?
When distributing your cover letter via email or uploading it to a company’s web portal, it is not necessary to sign your cover letter by hand. Employers do not expect to see your handwritten signature on your cover letter. You can add a scanned image of your signature to your document, but this is optional and not required.
How to Sign a Printed or Uploaded Cover Letter
Examples of Signatures for Uploaded or Printed Letters
What to Include in an Email Signature
Examples of Signatures for Emails
Which Email Address Should You Use
How to Add a Digital Signature
Do You Need More Help with Your Cover Letter?
When writing a cover letter to accompany your resume, it’s important to pay attention to every detail, as you only get one chance to make that first impression. So what exactly should you include in your signature when writing your cover letter to apply for a job? It varies depending on how you’re submitting the application. The format and information included in your signature will change based on whether you are sending the cover letter by regular mail, uploading it, or sending it via email.
Does Your Cover Letter Need a Handwritten Signature?
When distributing your cover letter via email or uploading it to a company’s web portal, it is not necessary to sign your cover letter by hand. Employers do not expect to see your handwritten signature on your cover letter. You can add a scanned image of your signature to your document, but this is optional and not required.
How to Sign a Printed or Uploaded Cover Letter
If you are uploading your cover letter to a job site, your signature will simply include an appropriate closing phrase and your full name. Place a comma after your closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards,” then enter your name on the next line. Use a formal business letter format that includes a heading, greeting, body of the letter, closing phrase, and your signature. Review these guidelines to see what should be included in your letter.
When printing your cover letter, include a closing phrase, your handwritten signature, and your full name written out. Leave several lines between the closing phrase and your handwritten name. This way, you’ll have space for your signature when printing the letter. Sign it with blue or black ink.
Examples of Signatures for Uploaded or Printed Letters
For uploaded or printed letters, there is no need to include as much information as you would in an email, since the cover letter heading includes your contact information.
What to Include in an Email Signature
If you are sending your cover letter or inquiry letter via email, end it with a polite greeting followed by your full name. There is no need to sign a cover letter that is sent electronically. Type your full name in the same font as the rest of the letter, and do not use italics or script-like fonts.
The formatting here is very similar to that of an uploaded cover letter. However, email messages do not have a header with your phone number or other contact information. It’s a good idea to include these details in the closing paragraph or after your written signature. This makes it easier for the employer or networking contact to reach you.
You can also include links to your online portfolios, if applicable, or links to your professional social accounts like LinkedIn or Twitter.
You don’t want to make this section too cluttered, so limit yourself to the most relevant information. Here’s how to set up your email signature, along with more tips on what to include and what to leave out.
Examples
For signing in case of email
When sending emails for cover letters, it’s important to include your contact information so the hiring manager can see how to contact you. At a minimum, include your name, email address, and phone number. You may also add other optional information, such as your street address, online portfolio, or your social media accounts.
Which email address to use
Do not use your work email address when job hunting. Use your personal email account, or set up a unique account to use solely for job searching. There are many free email services available online, such as Gmail and Yahoo Mail, that you can use to set up a new email account specifically for job searching.
Even though you are using a personal account, choose an email address that looks professional. Your best option is some variation of your first initials and last name (for example, jdoe@gmail.com) or first name and last name (janedoe@gmail.com). Here’s how to set up an email account just for job searching.
How to add a digital signature
Adding a handwritten signature is optional, but not required, and it is possible to add your handwritten signature digitally. The easiest way is to use a scanner or a scanning app on your smartphone:
Sign a piece of printer paper and then scan the page.
After scanning, the software will give you the opportunity to crop the scanned image (i.e., crop the image to the size of your handwritten signature) or you can crop it in Word.
Once you have cropped your signature image to the appropriate size, save your signature as a .gif, .jpg, or .png file on your desktop or in a folder on your computer.
Open the Word document where you have written your cover letter and then insert your signature image into the document under your closing statement.
Remember to type your name below your handwritten signature.
Need more help with your cover letter?
Get information on how to write a cover letter, including what to include in your cover letter, the formatting of cover letters, targeted cover letters, and examples and templates of cover letters.
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Sources:
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and maintain the accuracy, reliability, and quality of our content.
Georgetown University. Kowl Job Education Center. “Cover Letters.”
Microsoft Office. “Insert Signature.”
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-sign-a-cover-letter-with-signature-examples-2060309
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