How to Write a Cover Letter
In the latest episode of the podcast I covered how one could go about looking for a post-bacc research position. I also promised that I would make a blog post explaining how to write a cover letter. And this is me delivering on that promise!
What is a Cover Letter?
According to Google/Wikipedia a cover letter is “a letter of introduction accompanying a resume or CV”.
I view cover letters as a way for you to narrate the experiences you listed on your CV and provide any additional context. In addition to this, in my opinion, the cover letter serves three main purposes, it helps state:
Who you are
What you can provide
What you hope to gain
How Do I Write One?
Excellent question! Below, I provide a template for how I tend to approach writing cover letters. I developed this broad template while I was applying for jobs after graduation and I still tend to follow it for positions I apply to.
This is just a broad guide if you don’t know where to start. You don’t have to follow this directly and feel free to modify it and make it your own!
The one thing I will say is don’t downplay your accomplishments and contributions. When I first started writing cover letters, I would add in lots of qualifiers or tended to cast myself more as a supporter than an active participant driving things along. Don’t do that. Own everything that you have done because it is significant, it wasn’t easy, and your goal is to convey just how awesome you are to whoever reads your letter.
Now that I got that little pep talk out of the way — let’s write a cover letter.
Cover Letter Template
To Whom It May Concern:
(Or, if known, the name of the individual you’re sending the application to)
(The first paragraph should be short-- no more than three sentences. You want to establish who you are, what you are applying for, and what skills and experience you have)
Paragraph 1: I am writing to apply to [Enter position that you’re applying for here] . I am [state your current year, university, and what you’re majoring in]. A sentence or two outlining your end goal (e.g., PhD) and a brief overview of the skills you have that make you competitive for this position.
(A cover letter should be no more than a page. I tend to have two paragraphs where I elaborate a bit more on my CV – particularly the things I want to emphasize and provide more context to. If you don’t have enough to do two full paragraphs, it’s not a problem!)
Paragraph 2: The first sentence of this paragraph should state the basics of your research experience. [ex: I have spent XXX time working XXX hours per week in XXXX lab run by Dr. XXXX] Then spend the rest of this paragraph discussing what you have done research-wise. Talk about the projects that you’ve worked on and your role in them. If you received any awards or presented any conferences be sure to mention them here and provide further context.
Paragraph 3: This first sentence should state the basics of whatever additional experience you are looking to highlight. I used this paragraph to talk about my work at the National Eating Disorders Association and interning at a counseling center. It’s okay if you don’t have clinical experience. Whatever experiences you choose to discuss, just be sure to be explicit about how the skills you gained will help you in the position you are now applying for.
(This final paragraph is to sum up what you talked about length above, state why you are a good fit for the job, and what you are hoping to gain from it)
Paragraph 4: I believe that [enter your skills that you’ve gained from the discussed experiences here] would make me a valuable addition to [position your applying for here]. I love the opportunity to [enter what you are hoping to gain out of this experience] while [contributing to XXXXX’s mission/goals]. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [enter phone number and email].
Sincerely,
Your Name
Well there you have it. I hope you have a slightly better idea of what a cover letter should look like and what it should include!
