Using a Digital Signature to Spruce Up Your Cover Letters

Most job applications are submitted through the Internet today, either through an online application system or by e-mailing cover letters and resumes as attachments. Sending electronic cover letters is very convenient, but it precludes the applicant’s ability to sign the letter. Unless you want to print out, sign, scan, and then e-mail every single cover letter you write, it’s easier to just send them without a signature. One way you can make your cover letters stand out is to insert a digital image of your signature. You can create this for yourself at home by neatly signing a piece of paper, scanning it, and cropping the image down to just the size of the signature. There are also Web sites that will help you create a digital version of your signature. Some allow users to draw their signature with a mouse, or to fax a copy of their handwritten signature, then returns a free digital image of your signature via e-mail. Many online application systems won’t be able to process the digital image of your signature. In those cases, none of the applicants will have any sort of signature on their cover letters. However, for situations where submitting a signed letter is possible, using a digital signature helps you stand out as a professional, technically-competent candidate. Anything that provides a competitive edge is a way to stand out from the crowd and be noticed.