#Academic cover letter examples professional

Teaching Statements increasingly form part of the UK academic application package but they are common in the US and found in other countries.

If you have received any training or mentoring such as PGCert or GTA training, mention this.

For example, if you are applying to somewhere that teaches predominantly mature students, give evidence for why you would be able to teach that particular group well undergraduates, postgraduates, range of subjects

Indicate the breadth of your experience in teaching e.g.

Mention any experience you have of securing research funding.You will need to persuade the reader that these are worthwhile, interesting and well thought through

for fellowships/lectureships) describe future research plans.

Mention key publications that are published/planned – these are the main means of assessing research quality in most academic markets.

Draw attention to what is original about your thesis and your research activity and how it contributes to the field.

Situate your work – how does it relate to what other scholars have done/are doing.

This means that you cannot assume that they will appreciate the novelty/value of your research and you will need to be explicit about this. They are unlikely to be working directly in your area of interest. For example, if you are applying for a lectureship your letter will be read by academics in the department to which you are applying. You should consider who will be reading your cover letter.

Show that you are interested in and know about them in particular – don’t allow your cover letter to read as if it could be sent to any department/university.

Concentrate the content on your most relevant experience. For a research-only position they will be more interested in the impact of your research than in your teaching experience.

Analyse the position to decide what parts of your experience will be of most interest to the selection panel E.g.

Avoid giving simply a chronological account of your experience – this is what your CV is for.

The first paragraph should state clearly what position you are applying for.

#Academic cover letter examples professional

Use the layout for a professional letter (see examples on website).Length – generally 1 to 3 pages (shorter if you are also sending a research proposal).You might also find examples on the PhD students, job market pages or academic staff pages of your department. These are based on real applications but some names and details have been changed: newspaper articles, book reviews etc.īelow are some examples of successful academic CVs that have been kindly donated by LSE PhD students. Group other types of publication together e.g. Have these (planned or already published) in a separate section listed first. The highest impact publications for an academic selection panel are likely to be any peer-reviewed journal papers. Separate out different types of publication.‘under review’, ‘accepted for publication’ Be clear about the status of other publications e.g.Include ‘in preparation’ or ‘planned’ publications (within reason) and state which journal you plan to submit them to and if possible when.It’s crucial to present your publications clearly as this section will be one of the most important on your CV. Organisational and administrative experience.Research positions/academic appointments.You don’t need to use all of them – if something is not appropriate for your CV leave it out: These are typical section headings for academic CVs. the codes of courses you’ve taught if you are applying outside LSE Avoid institution-specific terminology e.g.Use simple, easy to read formatting and layout.Don’t need personal details such as photo, gender, marital status.

List items in reverse chronological order within sections (most recent at top).Length is unimportant – can run to several pages.Try to find out why the position is being advertised (for example, has someone retired? is the department growing?) and a bit about what they are expecting from their new hire, such as to teach existing courses or develop new ones. If possible try to also find out more about the position using either the contact given in the job advert or your own contacts. Is the position fixed-term/contract or permanent/open-ended?.Will I be working on someone else’s research or my own independent research?.What is the balance between research and teaching?.The answers to the following questions should influence how you present yourself on paper: Teaching Statement (more common in the US than the UK)īefore starting to put together your application materials, think carefully about the position you are applying for.For academic jobs you will typically be asked to send any or all of the following: