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• Preparing your Materials

For efficiency purposes, the first (and dare I say required) step in your job search should be to listen to my recording tutorial on how to prepare the documents that you will need for your academic job search, namely your CV, cover letter, and research, teaching, and diversity statements. Just shoot me an email ( [email protected] ) to request access.  Once you have completed a final draft of your documents, send them to me for review . 

Templates and general advice are available here:

• CV template
• Cover Letter template .
• Advice on Statements ( Research ; Teaching ;  Diversity ).

Food for thought: a recently published article  on the process.

• Planning (IDP)
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• Resumes, CV's, Portfolios

Resume vs. CV?

Most students at the undergraduate level write resumes (even though they may call it a CV).  When you get to grad school, you need to decide whether you should write a CV, a resume, or both. A CV is appropriate if you are seeking an academic positions - postdoc, professor, and, possibly, some positions at government labs (e.g., DOE national labs and NIST).  But for most non-academic positions, go with a resume.  

So, what's the difference?  If you do a simple web search of "CV vs. resume," you'll find lots of explanations.  The MIT career office web site has a nice chart , highlighting some of the differences.  One huge difference is the length, CV's being several pages and resumes being limited to one or two.  But the content also differs.  If you don't know whether you will aim for an academic or industrial job, make up two separate documents. You will be continuously revising both documents, as you move through your graduate career and beyond, so get both started now.

A CV is a several-page document in which you demonstrate your accomplishments that are essential for academic appointments - research, publishing, and teaching.  Details are important.  The professors who read these will certainly develop strategies for sifting through the many applications they receive for any given position, but expect them to spend time going over the details on any that they consider possible. 

OCS has a detailed guide that you can download from the GSAS tab on their Resumes, CV's, Cover Letters web page.  In addition to the several examples within that document, I suggest that you look at the examples on the MIT Career Office website.

Resumes and Cover Letters

A resume is often the first document that you will send or hand to a potential employer or even someone who might advise you.  You may (and should) spend time revising it continually, but you should always assume that the person seeing it for the first time may only spend 10-15 seconds looking at it.  Think of the hiring manager who has been given a stack of 100 resumes (which have already been filtered beforehand by someone in HR), who is trying to fill one or two slots.  You have a very short time to catch that hiring manager's attention to be one of the few resumes to survive her/his first pass through that stack.

It is quite tempting to try to pack as much information as possible into your resume.  But always think about that brief time to make a first impression.  While it is quite reasonable for a graduate student to have a two-page resume (postdocs even longer), pay particular attention to the first page. 

What will a hiring manager (who could be an individual engineer, scientist, programmer, etc. or a manager of a group who is hiring a summer intern) look for in that initial pass through the resumes.  This can differ by organization, which is one reason we encourage students to connect to alumni for advice. However, let me emphasize one concept - what the hiring manager is trying to accomplish by hiring you.

The hiring manager will usually be hiring you to solve a problem during your internship or a broader, yet focused, set of problems in your post-graduate employment.  She/he will want to know if you have the skills necessary to solve that problem.  You want to convey the message that you have such skills, even though your particular thesis research may be focused on a different problem than hers/his.  Hence, make sure that you have skills section on the first page of your resume. List programming languages, expertise with fabrication or measurement tools, machining skills, etc. It is also important for you to show how you used those skills.  You may have several undergraduate and graduate research experiences that you can list.  Don't just focus on the goal of the research; make sure that you also mention the skills that you used in conducting the research projects.

There are several items that are critical parts of a CV, but have little or no importance on a resume. 

• Don't put references on a resume.  There may be an occasional job that will ask for them with your application, but most companies will only ask for them, when you are much closer to be hired.
• You can put teaching positions on the resume, but don't use too much space on them.  They mainly signify that you know the material for that class.
• Publications are often not nearly as important for an industrial job as an academic job.  If you have several publications, you can save space with a couple of techniques.  You could list one or two selected publications.  Or you could simply state the number of publications and provide a link to an online portfolio, where you list them.

