I spend a lot of time in professional chatrooms for various occupations to get my feel for the challenges and requirements of different jobs. The threads back and forth are interesting and informative. One thing I’ve noticed among the replies, is how people sign their names, with the inclusion of supporting contact information. It’s called a signature line, and it usually reads something like:
Susan Geary
Certified Resume Writer
1stRateResumes.com
(623) 556-0330
Member Career Directors International
Nominated for 3 TORI Awards for excellence in resume writing
—————————-
Is it just me or are these things getting a little too long? These signature lines seem to be growing by leaps and bounds. You know what I’m talking about. The threads with 2 line replies followed by a 26 line biography of every accomplishment the signatory ever attained. It’s like one person sees another do it, and says, “I’m going to beef up my signature line too.” It wastes bandwidth, and annoys the reader, because because information is difficult to find. The reader has wade to through a resume within every email, just to find the answer to a question.
I see the reason behind it, and it’s a great idea. Just shorten it please! Perhaps instead of listing 15 different writing awards, write “Winner of 15 TORI Awards.” And just give us the best stuff and a web address. We’ll seek more information if we’re interested.
The only thing an extremely long signature line does is make the writer look egotistical. I’m sure that’s not the intention, however be advised that it is the perception.
All the best in your job search!