Academic Cover Letters

Academic job applications often require a cover letter/letter of intent in addition to other documents, such as your CV, Teaching and Research Statements, and perhaps a Diversity Statement. In your cover letter, highlight your most important experiences and accomplishments, and demonstrate how you are aligned with the responsibilities of the position. Use examples to show you can do the job and include any relevant added value you bring. 

Considerations for Overall Structure & Content 

• Academic cover letters can be 1-2 single-spaced pages.  
• Copy and paste your contact information from your CV into your cover letter so your document headings match. 
• If the job description does not identify a specific person to whom you should direct your application, address the letter to the “Search Committee.” 
• Write your letter with the mindset of being a future colleague and not as a graduate student or postdoc trainee. 
• Every word counts and the words you choose can convey doubt or confidence! [e.g., “I will try to…” (conveys doubt) vs. “I intend to…” (conveys confidence)]. 

Tailoring Content 

Academic cover letters are unique because you may have already covered a lot of your qualifications in the various application documents, such as your professional experience and how that would benefit the prospective department. Be strategic with the content you include in your letter, providing new or additional information to complement the content in your other application materials. 

• The three most common documents for academic applications are Research, Teaching, and Diversity Statements. If the job application only asks for one or two of those documents, consider including content about the other topic(s) but only if you can determine whether the topic is also a priority for the department or institution. For example, if you are asked to submit a research and teaching statement, consider including information about your experience with an aspect of diversity/equity/inclusion. 
• Look for clues in the job description and on the department and institution web pages for emerging priorities. For example, maybe the department is trying to increase the number of majors, and you wish to include an idea about how you might contribute to this goal. 
• If you are required to include a research, teaching, and diversity statement, provide highlights of your current academic career, such as major projects, funding, honors or awards, key accomplishments, and future plans. The examples you choose to share should consistently show your alignment with being able to do the job and contribute to the success of the department. 
• Most of the content in each cover letter should be tailored to each position and institution. 
• Cover letters require you to be concise but also include a narrative voice! Your personality, curiosity, and initiative should be identifiable in your document.  

Know Your Audience & Follow Instructions 

• Know the expectations of your academic field and write your cover letter accordingly. Your advisor, or faculty who were recently hired by your department, might have insights to share. 
• If the job application has any writing prompts (e.g., “Submit a cover letter that includes your 5-year plan.”) you will want to make sure that you include content addressing those topics.  
• Follow any specific instructions on page length. If they want up to two pages do not submit three! 
• Write your cover letter so that people both inside and outside of your field can understand it. This often means refraining from using acronyms and jargon that might be unique to your field of study or research. 

Writing and Revising 

• Give yourself time to formulate your ideas and to write multiple drafts before you need to submit your applications.  
• Create a foundational letter that you can easily tailor and adapt to job postings. 
• Involve others who have experience in your field, inviting them to read your cover letters and ask for their input. 
• Invite individuals who do not know you well to read your letter and ask them to share what they learned about you. 
• Ask several people to proofread your writing. 
• Use GenAI tools cautiously – ideally as a thinking partner for developing content or creating an outline.