Crafting an Academic Cover Letter

Whether you are looking for a summer internship, research position or full-time job, seeing an “Add Cover Letter” button on an application can be daunting and disheartening. “Why do I need to write up the same information I have on my resume?” you might ask. You may not know where to begin writing a cover letter. Not all jobs and roles require a cover letter, but when one does, submitting a strong cover letter gives you a chance to strengthen your application and stand out. Although a curriculum vitae (CV) briefly lists your credentials and skill set, a cover letter gives you the chance to create a narrative that shows your professional journey and lets the recruiters get to know you and why they should hire you.

A cover letter for an industry role is a one-page memo that outlines your interests in a job and the company, as well as highlights why you would be a good fit. For academia, a cover letter can be several pages, depending on seniority and the field. Cover letters in STEM fields are typically one to two pages, whereas cover letters in humanities and social sciences are two to three pages [1]. The goals for an academic and an industry cover letter are the same, but the structure and content will vary slightly between the two.      

What Goes into an Academic Cover Letter?

A great place to begin writing your cover letter is with your CV. The information you include in your cover letter should expand upon what you have listed there. Keep in mind that a cover letter should not be a conversion of the bullet points on your CV into sentences and paragraphs. Your cover letter should expand upon your accomplishments and their significance to your past and future research and teaching journey.

In addition to discussing why you are a strong researcher, your cover letter should convey your desire to work at the position and institution you are applying to and why you are a good fit for the role. It is important to research both the institution and the department before you begin drafting your cover letter. Consider the types of institutes to which you are applying – where are they located? Are they more teaching- or research-focused? Are they R1, R2, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) or some other type of college? Although you do not need to mention every detail in your cover letter, it is important to have a sense of what type of institute you are applying to. As for the department, its specific culture will help guide your cover letter and application. Consider the subfields the department focuses on. Think about whether the department has more of a focus on theoretical work, methodological work or industry collaborations and applications. If there is a specific vacancy the department or organization is trying to fill, tailor your cover letter to discuss why you can fill the vacancy. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center has a great list of questions to consider when researching the role, as well as while you are writing your cover letter [2].

Now that you have done your research and prepared your CV, what sections do you put into your cover letter? Begin with an introduction that briefly states the position you are applying to and why you are interested in the role and the institution. Include why you are excited and enthusiastic, whether that is because of the research opportunities, focus or interdisciplinary collaborations (or any other reasons you may have for applying to the position). After the introduction, there are three key components a strong academic cover letter will include: your research experience, teaching experience and philosophy, and service to the academic community [3].

• Research Experience: One of the key elements of an academic position is research, and your research experience and goals should be the focus of your cover letter. Use the cover letter to expand upon the focus of your research, its significance, and what methodologies and theories you apply. Take this chance to highlight key publications, grants, collaborations and notable projects that make you stand out in your field. This might include industry collaborations with prominent companies or awards you have won, such as being named an INFORMS Fellow. If you are an early-career scholar, it is important to discuss the future direction of your research with ideas about what topics and areas you want to explore. If you are more senior, discuss how your research has shaped your field and how it will continue to do so.

• Teaching Experience and Philosophy: Aside from research, teaching is one of the most important parts of any academic role, so it is important to convey your commitment and ability to teach in your cover letter. Your CV will list the courses you have taught, but your cover letter is the place to discuss your approach to teaching, what innovations you have implemented in your classroom and any student evaluations, if available. Often, academic applications will also ask for a statement of teaching, which will discuss your teaching experience and philosophy. Although the information will be very similar between your cover letter and teaching statement, do not simply copy and paste paragraphs between the two. The information in each should support each other, without being repetitive.

• Service to the Academic Community: In addition to your research and teaching experience, your cover letter should highlight your contribution to and leadership in the broader academic community. Examples include the editorial boards you have served on, different committees you have participated in, workshops you have organized and students (at both the undergraduate and graduate level) that you have mentored. This is also a good spot in the cover letter to mention any diversity, equity and inclusion efforts you have been part of. This section is your chance to show that you are not only a stronger researcher and teacher but also a leader in your community.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure you avoid the following common mistakes:

• Submitting a generic cover letter. As previously mentioned, each cover letter you submit should be for a specific role at a specific institution. Search committees can easily detect a cookie-cutter cover letter. Make sure you include specific details about the institution you are applying to, why you are a good fit and why it is a good fit for you.
• Being too technical and using too much niche terminology. Although your search committee may comprise experts in your field, that is not a guarantee. You want to ensure that your cover letter can be easily understood by someone outside of it. Additionally, this will showcase your ability to clearly communicate with different audiences.
• Grammatical errors and typos. Misspelled words, incorrect punctuation and other errors will make your cover letter unprofessional and leave a bad first impression. Read over your cover letter several times, use spell check and online editing resources such as Grammarly, and have several other people read it to catch small typos you may have missed.

Writing a cover letter requires time and effort, but a well-crafted cover letter will aid your academic applications. By following the tips and suggestions in this article, you are on your way to writing a cover letter that helps you stand out against the competition and portrays you as the perfect fit for the job.

References

1. Career Services, “Cover letters for faculty job applications,” University of Pennsylvania, https://careerservices.upenn.edu/application-materials-for-the-faculty-job-search/cover-letters-for-faculty-job-applications/.
2. The Writing Center, “Academic Cover Letters,” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/academic-cover-letters/.
3. “Sample Letter,” Purdue University, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/job_search_letters/academic_cover_letters/documents/20061113033354_639.pdf.