Cover Letter Series: 12 Sentences That Should Be Included in Your Academic Cover Letter

12 Sentences That Should Be Included in Your Academic Cover Letter

I just found a handy little blog post by Philip N. Howard that has been circulating around the internet for the past 6 years, called A Dozen Sentences That Should Appear in Your Academic Cover Letter.  It was originally published on the University of Washington Graduate College Mentor Memo site, and was later reprinted in Inside Higher Ed. Philip N. Howard identifies the lines that are needed in every cover letter by a graduate student or new Ph.D. seeking an academic job.

First and foremost, I'm grateful that someone has offered such practical, concrete counsel. This knowledge is really needed, and I've been working in such a vacuum for so long, that I'm relieved to see that someone, anybody, is truly attempting to provide solid and precise job market guidance.

This post is my response:

           1. I would like to be considered for the position of [title copied from job ad] in [exact    department name from job ad] at the [exact institution name from job ad]. I am an advanced doctoral candidate in [your department].Yes, except that this line includes the misuse of feeling-talk (I would want) that is common among job hopefuls. "I am writing in application to the post..." is something I would suggest. While "I would like" isn't an issue in and of itself, it becomes a touch excessive when combined with the rest of the feeling-talk that Howard encourages in following phrases. The bottom line on sentiments in employment letters is that applicants believe that expressing their strong feelings is the key to being employed, and that expressing their "passion," "excitement," and "eagerness" would ensure that they get hired. Remember that you and 250/500/750 other people are all attempting to pitch the same level of enthusiasm, eagerness, and excitement, and it's already old before you've even begun. Actually, rather than telling, what gets you recruited is demonstrating that you have followed an active career of study, publishing, and teaching without resorting to cheap emotional phrases.

            2. My doctoral project is a study of [cocktail party description]. Much of the research on this topic suggests that [characterize the literature as woefully inadequate]. But I [demonstrate, reveal, discover] that contrary to received wisdom, [your punch line].

Yes indeed

            3. To complete this research I have spent [X years] doing [fieldwork/lab work/archival work/statistical analysis]. I have traveled to [these cities or libraries], interviewed [X number of experts], created [original datasets/original compositions/original artwork].

This line should be followed by a paragraph that tells the tale of how you conducted your research. Overwhelm the committee with the number of objects you've examined, individuals you've spoken with, time you've invested, and locations you've visited.

The phrase is necessary in and of itself. What you looked at is important to search committees. Never, ever, ever "overwhelm" a search committee with facts, and for the love of God, don't write a "narrative" about your research "process"!! 9 out of 10 job candidates believe their dissertation is SO fascinating, SO compelling, SO urgent, SO earth-shattering that they would gladly overwhelm everyone they meet with endless amounts of minutiae about it, AND the endless story of how they unearthed this, and then transformed to that, and then developed a passion in this (see below), and then were "lucky enough to have the chance to" be doing that. etc. ad nauseum. No one has the time for that. In no more than two sentences, provide this information succinctly and accurately.

        4. I have completed [X] of [Y] chapters of my dissertation, and I have included two substantive chapters as part of my writing sample.

This is ok, although telling them what chapters you have finished in the dissertation is less important than telling them a concrete defense date in the first sentence, in my view.  Talk is cheap, but a defense date doesn’t lie. "I completed <X number of> chapters of my dissertation, which focus on <TOPIC A> and <TOPIC B> in <WHAT SETTING>. Based on <RESEARCH METHODOLOGY USED>, using <THEORY>, my findings showed <RESULTS STATEMENT>. My research contributes to the fields <TOPIC A> and <TOPIC B> by showing <DISCUSSION SUMMARY^†>. I have a manuscript <under review/accepted/in print/published> focusing on how these <OUTCOMES> impact participants’ <TOPIC B>.” is something I would suggest.

^†A succinct summary of your dissertation should read like this: <…how people legitimize lay medical knowledge when professional medical knowledge fails to provide answers to patients’ suffering.>

           5. I have well-developed drafts of several other chapters, and expect to defend in [month, year]. [OR] Having defended in [month, year], I plan to [turn it into a book-length manuscript for a major scholarly press/select key chapters for publication in disciplinary journals].

It's too premature for you to be on the academic job market if (1) any of your committee members are reluctant to commit to even a semester of the year for your defense date, or (2) if you don't have two substantial chapters to submit to the hiring committee. […] except that going on the market early may help you get your biggest blunders out of the way while you still have time, affiliation, and, we assume, support.

