why is writing cover letters so hard

16 Secrets for Writing Cover Letters That Get You Hired

I can write a solid resume, interview well, and make sure that my online presence is on point.

The one thing that’s always been a struggle? The dreaded cover letter.

Cover letters can be absolute torture, and it feels like there are a million ways to screw them up. Is yours too formal or informal? Too long or short? Too much information or too vague?

There’s an upside, though: Making your cover letter awesome doesn’t have to be a long, difficult process. In fact, as I’ve written more and more cover letters over time (and started helping dozens of other people write theirs), they’ve actually become (gasp!) fun.

Below, I’ve listed the 16 most important tips I’ve learned to make crafting a cover letter into an easy and pain-free process. Half of the tips are related to what you write, and the other half are tiny things that’ll make sure your cover letter is better than the rest. By the end of the list, there’s no way a hiring manager will be able to shuffle you to the bottom of the pile. Or you know…delete your email…

8 Tips for Cover Letters That Grab Hiring Managers’ Attention

1. Describe a pain point

Here’s the most important question any cover letter should answer: What problem would hiring you solve?

Notice that this question is about the company’s problem, not your desire to land the job! Tricky, I know.

But think about it: If a company has put up a job description, it means they have a pain point and need a solution. For example, if a company is hiring a web designer, it means they don’t think their current layout is up to snuff and they’re looking for someone who can get them there. That’s the problem they need solved, and that’s what your cover letter should make clear in first few sentences.

2. Don’t regurgitate your resume

This is a tip that you’ve probably heard before, but it happens all the time : Don’t use your cover letter to simply restate your resume!

Your cover letter is the perfect place to expand on things that your resume doesn’t detail, illustrate the more intangible reasons why you’re perfect for the job, and explain any particular circumstances that warrant discussion (for example, if you’re making a sudden or drastic career change).

Skillcrush: 22 Things to Remove From Your Resume Immediately

3. The tone should match the company

Cover letters are great for companies not only because they can see if you can solve the problem at hand, but also because they give hiring managers a sense of whether or not you understand the company culture.

How do they figure this out? Tone.

Take a look at a company’s website, how its social media is phrased, and how its employees talk about it online. Is this company a little more informal and fun? Is it buttoned-up and corporate? Your cover letter should be written in a tone similar to that of the company’s copy. Obviously put a professional spin on it, but keep the company’s culture in mind.

4. Keep the focus on the company

Hiring managers assume that if you’re applying to a particular job, that must mean you really want that job. Thus, you don’t need to spend your entire cover letter reiterating how badly you want the job and how great the experience would be for you .

It’s okay to spend one or two sentences tops explaining your love for the company, but then it’s time to turn the tables.

The majority of your cover letter should be illustrating to a potential employer what hiring you would do for their company. Again, focus on the pain point: What talents and skills do you have that would help this organization tremendously?

5. Use your numbers

A big problem I’ve seen in lots of cover letters is that they tend to be very vague in describing any notable accomplishments or achievements.

For example, instead of saying that you have had “a great deal of success as an email marketer,” use your numbers: “I spearheaded an entire newsletter redesign that resulted in a 500% increase in our open rate, which proves…”

Numbers also add intrigue and leave hiring managers wanting to hear more!

Psst! This tip holds true for resumes! ( More here .) Adding numbers and statistics is a solid way to stand out!

6. Make your anecdotes short

While examples can make your cover letter super effective, many people make the mistake of including unnecessary or irrelevant information when using anecdotes that make them drag on and lose their umph .

My personal rule is to make any example or story no longer than three sentences so that you can avoid going overboard and wasting valuable space. Here’s how to break it down:

• Sentence 1: Introduce the skill you’re highlighting.
• Sentences 2: Explain the situation where you showed off this skill.
• Sentence 3: What was the end result? Explain what it did for the company and what it proves about your character.