There are many guides to writing a resume available online.  OCS has two guides that you can download from the GSAS tab on their Resumes, CV's, Cover Letters web page.   The first one is more general, aimed at the wide cross-section of Harvard PhD fields.  That one contains a page of action verbs that may prove helpful in composing your resume and a few example resumes.  Then there is also a guide (really a set of slides) aimed at Scientists, which will most likely apply to you.  The basics of writing a resume will be similar at most schools, but you may glean some additional ideas by checking out sample resumes elsewhere.  For example, I often encourage students to check out the sample resumes on MIT's career office website.  (Scroll down to the PhD resumes.) 

Portfolios and Github

Let's say that the hiring manager has put your resume into the small group of resumes to be examined in more depth.  At this point, if you have an online portfolio or github, they will likely want to spend extra time to look at your accomplishments and work/project history in more depth. 

If you are applying for a back-end programming job, have a well-organized github account that the hiring manager can search.  Don't put anything online that you don't want the outside world to see.  Obviously, if you did some work for a company, they will likely consider that proprietary.  But this caution may also hold for research work under a professor, as he/she may want to keep it secret until published.

For most other types of jobs - front-end programming, engineering, design, etc. - a portfolio is a better choice for demonstrating your skills and activities in a format that is much more extensive than a resume. 

Most students use templates provided commercial website companies such as Squarespace, WIX, Wordpress, Start Bootstrap, etc. - there are many out there.  A free alternative available to Harvard students is OpenScholar .

In Student Career Development

• Internships (U)
• Part-Time Positions
• Post-Graduate Positions (U)
• Resumes & Portfolios
• Winter Break / Term Opportunities
• European Job Portals and Fellowships & Short Stays in Europe
• Internships (G)
• Post-Graduate Positions (G)
• Scholarships, Fellowships, Conferences, Etc.
• Selected Hackathons, Competitions, Etc.
• Government Lab Internships and Jobs
• Career Mixers
• Groups (Typically Startups) Looking for Team Members

Cover Letter for a job

• Name the exact position. Reference the requisition number if available.
• State why you are interested in the position.
• Show how you think you and the organization are a good match.
• Make it clear that you expect to hear back.
• Keep the cover letter to 1 page , with an optional second page for a list of publications/presentations or a list of references.
• Make sure the cover letter has no spelling or grammatical mistakes.

Ideally, a cover letter is the cherry on top of a long process of networking and research about the job opportunity. In the best case scenario:

• you know exactly who will read the letter,
• you know what they are excited to see in candidates, and
• you are acquainted with the person who will be reading your letter (or you know someone who knows that person) so that the reader knows to pay special attention to your letter.

Your cover letter and resume are the first parts of your job application that will be evaluated. Your cover letter may be the only part anyone reads. If the hiring manager (or selection committee or whatever) doesn’t like what they see in your cover letter, your application might go directly into the “no” pile. You need to quickly assure your reader that the rest of your application is worth looking at.

If you make it over this first hurdle, the cover letter can serve as an overview for your resume. The cover letter and resume are closely related in terms of their purpose and tone, so you might also want to read our guide to writing a resume .

Analyze Your Audience

Get a feeling for the personality of your target employer or organization. Read the job posting and the rest of the employer’s website carefully. A group that describes itself as “a young and dynamic startup” will be looking for a different applicant than “an established industry leader”. Customize the formality and content of your application to match the employer’s self-image. The more you know about your potential employer, the stronger your cover letter can be.

We have demonstrated how to analyze a job posting in the Authentic Annotated Example (AAE) section. We have provided an example job posting, and highlighted the key traits the employer desires to see in an ideal candidate.

Write a different cover letter for every application

A cover letter should show a match between you and the position for which you are applying. To be a fit for a position, you need to also be a fit for the organization. Do your homework! What goals and opportunities excite you about the organization? What makes it a good place for you to work and advance your career? Which of your skills and accomplishments match those requested in the job posting?

You’ll be a more exciting candidate if you demonstrate that you understand and are enthusiastic about the organization’s mission. Find specific words or phrases that the organization uses to describe its own values (e.g, “transforming the landscape of renewable energy,” “fast-moving and dynamic”). Echo these ideas in your letter. Highlight experiences and interests of yours that correspond to these values.

In the AAE section, we have provided an example cover letter that was tailored to the example job posting, and was written to demonstrate how the candidate matches the employer’s desired traits.