            6. Although my primary area of research is [disciplinary keyword], I have additional expertise in [another disciplinary keyword here] and am eager to teach in both areas. I have [taught/served as a teaching assistant] in courses about [A, B and C]. In the next few years, I hope to develop courses in [X and Y].

Of course, you must explain teaching abilities, but do so without making broad claims or using emotive language. Chomping at the bit? Wish? Eager? What good would that do us? Again, 250 other young adults will base their arguments on the same emotions. Instead, provide us with specifics and facts. Show, Don’t Tell.

            7. For the most part, my approach to research is through [social science or humanistic method keyword here], and I would be interested in developing a methods class on this approach to research.

All candidates must be able to teach both specialist topics pertaining to their research as well as general education subjects like Intro, Methods, and Theory. As a result, he is accurate in saying that you should be able to talk about a methods class. He reverts to feeling-talk once again ("I would be intrigued"). Candidates overuse the words "interest" almost as much as "passion" and "excited," and are frequently so self-absorbed that their letters devolve into an unending maelstrom of "I am interested in xxxx, and I have an additional interest in yyy, and I would be interested in teaching zzzz, and I have a great interest in the work of zzz, and my interests in www coincide......" It's a reliance. "Nobody Cares What You Are Interested In," I wrote an entire piece on it. That is, don't TELL search committees that you are interested in anything. SPECIFICALLY SHOW THEM YOU'RE INTERESTED.

            8. Although I have been focused on my graduate research for several years, I have been actively involved in conversations with [scholars in the department you are applying to, or scholars at other universities/professional associations/conferences/other disciplines].

What? What good does it do to have a conversation? Talk is cheap, and anybody, especially a graduate student, may talk about his dissertation. That does not set you apart.

This can be a single paragraph noting conferences you've attended, seminars you've hosted, and other ways you've contributed your discipline/industry. Instead, “I have been actively involved in <mentorship/poster presentations/grand rounds/special topics seminars> at <University A> and <University B>.” The key here is conferences. Those are peer-reviewed and your attendance at them will set your record apart.  Never hang your hat on service.

        9. In the next few years, I hope to be able to investigate [reasonably related problems or questions].

Everyone needs a secondary project. Please don't use vague aspirational sentiment language like "hope" to express it. Is it true that you're so unsure? That doesn't give me a lot of hope. Also, while we're on the topic, avoid using the words try, attempt, effort, or seek. Read my article: Using the FORCE to Write Better (Academically): "Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try" I would, instead, write, “Beyond my dissertation, I maintain an active research agenda and am involved in projects that examine the <TOPIC B> in the <SETTING> process.”

        10. I am interested in this post for a variety of reasons: [something about the character of the department/university/community/city].

This is what tailoring is all about, and it's crucial. I advise my clients to pen, “<DEPARTMENT ASPECT A> and <DEPARTMENT ASPECT B> make this job particularly Choose an item.. I look forward to collaborating with <FACULTY A> on <PROJECT TOPIC A>, and <FACULTY B> on <PROJECT TOPIC B>.”

        11. Because of my graduate training, my doctoral research, and my teaching [experience/interests], I am uniquely qualified for this job.

Oh, for the love of God. Really? Are you one-of-a-kind? Did your parents tell you about it?

Those words are emptied of meaning. They constitute pitiful, desperate rhetoric.

When a steering committee reads 300 letters, each of which claims that the candidate is "uniquely qualified" (which, by the way, they already do regardless of his post's direction), such words lose their significance. They are terrible and pathetic statements. Without resorting to groveling claims, connect your achievements and performance to the job.

        12. In the next few months, I will be attending [conference A] and [conference B]. If you or your colleagues are also planning to attend, I would be happy to meet for an informal conversation.

This also comes out as needy to me. The academic employment market is a case of "don't bother us, we'll call you." They'll ask whether they want you. Instead, close with, “I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Thank you. Sincerely, Signature, Printed Name”

You Really Need Recommendations From Faculty Outside Your Department: Academic Job Market 101

You Really Need Recommendations From Faculty Outside Your Department
Academic Job Market 101

This last couple of weeks, I've received a slew of new customers asking my assistance in planning for the Fall 2022 employment market. This thinking and preparation is commendable, and I advise it to anybody who knows they'll be on the market next year. One piece of advise I gave each of these clients was to begin developing a third or fourth recommendation letter writer who was not affiliated with your Ph.D. giving school.