7. Make your opening line memorable

If the big opener to your cover letter is “I’m applying for Position X at Company Y” or “My name is…” it’s time to press the backspace button. There are two things wrong with both of these phrases:

• They’re redundant, so you’re taking up precious space! A hiring manager is already going to know your name from your application as well as which position you’re applying for. No need to repeat it.
• They’re generic and unmemorable. Give your hiring manager something to get excited about or be intrigued by.

So, how can you start a cover letter with something that has a little more pizzazz? Try opening with a favorite short anecdote, a quote that best describes you as a professional, or your personal tagline.

8. Everything should relate to the job description

As you write (and then read through) every line of your cover letter, ask yourself: How does this sentence relate to the job description? If you find yourself going on tangents or including facts that don’t prove your ability to excel at the job or understand the company culture, take it out.

And if you need some help making sense of exactly what will prove you are qualified for the job at hand, check out these 10 Tips for Deciphering Tech Job Listings .

8 Tips for Putting the Finishing Touches on Your Cover Letter

1. Research whom to address your letter to

Scrap the “To Whom It May Concern” greeting and do some research to find out who will be reading your cover letter.

In some cases, employers will be super helpful and straight up tell you whom to address that cover letter to. If you aren’t so lucky, a quick Google search can help, or if you have a connection to a potential employer, have a professional contact ask around to see if they can get a name.

If all else fails and you really want to avoid the dreaded “To Whom It May Concern” line, feel free to shoot the company an email. I did this before when I was applying to a company that had a plethora of people on its editorial and HR teams and I had no idea who’d be hiring me.

Here’s the quick template I used:

I’m applying to [name of company]’s [name of job title] position, and I was having some trouble figuring out whom specifically to address the cover letter to. Is there a particular person or department I should direct it to?

Thanks so much for your time!

[Your name]

2. Be smart with hyperlinks

If you’re going to use hyperlinks in your cover letter, there are two important things to keep in mind. First, try not to include more than two or three links tops in a cover letter (like an online portfolio or personal website). All links should be relevant, and your cover letter shouldn’t be used as a dumping ground for everything you’ve ever created!

Second, make sure you add context to a hyperlink to both draw attention to it and to make the hiring manager understand that it’s worth his or her time to click on. For example, if you’re referencing a recent design project you did, add that said project can be found “in my online portfolio” and add a hyperlink.

3. Delete extra images, clipart, emoticons and emojis

This is a no-brainer: Regardless of how “chill” the company says it is, keep clipart, emoticons, emojis, cute pictures of your puppy, and any other images OUT of your cover letter!

Squeeze an emoji into a cover email if you’re SUPER confident it’s appropriate. Otherwise, steer clear.

4. Keep it short (like, really short)

I’ve seen dozens of cover letters in the past month, and the biggest issue across the board is that people make their cover letters way too long.

Here’s the general rule of thumb to follow: Your cover letter should be a single page (no more!) and around 300-350 words. If you’re writing a cover email, three to five sentences works (since you usually have attachments or links for a hiring manager to click on).

5. Keep your font professional (and normal)

True story: I once received a cover letter from a friend where he’d had kept his writing to one page—but it was in eight-point font. Yikes.

Your cover letter font size should be normal (aim for between 10-point and 12-point), and your font should be straightforward and professional. Favorites include Arial, Times New Roman, and Georgia. Just say no to Curly Q or Comic Sans.

Skillcrush: 8 Free Font Pairings You Have to See

6. Break up your paragraphs

Nothing provokes fear in people faster than a wall of text. Hiring managers get a visual of your physical cover letter before they ever read it, and if their first reaction is, “Oh god, it’s all one paragraph!” that’s not a good sign.

Instead, break up your cover letter into smaller paragraphs of three or four sentences each. It’s so much more aesthetically pleasing, and the person reading your cover letter will thank you.

7. Cut the vague professional jargon

As with in a resume, using phrases like “team player,” “self-motivated,” or “results driven” only makes your cover letter generic and unmemorable. Use more lively language, or better yet, use specific examples to prove your point.

8. Re-read your cover letter over (and over and over)

Editing is the most tedious but also the most necessary part of any cover letter writing you do. Start by printing your cover letter out and reading it aloud. I also recommend reading the cover letter starting with the last sentence and working your way up.

