How to Sign a Cover Letter: A Guide with Tips
In a competitive job market, every element of your applications matter. Every small detail combines with others to make a strong impression on recruiters and hiring managers. When it comes to your cover letter, the way you finish and sign it can say a lot about your personal qualities. In this article, we’ll discuss how to sign a cover letter, with tips for digital and handwritten cover letter signatures.
The Significance of Signing your Cover Letter
Traditionally, signing a letter authenticates it as your own work and binds you to the contents contained within. It identifies the writer and sender of the letter, and implies that you, as the writer, endorse the written content of the document. Signing a letter makes it legally binding, like a contract.
In modern times, some of the significance of signing a letter by hand has been lost. With so many other ways to communicate, we don’t necessarily need to see a signature on a letter to verify and authenticate the sender. However, adding a signature to a letter has become a mark of professionalism and a show of respect to the recipient. Signing a letter still helps to build a sense of trust and credibility with the reader.
As such, signing a cover letter helps to add a dose of professionalism to your job applications. It shows employers that you stand by everything you’ve included in your application, including your CV and the contents of your cover letter. Using cover letter templates that follow traditional letter formatting, including signing your cover letter, also shows the employer that you take care over your applications and respect professional conventions, which can help to make a positive impression on the reader.
Guidelines for Signing a Cover Letter
Signing your cover letter is part of the formal process of closing your letter, which includes a sign-off line or phrase and several other details. When closing your letter, your first task is to select an appropriate sign-off. For a formal letter that you’re going to sign (rather than an email), it’s typically best to use ‘Yours sincerely’ if you know the name of the recipient, or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you don’t know their name.
Under your sign-off, leave plenty of space for your signature. You’ll typically need to leave three or four lines blank to add your signature, but this depends on the line spacing and layout of your letter, as well as the size of your signature. After leaving space for your signature, type your first and last name (together with any professional titles or qualifications that you typically include with your name). You can also add your contact details such as your phone number and email address under your name, if you haven’t included these in your letter header.
You can either sign your letter by hand, or using a digital signature (more on both of these options below). Make sure that however you sign it, you use black ink and a good pen with a clear, strong ink flow. Ensure your signature is legible and appears professional. If you don’t sign letters or documents very often, you might wish to practice your signature a few times before adding it to your letter.
Expert tip:
Only include your signature if you’re able to add a clear, legible and recognisable version of it. If your digital signature doesn’t come out clearly, or your scanned signature doesn’t look great, it’s better to leave your signature off and simply type your name at the end of your cover letter.
Digital signatures in a Cover Letter
Signing a cover letter by hand requires you to print out the letter. If you’re sending your application by email or you don’t have a printer, this may not be an option. In this case, there are several methods for signing your letter digitally.
The first option for a digital signature is simply to type your name at the bottom of the letter and not include a signature. This is acceptable, and employers probably won’t be surprised or upset at an ‘unsigned’ cover letter, but adding a signature will always make your applications appear more professional. The extra attention to detail could give you the edge over other candidates.
Another option for signing a letter created in MS Word or another word processor, is to take a piece of plain white paper, add your signature and then scan the paper into your computer. This requires a scanner or a printer with a scan function. Crop your document down so that just the signature remains, and then insert the signature as an image in the desired place. In the picture formatting menu, be sure to align your image ‘behind text’ or ‘in front of text’ to give you full control over where to place your signature in the letter.
Finally, there are several other programmes and tools you can use to add a digital signature. You could save your letter as a PDF and then use an application such as Docusign or SignRequest to add a secure, official signature to your letter. However, this may be too formal and unnecessary for a cover letter. Alternatively, Adobe Acrobat Reader offers an option to add a signature to documents, while on Mac, you can add a signature using the Preview app. Both options provide the potential to create a signature using your trackpad, or uploading an existing handwritten signature to your PDF.
Handwritten signatures in a Cover Letter
If you’re going to send your job application by mail and you need to print out your CV and cover letter, hand signing your letter is probably the best and most simple option. A hand-signed letter will likely make a stronger positive impression on the recipient than one where the signature has been added by computer and printed along with the rest of the letter. A hand signed letter adds an air of formality and authenticity to a hard copy of a letter.
If you’re going to print your letter and sign it by hand, be sure to leave enough space between your complimentary close and your name, so you can fit your signature in after printing. Select a high-quality pen and test it out on a scrap of paper before signing your letter, to ensure the ink is flowing freely. Black ink is usually the most professional to use for signing a letter, but dark blue ink is also acceptable.
Adding a signature to a letter has become a mark of professionalism and a show of respect to the recipient.
Best Practices for signing your Cover Letter
Following these best practice tips will ensure your cover letter signature leaves the reader with a positive impression that can improve your chances of job application success:
- Add an authentic personal signature to your cover letter whenever possible. Whether you create and add a digital version of your signature, or print your cover letter and sign it by hand, your letter and application will gain more credibility for being authenticated by your personal signature.
- Use a suitable complimentary close. When writing a formal cover letter, use traditional closing greetings such as ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ before your signature. This shows respect for letter-writing conventions, and respect for the recipient of the letter.
- Print your name below your signature. Add your first and last name below your signature so the employer can clearly decipher your name. Some signatures aren’t easy to read, so adding your name in clear, printed lettering will help the reader to identify you.
- Use a high-quality pen. If you’re printing your cover letter and signing it by hand, use the highest quality pen you can find, with black or dark blue ink. Test the pen out before signing your letter, to make sure it produces a steady, even flow of ink.
- Add a signature to an email cover letter. If you’re sending your cover letter in the body text of an email, there’s no need to use a formal letter sign-off or add an authentic signature. If you have an email signature line with your contact details in it, you can include this at the end of your email.
- Leave a blank space where a signature would go. If you can’t add a genuine signature, either by hand or using a digital version, don’t leave a gap where your signature would normally go. Instead, simply type your first and last name directly under your letter sign-off.
- Use pencil or coloured ink. A professional signature should be in black or dark blue ink. Don’t use pencil, red or green ink, or a felt pen such as a Sharpie.
- Use italics or handwritten-style fonts. If you can’t sign your cover letter personally, just add your name in the same font that you used to write your letter. Don’t try to imitate a signature by typing your name in italic lettering or an elaborate handwritten-style font. This lacks authenticity and adds nothing of any value to your cover letter.
Key Takeaways for Signing Your Cover Letter
Signing your cover letter is a simple detail that can improve the lasting impression you leave on the reader. Review cover letter articles to understand traditional letter writing conventions and include your signature in a way that adds professionalism and formality to your applications. Jobseeker’s CV examples and cover letter tools can help you to create an application that stands out from the crowd. Sign up to access CV templates and plenty of other resources. You’ll also find an extensive library of CV articles, to improve your chances of job application success.