Some of you may be surprised, but having all of your letters come from academics at your Ph.D. institution/committee is a solid sign that a job applicant is "Not Ready For Prime Time." 

It isn't a full deal-breaker, especially if your department has a number of profs who are well-known and important in their own right. In the same vein, if you are an early ABD, the lack of an external letter writer will not be fatal.

The finest, strongest, and most accomplished rivals for the positions you're seeking for–-even ABDs-–will have groomed well-known, prominent senior researchers in their field/niche to write for them from outside your school.

Learn to Write Concisely: Dissertation Basics

Learn to Write Concisely: 

Dissertation Basics

“I am writing a longer letter than usual because there is not enough time to write a short one.”

    Blaise Pascal, Lettres Provinciales (ca. 1657)

  Writing clear and concise manuscripts is a significant hurdle to professional success for many scientists. Regardless of academic discipline, one of the most common professorial refrains is “this needs to be tighter.” It typically means too many words and ideas are jumbled together, and the underlying point is obscure. The writing is not concise. But, improving conciseness is difficult because the problem is caused by a host of easily overlooked factors, especially by early career researchers. Here, I describe what it means to write concisely and outline 10 rules, with examples, to help scientists tighten their prose.

    This broad problem can be divided into two parts: 1) Improved and clearer first drafts; 2) efficient revision procedures Both demand significant time and energy commitments; nevertheless, even with limitless time and energy, getting to the "end" can be difficult because the "end" is undefined. It's a "you'll know it when you see it" point that takes a lot of practice to spot. For early-career academics, getting to that endpoint—a clear and concise finished work—can be callous.

    The inspiration for this blog post comes from a frequent editorial refrain: "this needs to be tighter." This is advice I've given and received countless times. I can also attest to how nebulous it can feel when receiving it and how helpful concrete methods to correct the problem would be. In the end, your reader is advising you to be more succinct. They want you to say the same thing in fewer words. You will get goodwill from your audience if you take the time to design your manuscript with conciseness in mind. Before we go into the regulations, caution: it's crucial not to go too far in your quest for brevity.

    Like any good rule, most of these rules can be disregarded under the right circumstances, so I advise the reader to treat them as guides rather than laws. However, I have included two regulations at the end of the essay that should not be disobeyed. To write succinctly, you must take writing seriously (Rule 1) and welcome comments (Rule 10). Finally, I must admit that the published version of this essay will contain an element of irony. Like every other piece of writing that has been written, this essay might be shorter. This can't be avoided. It is not a binary of success or failure to write concisely. It's more of a matter of degree. You should endeavor to do it properly while acknowledging that you will have to stop at some point.

 

 • Rule 1: Take writing seriously and set a schedule.

Only the people who put in some serious effort will be rewarded. Think of Stephen King and that he writes 2,000 words a day. Think of Nora Roberts, who publishes a new book every 3 months. You don’t have to be as prolific as these two, but if you want to make a difference, get published, get noticed, and get ahead as a writer, you have to take your writing seriously.

 1. Are you a serious writer?

It’s entirely possible that you’re not serious about writing right now. Maybe you only write for an hour on the weekends after the chores get done. Perhaps you only manage to note when you have time off. But deep down, you know that you want more. Maybe you just want to publish that one book. Perhaps you want to write a series of books. And perhaps you want to turn writing into a lucrative career that allows you to quit your day job one day. How can you do this?

2. Set a goal and work on it every day

If you want to be a writer, you have to set a goal. Your goal needs to be measurable. That means it needs specifics as well as a completion date. For example, you can plan to finish your 60,000-word thesis in the next 6 months. That’s a goal, but only if you write it down and hold yourself accountable. What can you do today to work towards that goal? Write 500 words. Do it right now. And then do it again tomorrow. You’ll reach your destination in no time at all. It doesn’t matter if your goal is enormous, as long as you can break it down into daily steps

 3. (Grad Students) Setting Deadlines for Your Dissertation Chapters

The planning becomes a little hazier because there are so many variables to consider. Thesis writing is not a straightforward procedure. No rule says you must write Chapter 1 first, then Chapter 2, then Chapter 3, and so on... In fact, I would advise you to avoid writing them in any particular order. Obviously, some chapters must be completed before others; writing your Synthesis Chapters will be challenging if you have not examined and made meaning of your research findings. Plan to create your chapters in whatever order you think would be simplest, considering dependencies. I began with Chapter 4, which detailed my study technique and findings. 

