Email Signatures for Students: Top Tips

Whether you’re a student just starting university or college, or you’re a recent graduate entering the job-hunting jungle, the old saying still holds true – first impressions count.

With email, making the best impression means using the best email signature, from layout to content.

Your student email signature is much more than a sign-off and is a great way to put some personality and professionalism into your everyday email communication and can say a lot about you, so take care in creating it and avoiding the common pitfalls.

Just follow our tips and you’ll get it right first time!

Make yourself memorable

On email messages to your tutors, lecturers and potential employers a professional email signature for students will make you look just that – ‘professional’ – and will be much more memorable than a standard sign-off.

It’s important you avoid any confusion in your communication and with the right student email signature, you’re more than just a name – you’re instantly recognisable and easy to contact.

Too much information!

That’s the main pitfall with university student email signatures. Your signature should be personal but not overloaded with unnecessary personal details or links to social media accounts that might not be tutor or business friendly!

So, what should an email signature include?

The secret is always to keep your student email signature simple, so as a starting point you can include:

- Your full name
- Your year of study and course title
- The name of your college or university
- Clear key contact details – your main telephone number and your email address

And if you’re asking ‘but isn’t my email address on the email anyway?’, that’s true, but remember, if your email gets forwarded your email address might get omitted – and you don’t want to make it difficult for people to get back in touch do you?

Project your personality

Just because you’re keeping it simple, doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. After all, whether you are a student or recent graduate your email signature is all about projecting your own personal ‘brand’.

If you’re incorporating your photo or another image always keep them to a manageable size. Keep fonts and colours under control – colour clashes and crazy characters will get you remembered for all the wrong reasons! And remember, designing your student email signature is about making something memorable rather than a masterpiece.

Entering the job-hunting jungle?

Then a professional email signature will help make the right impression in the job market, so it’s well worth reviewing your signature through the eyes of a potential employer.

You might have the degree and the CV but if your covering email isn’t as smart as you are, then your application might not get to the top of the pile. Employers are in a ‘buyer’s market’ and you need to use every available technique to stand out from the job-hunting crowd and secure that interview.

An engaging eye-catching professional email signature for students or graduates can help you do just that. It’s an easy, effective way for you to showcase your personal ‘brand’ and look instantly professional. But there’s a few things you need to get right, so we’ve put together some recommendations.

Student email signature tips for job-hunting

Keep it simple and your key contact details clear. That’s your full name, main phone number and email address and add your degree details for that extra academic edge.

Show you’re social by linking to your social media accounts (especially LinkedIn) but make sure they’re employer-friendly!

Keep a consistent look by using the same websafe fonts and colours on your email signature as on your CV.

Control your colours and stick to one or two colours so your signature is eye-catching without any clashes.

Include your email address because it just makes you easier to contact. And why wouldn’t you want to make it easy for a potential employee to contact you for that all-important interview?

For more tips on getting creative with your email signature, take a look at our email signature design guidelines and gallery of best email signatures which should get you on your way to email signature success and securing that all-important interview.

Good luck!