Another pro tip: Definitely get someone else to read your cover letter. In many cases, you might think your writing is pristine, but a friend will find at least a couple typos and point out some places where your wording is a little clunky.

Getting that perfect cover letter doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process. Use these tips and you’ll be snagging the job (and impressing potential employers with your savvy) in no time!

Skillcrush: The Ultimate Guide the Perfect Email Cover Letter

Lily is a writer, editor, and social media manager, as well as co-founder of The Prospect , the world’s largest student-run college access organization. She also serves in editorial capacities at The Muse, HelloFlo, and Her Campus. Recently, she was named one of Glamour’s Top 10 College Women for her work helping underserved youth get into college. You can follow Lily on Twitter at @lkherman

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The Professor Is In

Guidance for all things PhD: Graduate School, Job Market and Careers

Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it)

By Karen Kelsky | August 26, 2016

An expanded and updated version of this post can now be found in Chapter  22 of my new book, The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job. I am keeping a shortened version here, but for the complete discussion including the template for a job cover letter, please do purchase the book, which compiles all my major job market posts along with 50% entirely new material.

In my 15 years as a faculty member I served on approximately 11 search committees. Some of these search committees I chaired. These committees brought in ten new assistant professors into my departments.

Estimating that each search brought in an average of 200 applications (a conservative estimate for a field like Anthropology, a generous estimate for a much smaller field like East Asian Languages and Literatures), that means I read approximately 2200 job applications.

I’ve also read the cover letters of my own students, and a passel of Ph.D. students who came to me for advice, as well as a large number of clients since opening The Professor is In (as of July 2014 let’s say 1000).

So let’s say I’ve read (3200) job cover letters. Of those (3200) job cover letters, it is safe to say that (3000) sucked. Sucked badly. Sucked epically. Sucked the way Cakewrecks cakes suck.

What’s up with that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here’s what’s up with that.

Advisers don’t teach their grad students how to write cover letters. They send them out pathetically, humiliatingly ill-informed.

It is, in my opinion, a criminal degree of neglect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

I am on a mission to get Ph.D. students, in the social sciences and humanities especially, to stop sending out worthless, embarrassing, self-sabotaging job cover letters.

I am infuriated that close colleagues of mine in the top programs in the country–think Ivy Leagues–routinely allow their Ph.D.s to send out job letters to departments across the country–to potential colleagues and peers and reviewers across the country– that make those Ph.D.s look ill-trained, unqualified, and un-hireable.

How do I know that? Again, because I was on the hiring committees that received the letters from those Ph.D.s, the students I knew well, had met at conferences, and recognized as the students of my friends and colleagues at prestigious departments in the field.

So, anyone reading this now, here is why your cover letter sucks, and what you need to do to fix it.

1. It Is Too Long. And 1a. It’s Not on Letterhead. And 1b. It must follow proper letter norms of etiquette

Your letter must be on letterhead if you have a current academic affiliation of any kind. This is not negotiable. It has come to my attention that some departments are denying their graduate students access to letterhead. This is unacceptable, and any act is justified in response. You may steal the letterhead. You may Photoshop the letterhead. Do what you must, but send all professional letters of every kind on the letterhead of the department with which you affiliated.

If you do not have an affiliation because you finished your Ph.D. and have no academic employment at all, including adjuncting, then you must submit without letterhead (although a very sober, understated, and proper personal letterhead can sometimes be a nice touch).  You may not use letterhead to which you’re not entitled.  That is unethical, and it is also stupid, because your readers are smart, and they notice.

Your letter must be two pages max. No longer. Do not argue with me. If you are arguing with me, you are wrong. It must be two pages max.

It must be 12 point (ok, *maybe* 11.5) font, and have a minimum of 3/4″ margins.

