You don’t need to answer all of these questions to write the letter they are meant to help you brainstorm ideas. The following section has tips and questions for thinking through each stage of this writing process. The process may be as short as a few hours or as long as several weeks, but at the end the letter should present you as a strong candidate for the job. Like all writing, composing a cover letter is a process. How should I prepare to write my academic cover letter? Above all, a strong cover letter presents your accomplishments and your familiarity with the institution and with the position.
Typically, letters appear on departmental or university letterhead and include your signature. For some fields, cover letters may also include examples of your work, including music, popular articles, and other multimedia related to your research, service, or teaching available online. Digital versions of cover letters often contain hyperlinks to your CV or portfolio page. Occasionally, a third page may make sense for an early-career scholar if the application does not require a separate teaching statement and/or research statement. For early-career scholars, cover letters are typically no more than two pages (up to four pages for senior scholars). What do cover letters for academic teaching jobs typically contain?Īt their most basic level, academic cover letters accomplish three things: one, they express your interest in the job two, they provide a brief synopsis of your research and teaching and three, they summarize your past experiences and achievements to illustrate your competence for the job. It introduces you to the hiring committee and demonstrates how your academic background fits with the description of the position. What is an academic cover letter?Īn academic cover letter describes your experiences and interest as a candidate for a specific position. Here you will learn about writing and revising cover letters for academic teaching jobs in the United States of America. This handout will help you tackle one of the most important components: the cover letter or letter of interest. The long list of application materials required for many academic teaching jobs can be daunting. Academic Cover Letters What is this handout about?