How to Set Up Professional Email Signatures in College

Any time you correspond through email with a professional contact, you want that interaction to be the best it can possibly be. You want the contact to think, “Wow! This student really has their act together.” Any touch point you have with a professional contact is an opportunity for you to brand yourself – online or in-person. I got an email this week from a student who asked if she should set-up an email signature on her email account, and what that email signature should say. I went out to our Intern Queen Ambassador Network of ambitious college students across the globe to get an idea of what their email signatures say.

Here are some examples that will help you create your own signature:

First Name, Last Name
School Name, Expected Graduation Year (You can write “Class of 2017” or just “’17”)
Major/Minor (Note: Only include if it’s relevant)
Phone Number
Email

  • Optional Add (You could add a Twitter Handle, positions you hold on campus, or a Favorite Quote. For example, our University of Central Florida campus rep, Ligia Forbes, puts her favorite Audrey Hepburn quote at the end of her signature: “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m Possible’!”)

Here’s an example of a solid email signature from our Intern Queen Ambassador, Rachel Heinzinger, from University of Illinois/Champaign:

Rachel Heinzinger
University of Illinois/Champaign – Class of 2017
Advertising Major/Spanish & Informatics Minor
email | 555.555.555

Another way to do it would be to add in more of your on-campus activities/current experience. Here’s a great example from Rene Cosides our Temple University ambassador:

Rene Cosides
Temple University, ‘16
School of Media and Communication, Strategic Communication Major
Fox School of Business, General Business Studies Minor

PR Chair, Phi Sigma Sigma
Campus Ambassador, Intern Queen
Member, PRSSA
Member, Prowl Public Relations

(e):
(c): 555-555-555

If you hold a high executive leadership in a club or group on campus that’s relevant to your desired internship/career you could also put that front and center. Here’s an example from our Intern Queen Ambassador, Emily Kamen from Hofstra who keeps hers short and sweet:

Emily Kamen
President, Hofstra University Society of Professional Journalists
B.S. Business Economics, Hofstra 2016

Note: Adding contact information is completely optional but sometimes it’s nice to add direct phone number (cell) and email address. If you are active and maintain a professional twitter page, I’d suggest adding that as well.

Some students also have their own websites and blogs. Here is an example of an email signature from our ambassador, Reyna Cazares, from Fresno who does have a blog and a website:

Reyna Cazares
Fresno State University, Class of 2015
Phone: 000-000-0000
Website: www.ReynaCazares.com
Blog: www.fashionexponent.com
Twitter: @_Reyna_Cazares

Here’s another example of our campus ambassador from Ohio University who has strong social media channels and strong on-campus/professional internship experience and incorporates them nicely into her email signature:

Kelly Hayes
Ohio University | EW Scripps School of Journalism
Intern | InternQueen.com
Director of Communications | ImPressions
Dues Paying Member | Scripps PRSSA
Campus Ambassador | The Intern Queen Network

(P): 000-000-000
(E):

Twitter: @kmshayes
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kmshayes/
Website: kellymshayes.com

In the end, you want to make sure that your email signature explains who you are and what you do, as well how to contact you. If you do those three things, you’ll have a rocking email signature in no time!

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