It must follow normal letter etiquette, which means that it will include the date (fully written out) just under the letterhead, then a space, then the full snail mail address of the person/committee to whom the letter is being sent just below the date, left justified, and then a space, and then the address:  “Dear Professor XXXX/Members of the Search Committee:” Then it will have another space, and commence: “I am writing in application to the advertised position in XXX at the University of XXXX.  Etc. Etc.”  Nothing in this heading material may be left out.  Similarly, nothing beyond this may be added in, including any kind of memo heading or title such as “Re: position in XXX.”  LETTERS DO NOT HAVE TITLES! 

Why must it be these things? I will tell you. Because the care you show in the norms and forms of proper letter etiquette represent you as a fully adult, functioning professional.  It demonstrates that you are a full-fledged member of the tribe, and not an embarrassing wanna-be.

And the length?  Because the faculty members on the committee reviewing your letters are tired, distracted, irritated, and rushed. They will give your cover letter 5 minutes. They will not hunt for your main point, they will not squint, they will not strain their eyes, they will not pore over it.

Serve up your brilliance, your achievements, and your delightful collegial personality loud and clear, in legible large font, and a considerate quantity of verbiage. You are respecting your future colleagues’ time and eyesight, and believe me, they notice.

Do I hear whining, that you “can’t possibly say all you need to” in 2 pages? Tough. Do you want a job or don’t you? Do it.

2. You Are Telling, Not Showing.

All academics in the world, by virtue of being academics, require evidence to accept a proposition. Even the wooiest humanists have to be persuaded with some form of evidence that a claim is valid.

Your letter must include evidence. Empty claims like “I am passionate about teaching,” or “I care deeply about students,” or “I am an enthusiastic colleague” contain no evidence whatsoever. They can be made by anyone, and provide no means of proof. They are worthless verbiage.

Show, don’t tell: Instead of “I am passionate about teaching,” you must write, “I used new technologies to create innovative small group discussion opportunities in my large introductory classes, technologies that were later adopted by my colleagues in the department.” Or, “I worked one on one with students on individual research projects leading to published articles. Several students later nominated me for our campus’s “Best Undergraduate Teacher” award, which I won in 2011.”

Get it? Don’t waste our time with unsubstantiated and unsubstantiatable claims.

3. You Drone On and On About Your Dissertation

We actually don’t care about your dissertation. Seriously, we don’t. Your dissertation is in the past. It’s in the past even if you’re actually still writing it. It’s what you did *as a student*, and we’re not hiring a student. We’re hiring a colleague…. 

4. Your Teaching Paragraph is All Drippy and Pathetic

5. You Present Yourself as a Student, Not a Colleague

6. You Don’t Specify Publication Plans

7. You Don’t Have a Second Research Project

8. You Didn’t Do Your Homework

9. You’re Disorganized and Rambling

10. You Didn’t Tailor

For the rest of this post, please see Chapter 22 of my book, The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job.

Similar Posts:

• How To Write a Journal Article Submission Cover Letter
• The Art of the Cover Letter is Live!
• Introducing: The Art of the Cover Letter
• Tailoring a Job Letter, Beginning and Advanced
• How to Write Your Own Rec. Letter, plus All of my Vitae columns

Reader Interactions

August 3, 2011 at 7:11 pm

Thank you for this candid advice. My adviser and one of my more involved committee members have cautioned me against sounding too into myself or presumptuous, yet your advice here (and in other posts) is to clearly emphasize accomplishments. I’m not sure what to do. My adviser says, “Don’t use I too much. You don’t want to sound self-centered.” My committee member says, “Don’t mention people could work with by name. That could come off presumptuous, as if you expect to get the job.” My takeaway from your post is that I need to go work on my letter to create better balance. But, can you comment on where the line is between being truthful about accomplishments and what crosses into arrogant territory? My terror about sounding like a jerk has, I’m afraid, meant I’ve sent out some pretty vapid letters like the ones you described.

August 3, 2011 at 10:17 pm

Christine, I get infuriated when I hear stories like this. You must emphasize your accomplishments. Who else will? Now, granted, it is not good writing to begin every sentence and every paragraph with “I.” But it is possible to write dynamic, effective sentences that showcase your specific (not vague) achievements, and that begin with a variety of words.