• Rule 2: Identify your hypothesis and stick to your thesis. 

Knowing the hypothesis or research question and keeping the text constrained to that topic is the most significant piece of advice I have for struggling scientific writers. Don’t add facts, studies, or figures about variables that aren’t in your research. You should only be writing about prior research or methods that answer your research question. Don’t distract the author. Make it easy for the reader to read through your manuscript. 

• Rule 3: Get to the point.

The point is that words have a lot of power; therefore, use them. When you're stuck on a sentence, concentrate on the nouns and verbs; you usually don't need anything extra. In 1920, William Strunk Jr. published The Elements of Style. This was a groundbreaking work for writers, as it was the first English style guide—emphasizing, among other things, the importance of concise writing. Since then, Strunk’s style guide has been adapted and edited several times; in 1959, E. B. White doubled the book’s length with his own advice.

 The Elements of Style has this to say about concision: 

“When you’re struggling with a sentence, focus on the nouns and verbs; often, you need very little else.”

• Rule 4: Avoid ineffective or unneeded "lead-ins" or prepositional phrases

Many sentences that are regularly used may be substituted with a single word. These sentences frequently appear in professional writing, although they subtract from rather than contribute to the message. Because, since, and why can be used instead of "the reason why," "because," "because," "given the fact that," and "because." It can be used in place of "if" and "under the conditions." Must or should be used for "it is required" and "cannot be avoided."

o An infinitive verb (the "to ____" form of the verb) can often be used for "for the purpose of."

 

• Rule 5: Keep your Introduction, and Literature Review confined.

Keep an eye on the proportions of sections your paper needs/has. Don’t let your article or thesis be too “front-heavy.” This corresponds to Rule 3: Get to the point.

•  Rule 6: Do not repeat yourself

A surprising amount of text is redundant. Redundancies are unavoidable in writing, but learning to notice and compress them is an essential part of writing concisely. Redundant language does not deliver new or distinctive information. For example, if I started writing about green grass, it would be redundant because the grass is always green until otherwise stated. If this greenness is uncommon, it could be worth noting, but if it's just a background aspect of the world I'm creating, I don't need to tell you it's green—and you don't need to be informed either. When we rely on colloquial uses of the phrase, we also allow redundancies to creep in. Many of the sentences we use in English, particularly transition statements, are repetitive. Many of the words we use in English, particularly transition statements and verbal Colloquialisms, are redundant.  These repetitive colloquialisms are acceptable in the discussion, but they should virtually never be used in poetry or prose storytelling.

When we rely on colloquial uses of the phrase, we also allow redundancies to creep in. Many of the sentences we use in English, particularly transition statements, are repetitive. The Elements of Style has this to say:

“Redundant language is a language that doesn’t provide new or unique information.”

The Elements of Style also has this to say about concision:

“The opposite of concise writing is not long writing; it is wasteful writing.”

• Rule 7: Use active voice, aka in the first person.

Using descriptive language is the simplest method to write concisely. If you can compress a notion into a single word, it's usually better to do so than to exaggerate it in ten words. Concision and expressive language go hand in hand.

•  Correct: This week, the committee decided to vote on the issue.
• Incorrect: The committee made a decision to vote on the issue this week.

• Rule 8: Remove extraneous words. I say, Adverbs abound on the highway to hell. 

The term "concise writing" refers to writing pared down to its essential elements. Writing puts the adage "omit unnecessary words" into effect." Needless words" is the crucial term here. These words muddy your writing by detracting from important concepts, failing to bear their weight in terms of meaning or effect, or clouding the reader's view of the world you're creating. Even if you can't see them, you'll know they're there because they make writing feel loopy, sloppy, and unpolished. The Elements of Style has this to say about concision:

“Concision is not about writing in a clipped or spare fashion, but simply means that every word carries its weight—whether you’re writing in simple phrases or long lyrical sweeps.”

Standard qualifiers include: actually, really, basically, probably, very, definitely, somewhat, kind of, incredibly, practically.

o Incorrect: Because many of the words in this sentence are basically unnecessary, it would really be a good idea to edit somewhat for conciseness.

o Correct: Because many of the words in this sentence are unnecessary, we should edit it.

 

•Rule 9: Simplify your language. Use the fewest words possible to convey your message.

          The Elements of Style has this to say about concision:

“Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subject only in outline, but that every word tell.”

•Rule 10: Seek and accept input.

           Know when to seek help from an advisor, mentor, or senior co-author.

Yours xx,

JTTT 

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