Structure of a Cover Letter

Cover letters follow a very specific structure which helps the reader quickly ascertain the candidate’s contact information, interest, and qualifications. Most readers have well-defined expectations for a cover letter. They are reading many cover letters at once and want to quickly decide if you go in the “yes” or “no” pile. A cover letter is not a place for creative structure or excessive flair. See the example structure of a cover letter, below.

Letterhead . Give your name and contact information. List the date and the organization to which you are sending the cover letter.

• Don’t make your name too big. This isn’t a Steven King novel.
• Your telephone number and email are enough. Use your professional or collegiate email address. Include your address if you are local and you think they are looking for local job candidates.

Salutation . Greet the reader of the cover letter.

• If you are addressing a specific person, make sure to spell their name correctly.
• If you don’t know to whom to address the cover letter, use a generic greeting such as, “To Whom it May Concern,” “Dear Sir or Madam,” etc.

Brief Introduction . Name the position. Include job numbers or job posting locations. This paragraph is one or maybe two sentences. Explain why the position interests you, in the context of previous work or education, or other skills that demonstrate your familiarity with the topic.

• “I am writing to express interest in position X…”
• “I am interested in the position because…”

Make it clear that you know what this job will entail. Reference specific examples, such as mentioning certain protocols, software tools, or soft skills such as project management.

Scientific Achievements . Briefly list the organizations and advisors with whom you received your degrees. Describe your overall training.

• “I earned my Ph.D. in ______ at University X…”

Motivation and Impact . Show why you and this organization are a good match for each other.

• “I think I would be a great match for this position because…”
• Why do they need you and exactly you? List specific examples of what you can add to the position

Wrap Up . Make it clear that you expect to hear back.

• “I look forward to hearing your response.”
• Also make sure to thank them for their consideration of your application.

Make concrete claims

Back up any claims about your abilities or qualifications with concrete accomplishments. If possible, quantify your accomplishments. For example, to show that you have “independence and an innovative research spirit”, describe the scope and outcomes of research projects you’ve led or carried out on your own.

Start a conversation

Your cover letter is designed to get you an interview, and successful interviews usually turn into conversations. Start the conversation early. Be humble and curious. A claim like “I know I’m a perfect match because XYZ ” can make you sound naive: how would you know that this is true? A claim like “I’m excited to explore this opportunity because XYZ ” is more professional and more likely to initiate a conversation.

Make no mistakes

A single spelling or grammar error can be enough to make a recruiter think you’re sloppy. Don’t let a little mistake keep you from this job.

If you’ve found a specific person to whom to address your letter, be absolutely sure you’ve spelled their name correctly. A misspelled name comes across as annoying and unprofessional.

This content was adapted from from an article originally created by the  MIT Biological Engineering Communication Lab .

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

Example Job Posting 49 KB

Annotated Example 2

Example Cover Letter 447 KB

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Postdoctoral Fellow in Biophysics

Johan Paulsson’s lab at Harvard Medical School is spearheading a nationwide initiative to combat antimicrobial resistance using high-precision technology that requires novel microfluidics and optical engineering. To that end, we will be hiring ambitious post-docs with backgrounds in biophysics, bioengineering, or related disciplines. The broader team includes 25 academic groups, hospitals, and companies, and the program is funded by one of the largest grants in Harvard's history (https://hms.harvard.edu/news/hms-researcher-lead-104-million-federal-project-tackling-antibiotic-resistance).

Example projects include: 1) building AI-guided custom microscopes that implement live-cell, label-free super-resolution methods like iSIM, QPM, FLIM, and hyperspectral imaging; 2) building microfluidic chambers that implement novel cell manipulation capabilities in the context of tens of millions of channels on the micron- or sub-micron scale; and 3) developing quantitative methods to elucidate the contribution of cell state, genetics, history, and population structure to a single microbe’s likelihood of possessing or developing antimicrobial resistance.

Strong applicants will have direct and extensive experience driving ambitious scientific projects of their own creation. They should be self-motivated and equally adept working independently and bringing their skills to a collaborative and conscientious multidisciplinary team. They should be incisive problem solvers and possess exceptional quantitative reasoning skills. They should be both creative and precise. Designated projects involve working with human clinical samples that contain BSL-2 pathogens, but participation in these projects is elective. Quantitative single-cell microbiology and coding experience are appreciated, but not required.

Non-traditional applicants (e.g., those with industry experience) are encouraged to apply. Highly competitive compensation and benefits will be provided.

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