And there are other writing tips to keep in mind. For ex, the active voice. Never, ever use the passive voice in a job letter. Things like this all combine to create a message of confidence and competence.

This is gendered of course. I will go out on a limb now. I will say that I sincerely doubt that any “properly socialized” American woman can actually write a job letter that sounds arrogant. The fact is, women are so thoroughly socialized to downplay their achievements and minimize their opinions that, frankly, the letters that they write that they are sure are coming off as “arrogant braggadocio” in fact barely even register on the scale of minimally confident self presentation.

You really ought to hire me. What you’ve said worries me.

March 6, 2016 at 4:28 pm

That’s what it always comes to isn’t it? You stoke fear and then urge the person to hire you. You came up recently when I was at Oregon State University. We agreed that your advice is useful, but you are a horrendous, predatory human being.

March 7, 2016 at 9:36 am

I am not the one creating the fear of the academic job market.

August 6, 2011 at 6:04 pm

Brilliant advice. By far the best I’d seen. My placement director also told me not to make excuses in the cover letter. But what if one’s recent three-year employment history is spotty (even adjunct jobs are really hard to come by in my area)? How does one address this issue without sounding full of apologies and excuses. I’m also a woman academic and I agree wholeheartedly with your response above to Christine’s comment. My own cover letter gives an impression of a well-meaning very, very nice, very pleasant fresh PhD. A member of a search committee reading my letter will be prompted to visualize a smiling, head-tilted-to-the-side, baby-faced woman. Not that I tilt my head in real life, but my cover letter does. Switching out of this “pleasing” mindset is hard. And now, off I go to work on my cover letter…

August 6, 2011 at 11:52 pm

Oh, ouch. Reject the head-tilting cover letter!

Your placement director is right–no excuses. It’s hard to speak in generalities without having your letter to work with in front of me, but in general, you must always simply speak to what you HAVE done, and simply never mention what you HAVE NOT done. Period. End of story. It’ll be hard at first. But trust me, with practice, it gets easier.

I offer lots of services to help with your cover letter, at a range of prices. The cheapest is Art of the Cover Letter, for $79. You can find it here: http://reachthenextlevel.net/art-cover-letter-4/

Otherwise,please email me at [email protected] for further info on working with me and my team.

August 12, 2011 at 8:20 am

I’m nowhere near applying for teaching jobs yet, but it would definitely interest me!

April 1, 2017 at 10:40 am

August 18, 2011 at 9:12 am

I am an ABD, defending sometime in late December or early January. I would be all over an affordable Job Letter review as well. I suspect that left to my own devices, I would definitely come across as a head-tilter, too.

August 24, 2011 at 1:54 pm

Karen, I would love it if you offered this service! I’d definitely take advantage — but the season is already upon us, so please offer it soon!

August 24, 2011 at 10:04 pm

ok, working on that!

October 2, 2011 at 8:52 am

Yes! Yes! Yes! This is the biggest source of anxiety for me in the job application process.

October 8, 2011 at 9:55 am

Please offer the kind of service you are talking about. The quick turn around/affordable. It would be super helpful. I am wondering if you might also address whether your template for teaching colleges, especially those that have research expectations, balances teaching and research. In your template there are 5 that essentially deal with research and 1 for teaching. What should the balance look like for a more balanced school?

October 8, 2011 at 11:34 am

it wouldn’t necessarily look that different in my view. Even teaching schools require evidence of your legitimacy as a scholar. I can imagine shifting the second project para to a para with some more detail on teaching…but that would be about it.

October 8, 2011 at 11:35 am

Oh and of course many advise that in a letter for a teaching school, the teaching para(s) go first. I’m of two minds about that, but it is certainly conventional to do so.

January 29, 2013 at 6:46 pm

Please, please do this! There is a job posting for the job I have wanted for 6 years. I just saw the post a two weeks ago, they start reviewing Feb 1 and I’m STUCK on my cover letter and teaching statement. I have been unemployed (but a busy volunteer in my field for two years) and I will borrow money to get some help here.

