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The Professional Cover Letter

 A persuasive cover letter not only answers the questions “Who are you?” and “What do you want?” but also convinces the reader that you can exceed the hiring organization/unit’s specific expectations and must be interviewed before you are snagged by a competitor.
   
Introduction— Who are you and what do you want?

  • Address an individual with hiring authority.
  • Explain how you learned of the position and why you are interested in working for the organization. Employers are interested in your motivation.
Body--Why should we interview you?
  • Research the organization. Indicate that you have insider information.  Go beyond details that would apply to any organization of the same size or type. Avoid the temptation to repeat gossip, slick brochures and website hype.
  • Explain how you can meet the employer’s needs. Use the terms in the job announcement to cite specific examples of your suitability for the position:
1. Educational preparation, including  specific course research/achievements
2. Relevant experience ( paid or unpaid ) and achievements
3. Leadership experience
4. Skills valued by the employer
5. Demonstrable work-related qualities
6. Interest in/commitment to the organization’s mission, product or service
  • Use language that will catch the employer’s attention. Avoid writing a letter that could be authored by Everyman/Everywoman-- any of your peers with the same qualifications.  Get some of your special competence, personality and passion into the letter.  Come alive!
  • Emphasize your strong points.  If you don’t fit all the preferred qualifications in the announcement, do not call attention to the gaps in your education/experience/skills. Provided that you meet the major qualifications, the employer will discuss and assess your important limitations in an interview.
Conclusion—What will you do next?
  • Show your interest by indicating that you will follow up your letter with a phone call or e-mail to inquire about details of the position.  Employers look for reasons not to hire you. Don’t let your fish escape because you didn’t put a hook on your line!
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The Faculty Cover Letter

A strong cover letter will help convince a faculty search committee that you not only meet the minimum requirements for the position advertised, but that you are also well- informed about the mission and needs of the institution and the department you are applying to. You want to convey excitement for teaching and for your contribution to research in your discipline. Your prose should sparkle. Communicate enthusiasm, intelligence, and professional maturity. Convince the committee that you have a clear sense of the direction you want to take your teaching and research and that you have an understanding of the issues that your discipline and US higher education must confront in the future. Motivate your readers to take a close look at your CV, pay attention to your recommendations, study your enclosures if any and prompt more than one member of the search committee to advocate for your candidacy.

Guidelines
  • Address your letter to the search committee chair. Write no more than 1 to 1 1/2 pages.
  • Research your audience. Inside information makes it easier for you to present yourself directly and personally. Include some details about the hiring department/faculty. Drop a name or mention an article if you can do this with grace and tact. Engage the hiring department as you would an individual with a particular history and set of priorities.
  • Indicate clearly when you will complete your degree requirements.
  • Use the body of your letter to elaborate on items in your CV that are relevant to the needs of the hiring department. Do not be afraid of some redundancy.
  • Discuss your strongest qualifications first, whether teaching or research. Each paragraph in the body of your letter and each sentence should advance the argument that you are uniquely qualified for the position.
  • Insert a hook in your conclusion. What action do you intend to take to follow up your application? Some options are:
  • Offer to send additional material.
  • State when you will call to obtain more information about the position or the search committee's timetable.
  • Outline your plans to participate in a professional meeting interview or visit a department that may have unadvertised adjunct positions.
  • Include a location and phone where you can be reached for an interview.

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