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seyz
Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:02 am Post subject: Job cover letters (especially for universities) |
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Hello everyone,
I am curious to know what everyone thinks a good cover letter should look like, especially for a university (though this is applicable to most other positions as well). I ask this because a lot of the templates that I see online are not very specific and are extremely generic. I am wondering if anyone would be willing to share a general outline of what should go into this. If this exact thread has been posted elsewhere, do forgive me. But I just thought it a good idea to get some personal insights on this topic and to see if anyone was willing to share what works or doesn't work for them.
Thanks all |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| In addition to great writing tips, Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) has effective guidelines via its Cover Letter Workshop. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:31 am Post subject: Re: Job cover letters (especially for universities) |
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| seyz wrote: |
Hello everyone,
I am curious to know what everyone thinks a good cover letter should look like, especially for a university (though this is applicable to most other positions as well). I ask this because a lot of the templates that I see online are not very specific and are extremely generic. I am wondering if anyone would be willing to share a general outline of what should go into this. If this exact thread has been posted elsewhere, do forgive me. But I just thought it a good idea to get some personal insights on this topic and to see if anyone was willing to share what works or doesn't work for them.
Thanks all |
Your resume / CV tells what you have done and what your credentials are.
Your cover letter should tell who you are, why you are a good choice for the position and what you can bring to the employer.
Cover letter templates are generic because they are simply rough examples. YOUR cover letter should be tailored to each job/employer you are applying to; especially for university positions.
As an employer who screens several hundred applications each year I can assure you that people who send in a one-size-fits-all cover letter usually don't make it to the interview stage.
If you have taken the time to actually write a cover letter that is specific to the job posting you were applying to then you will at least get the courtesy of a reply even if you didn't meet the specs of the advertised position and get an interview.
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Wolfsong
Joined: 16 Jul 2016
Posts: 76
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:56 am Post subject: Re: Job cover letters (especially for universities) |
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| seyz wrote: |
Hello everyone,
I am curious to know what everyone thinks a good cover letter should look like, especially for a university (though this is applicable to most other positions as well). I ask this because a lot of the templates that I see online are not very specific and are extremely generic. |
I agree, they are. I've found that a cover letter should contain individual traits which are personal to you, e.g, how you feel your experience of teaching has developed and what stage it is at now. It only needs to be brief, a short sentence really, but something which is personal to you. In this way it gets attention generic cover letters wouldn't. |
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seyz
Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies. Perhaps I am coming at this from a bit different of a perspective. I am asking how everyone goes about structuring their cover letters quite literally, paragraph by paragraph. Or rather, getting at this in a more fine tuned in depth way. For example, one of my cover letters, for a job looking for teaching experience and materials/curriculum development might look like this:
[Introductory paragraph] Introduce me, who I am, background
[Teaching experience] Courses I've taught
[Teaching philosophy] My teaching philosophy and techniques
[Material development] Experience designing course, curriculum materials, etc.
[Research, if asked] My research experience
[Future goals, if appropriate]
[Thank you]
I am not putting this up to critique mine per say, but I would like to generate a discussion about cover letters and do so in ways that may help Dave's readers become more competitive. If anyone else is willing to share their structure or contents, that would be great. I am hoping we, as people who have treaded these waters, might be able to have a discussion something a bit more in depth than Purdue Owl.
For instance, I've read (and believe) that saying that "I am the ideal candidate for this job because 1, 2, and 3" is a bit too generic and a bit too presumptuous. Instead, I would try to demonstrate to the reader/reviewer why I am the ideal candidate. This is a very minor change but I believe that it makes the cover letter and candidate appear much nicer. Plus, if a reviewer gets 200 applications saying "I am the best person for the job because..." this would lead one to stand out. These are the kind of fine points I am hoping we can discuss here. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 1:42 am Post subject: |
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Skip the forms....
Experience and other stuff is in your CV.
respond to the ad....
What are they looking for?
How can YOU fill that role better than the next guy.
The cover letter is PERSONAL and job specific.
Convince them that you are the right person for the job because of what you can bring to the table and what you can do for them.
Write the letter like you actually want the job and not just filling in forms as a matter of formality.
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| seyz wrote: |
I am asking how everyone goes about structuring their cover letters quite literally, paragraph by paragraph. Or rather, getting at this in a more fine tuned in depth way. For example, one of my cover letters, for a job looking for teaching experience and materials/curriculum development might look like this:
[Introductory paragraph] Introduce me, who I am, background
[Teaching experience] Courses I've taught
[Teaching philosophy] My teaching philosophy and techniques
[Material development] Experience designing course, curriculum materials, etc.