September 28, 2014 at 1:53 pm

I know this was posted some time ago. I’d jump on this service right now if you’re still considering it.

September 29, 2014 at 3:46 pm

I do edit job docs; see my services and rates page for info on that. And I DO offer quick service at a lower rate; the Art of the Cover Letter is $79. Find it here: http://reachthenextlevel.net/art-cover-letter-4/

September 10, 2017 at 11:57 am

Here a $30 affordable price is mentioned but your website lists very expensive services…Is this $30 service available?

September 11, 2017 at 12:26 pm

That was a comment from 2011 and has since been removed; I DO offer quick service at a lower rate; the Art of the Cover Letter is $79. Find it here: http://reachthenextlevel.net/art-cover-letter-4/

August 23, 2011 at 8:27 pm

Thanks for this great list, Karen. I’m going on the job market again, this time as a humanities postdoc with teaching responsibilities. I’ve been advised by my placement director not to list my publications in my cover letter so that I sound less like a grad student and more like a faculty member (since it goes without saying that they have published). I’ve also been told not to mention my TA experience in my teaching paragraph and to focus on the courses that I’m actually teaching this year. What do you think?

August 24, 2011 at 7:07 am

I totally agree on the TA thing; you should only mention the courses you’ve taught. Re pubs: don’t “list” them per se, but mention them organically–ie, something like, “this research produced two articles, one in Journal of XXX in 2009 and one in Journal of YYY in 2011. Two others are currently in submission at xxx and xxx.” Seriously, it’s never assumed that you’ve published—you must show them clearly, and display your capital–and high status pubs are the #1 example of capital– in the letter.

September 26, 2011 at 4:05 pm

That’s great advice and many thanks for taking the time to write this. There are, however, a few points on which I tend to disagree. For instance point 7, the second book, is rather unrealistic. A student just finishing his dissertation will hardly have a second book project, let alone one that’s already funded. Also, point 5, I am not sure that all full professors will feel comfortable reading letters from fresh PhDs acting too presumptuous. There is a fine line there, and taking your advice in full might just get you on the wrong side. Finally, I wish I could see a two-page letter that includes your eight paragraphs, but just by looking at those themes I can tell that you are going to write something that has little substance and looks rather telegraphic.

September 24, 2012 at 8:58 am

This template uses more paragraphs than most models I have seen. Most seem to combine at least two of these research paragraphs. Anybody use this model?

May 30, 2013 at 8:18 am

I used this template (provided by a faculty member at my institution) for my job search (I’m in English Lit.). While it wasn’t until my second year on the market (still as a grad student) that I received my current job, I received a good number of interviews both years. Having read through candidate materials as a faculty member now, I heartily agree with Karen’s advice.

September 30, 2011 at 12:45 am

I am so very, very happy to have found this advice. I will be going on the job market next year, and it’s great to hear some concrete tips for writing a cover letter. If you do offer a job letter review for $30, I will definitely use that service when the time comes and I will send my peers your way.

Also, do you have advice for applying to jobs at community colleges? I am doubtful about the job prospects at a 4-year university, especially since I am in the humanities, and so I anticipate applying to a fair number of 2-year schools. However, I don’t know any professors who have ever worked in a 2-year college, so I don’t have anyone to give me advice about applying to one.

October 1, 2011 at 6:59 pm

I’ll add this in. I’m at a small baccalaureate granting university that primarily values teaching. We really don’t care about your dissertation. We care somewhat about your research and what you plan to do as far as scholarship (especially since we are in a rural location in a rural state and we want to know if you’ve thought about how you’ll accomplish your research in our very small location), but mostly we want to know about your teaching, how you’ll deal with our students, and how you’ll fit in at our university. Doing your homework on the institution matters. We notice when someone has done that, because all too often, searchers don’t. You may want to adjust the order of your letter to primarily highlight how you are going to teach.

I just came to your blog via the Chronicle and I very much agree with you. I don’t advise graduates, but I do very much try to help with career counseling with my current students.

