Writing a cover letter.

They say “Do not judge a book by its cover”. Unfortunately or fortunately, you will be judged by the cover letter of your application. It is usually one the first document that invariably accompanies an application. Writing a cover letter can be extremely tricky. It is a very subjective document and can be viewed in a different light by different people.

I am a little awkward writing a blog on this topic as I am still in the learning process. But again, maybe this might open doors for a healthy exchange of tips and views between you and me. I have again been very fortunate on getting tips from experienced people, which I have tried to compile in this article. My focus is on a cover letter for academic jobs, though it may be extended to other fields as well.

One of the biggest challenge, and I believe one of the most overlooked aspect, of writing a cover letter is the personalization of it for every position or job that you apply for. You just cannot, and must not, send the same letter with a change in the addressee’s* name. Of course, some chunks of the letter remain more or less the same, but you may even have to give a complete makeover to the letter if required.

A standard cover letter can be roughly divided into the following section:

1.       Header

Cover letters should have a date and the addressee’s name, position and affiliation. It is a personal choice of which format you choose with respect to a left hand or a right hand margin of writing the date and addressee’s details. Many also like to include the addresser’s^ name, affiliation and email ID right at the top. Alternatively, this can be given at the bottom after signing of your name. Just make sure that this section of the letter doesn’t take up a lot of space of the letter and keep it concise.

2.       Salutation

 It is a common practice to use Dear followed by the title Prof., Dr., Mr., Ms. etc. and then the surname of the addressee.  It is always worth the effort to find out whom you are exactly addressing. In early research careers of academicians, this is usually a professor or a lecturer whom you are interested to work with or who has advertised the job. For other settings and career stages, this can be the HR manager or coordinator. If you are absolutely unable to find a specific person’s name, then a generic Dear Sir/Madam or Dear HR manager or even To Whom It May Concern (the phrase is capitalized) will do. If you know the name and cannot figure out the gender, you can play safe by using the full name in lieu of a Mr. or Ms..

3.       Body of the letter:

This is the main chunk of the cover letter and can again be roughly divided into the following paragraphs/sections:

i. Purpose of the letter: I have not really seen a separate subject line being used in cover letters, though I would be happy if someone confirms this. Therefore, the first line itself should convey what the purpose of the letter is. You should include the job reference number (if applicable), position or job title, company or laboratory or university of opening and a 4-5 words on the project (optional).

An example sentence can be:

I am writing this letter with regard to/in regard to/regarding the research associate position advertised to work on the structural characterization of polymerases at Prof. Smith’s laboratory at the X department, Y University.
The next couple of sentences should briefly indicate why you are interested in and/or are suitable for the job. You should also include your field(s) of expertise here. This section has to be tailor-made for each application.

ii. Current or most recent job/work experience: This can be the next paragraph with the first sentence clearly stating where you work currently or worked most recently. You can chose to give a reason for a sabbatical or career break here, depending on how long the break was. A few months can easily be avoided giving a reason for. But a longer break may seem that you are not too serious about your career and it would be best to give a valid explanation for this. You can also be chose to be ambiguous by stating “personal/family reasons” and how you would now like to resume your career..
Next describe your current/recent job profile and the project you work/worked on. The description should include the main finding(s) of your project. Whether you want to give away your project details or not depends on you. You can choose to give a broad idea without divulging specific details. If you think it is ok to, you can add a polite statement on how you can share more details over a face-to-face meeting. If you have worked independently on a project, it is good to emphasize this point. It goes without mentioning that any publication/patent that you have from this job has to be mentioned. It can also be highlighted in bold letters or italics.

iii. Past research experiences: You can broadly describe what you worked on during your PhD and also any other subsequent and relevant research experience. Again, publications and major outcomes of your work should be highlighted.


iv. Other skills: Describe your writing and communication skills and also any mentorship that you may have undertaken. This is to be given more emphasis if the job description requires these qualities, which is usually the case. Always site examples of whatever you state.

v.  Your interest in the field: Present your research interest as a conscious choice you made, rather than a mere-chance-upon. You can begin with how your interest in a particular field made you chose certain subjects and how you chose to work on your PhD topic. If there is change in field, address that too.

vi. Why you choose to apply to this particular position: This again is an extremely made-to-order section where you must have a good understanding of what the project would be about or what the laboratory works on. You should convince them how your research interest and/or skills suit the laboratory. Go through their research articles or website and try to find your linearity with the laboratory or project. It is always a good practice to enquire about the particulars of a project or position if this is not stated clearly in the advertisement. You can ask them politely to let you know about what the aim and objectives are of the project and what is expected from the candidate.

vii.  Ending the letter: Include a statement on how you find the work place fit for your interest and vice-versa. Mention the documents that accompany the cover letter, such as the CV. Sign off by thanking them for their time and your anticipation.

1.        4.  Footer:

This will include the end salutation such as Kind regards, Yours sincerely etc. Include your full name and also your affiliation and email ID, if not already mentioned in the header.

Some more tips:

       1.            Avoid using too many adjectives, especially for self-appreciation or flattery of the employer. This can go the wrong way.

       2.            Avoid using colors in the text as your letter will probably be printed or photo-copied. Also, I personally think it looks less professional. Highlight an achievement, a certain skill, keywords etc. using the bold and italics options.

       3.            Be very clear in stating your interest. The employer may actually get offended if you are not able to justify your interest.

       4.            Do not repeat much of what is there in your CV. Reproducing all your skills and achievements can be a put off and also take up unnecessary space.

       5.            When sending an informal mail to the employer directly, try to include a question or so. You may ask them about the suitability of your candidature or specific details about the position or project. Ask them politely for a reply. This way you would be sure that they have seen your application. This is especially important if the job advertisement advices informal contact prior to submitting an application.

       6.            If the addressee doesn’t respond within a week’s time, send a gentle reminder by forwarding the previous mail with the attachments. Ask them politely again if they can reply to your mail.

       7.            Always read the job advertisement from top to bottom. It can give you hints about what exactly to include in your letter. Make sure you get the position’s title correct and also that you send the informal mail at least a couple of weeks before the last date.

       8.            Keep the letter a maximum length of 2 pages. The shorter, the better.

       9.            A cover letter needs to be written at a relaxed pace. The first draft that you write would need multiple rounds of revision. Once you have one sample letter prepared, it will subsequently become easier to tailor it to every application.

I hope these tips have been beneficial. As I mentioned before, I too keep on revising my cover letter time to time. I will be looking forward to some suggestions from you all!

* Addressee: The person to whom you are writing to, the receiver.

^Addresser: You, the sender!