[Research, if asked] My research experience
[Future goals, if appropriate]
[Thank you]
I am not putting this up to critique mine per say, but I would like to generate a discussion about cover letters and do so in ways that may help Dave's readers become more competitive. If anyone else is willing to share their structure or contents, that would be great. I am hoping we, as people who have treaded these waters, might be able to have a discussion something a bit more in depth than Purdue Owl.
For instance, I've read (and believe) that saying that "I am the ideal candidate for this job because 1, 2, and 3" is a bit too generic and a bit too presumptuous. Instead, I would try to demonstrate to the reader/reviewer why I am the ideal candidate. This is a very minor change but I believe that it makes the cover letter and candidate appear much nicer. Plus, if a reviewer gets 200 applications saying "I am the best person for the job because..." this would lead one to stand out. These are the kind of fine points I am hoping we can discuss here. |
Purdue's OWL is a viable, basic guide that allows for flexibility and customization. That cover letter outline you present above is too long and too much. Recruiters don't want to read the applicant's life story; they're looking for a match to the job requirements and role. Besides, a cover letter is meant to be an introduction and not a comprehensive summary. It goes a bit further than the proverbial 30-second elevator pitch by proving to the employer that the applicant possesses the key requirements and personality for the specific position as well as why he/she wants to work for that employer.
So unless the job ad states you're to include future goals (seriously?), research, a teaching philosophy, professional development, etc., in the cover letter, leave it off. Research would be a separate section on the resume/CV, teaching philosophies are generally a short paragraph or a separate document (if longer), and courses taught would fall under experience via positions you've held. If you have extensive experience, skills, work product, and accomplishments, consider creating an ePortfolio with your domain name that you can point prospective employers to. For example, my online portfolio also includes a collection of artifacts I've created covering graphic design, desktop publishing, curriculum and instructional design, web authoring, and so on. I mention the link in my cover letter and include it with my home address and contact info on my resume/CV.
In terms of the vanilla "I am the best person for the job because...", there's more than one way to state why you're the cream of the crop -- get creative and show some personality in your cover letter. Frankly, this shouldn't be too difficult for any English teacher who's taught basic essay writing. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:39 am Post subject: |
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And one last comment before I leave this thread alone... your cover letter should reflect where you are applying to (geographically).
A cover letter written to a university in the US (native speakers looking for a specific format) would be far different than one written to a university in Asia or Eastern Europe (non native speakers who may very well get lost in the nuances of a finely crafted cover letter).
As nice as the examples on the OWL are .... KISS (Keep It Simple and Succinct).
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Wolfsong
Joined: 16 Jul 2016
Posts: 76
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| seyz wrote: |
| Thanks for the replies. Perhaps I am coming at this from a bit different of a perspective. I am asking how everyone goes about structuring their cover letters quite literally, paragraph by paragraph. Or rather, getting at this in a more fine tuned in depth way. |
Maybe you're over thinking this a bit too much? Although I agree a structured cover letter is better, consider that employers receive 100s of cover letters and simply don't have the time to read in depth each one. They are looking for something which is brief but covers the characteristics they are looking for.
| seyz wrote: |
| For instance, I've read (and believe) that saying that "I am the ideal candidate for this job because 1, 2, and 3" is a bit too generic and a bit too presumptuous. Instead, I would try to demonstrate to the reader/reviewer why I am the ideal candidate. This is a very minor change but I believe that it makes the cover letter and candidate appear much nicer. Plus, if a reviewer gets 200 applications saying "I am the best person for the job because..." this would lead one to stand out. These are the kind of fine points I am hoping we can discuss here. |
It does sound presumptuous but you can change the wording from "I am the ideal candidate because..." to something else. Also, think about how common it is to be asked "tell us why you are the best candidate for the job" or "what do you think you can bring to the job which others might not bring?" etc. These are all variations on the question "why are you the ideal candidate?" So they are following a format in order to find out who is the best person for them. The applicant should follow the format so they can give the information sought. I don't think it's possible to have an in depth discussion on cover letters as such because it's a pretty narrow area. But within that area there is room to individualize your responses. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:03 am Post subject: |
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Do not rely on the fact you have a (non-TEFL) PhD and have completed X research unless directly relevant to the position.
That said, if you can't compose a basic, effective cover letter, how comfortable and competent will you be with teaching university-level English writing?  |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Are you still in China? I recall you asked information about writing resumes for jobs in China. Cover letters, like resumes, have different expectations depending on location. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Although some job seekers may choose to forego writing a cover letter (even for university positions), non-native English speakers should definitely include one to show their English writing skills.
BTW, there's also a thread about CV writing. |
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