October 3, 2011 at 2:13 pm

This is really great advise! Thank you.

I’m currently in the midst of postdoc/job applications and have one lingering question. When the application requires no cover letter (like all of my postdocs – just research statement and cv), how do I use letterhead? On the research statement? Not at all? This is really the least of my concerns, but it is something to which I can get an easy answer!

October 3, 2011 at 5:00 pm

oh wow, are you sure there is no letter at ALL? would you share the link to the postdoc? I’d like to look and see what such a RFP looks like.

The short answer is: no letterhead. letterhead is a form of stationary, and only appropriate for letters. However, I’d still propose including some kind of brief cover letter, on letterhead, to accompany those documents, even if the letter only says “Enclosed please find my materials.”

Ya gotta get the letterhead in there somehow!

October 4, 2011 at 10:01 am

For example: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/societyoffellows/fellowship.html (its a past deadline, but you’ll get the idea)

The cover sheet is a good idea, and I will incorporate that in the next packet I mail. (Many of them however are uploads only, so even that doesn’t work…)

October 4, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Thanks for this great advice! You started a debate among my grad student friends and I about the letterhead. I just finished my Ph.D. but I am still adjuncting (one class) for the university that I attended. Should I / can I use that letterhead? Some of my friends thought it was presumptuous unless you are full faculty or a postdoc. Can you explain a little more about why the letterhead is important? What does a letter without letterhead convey to the committee? Thanks again!

October 4, 2011 at 7:10 pm

you can use the letterhead. it’s one of the true perks of adjuncting.

October 4, 2011 at 7:14 pm

Letterhead is critical because it shows that SOMEBODY thought you were good enough to hire, so you already have an ** imprimatur of legitimacy**. This even applies for an adjuncting position. What you must NEVER be, if you can avoid it, is an un-affiliated monad on the market. The letterhead gives you a place and an identity and a legitimacy and a credibility that cannot be achieved in any other way.

October 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

October 13, 2011 at 9:55 pm

If I may, I’d like to push you a little on the letterhead question. I received the same advice back when I was on the market in the mid 1990s, and I continued to see applications on letterhead when I reviewed applications for positions in the US as recently as 2008. My question though, is whether we **really** make the snap judgment to disregard an application on plain paper; if it’s properly written, the letter will show the applicant’s affiliation prominently in the first paragraph, as well as on the CV.

If faced with a cover letter that is otherwise as you advise but not on letterhead and a cover letter that’s a mess but that is on letterhead, I would clearly choose the former rather than the latter, assuming that the two applicants were otherwise roughly equal.

Do search committees **really** throw out good applications on the basis of not having letterhead?

October 14, 2011 at 10:57 am

I don’t think they throw them out, per se, but they form one snap judgment which then has to be overcome by the content. It’s far better to have the content framed and set off by its setting—ie, the letterhead

Sure, excellent content not on letterhead can speak loudly and WILL overcome a terrible letter that is on letterhead.

But that’s not usually the question. The question is, in this job market with 700 apps for one job, will an excellent letter not on letterhead prevail over an excellent letter on letterhead? And that’s the question that can’t be answered with confidence.

My intensity about this question derives from how often candidates simply fail to use the letterhead to which they are entitled, thereby downgrading their materials, and adding an extra judgment to overcome.

September 18, 2013 at 1:58 pm

I guess it’s a cultural difference (I’m Australian), but the concept of using a letterhead from your current workplace to secure another job seems pretty bizarre to me. I have reviewed nearly 500 applications over my 25 year academic career, including from the US, and apart from anything else, I’d be wondering how it legitimises anything or shows any affiliation above what’s included in the CV. Surely nobody hires anyone on the basis that they take their word for it because there’s a letterhead? Surely they’d, you know, check? It just smacks of someone with very little experience trying to tart up their application.

September 19, 2013 at 2:19 pm

nevertheless, for the US, this is what’s done.

October 8, 2011 at 9:57 am

Better to use letterhead from university where adjuncting or Ph.D. university (if still affiliated?)

October 8, 2011 at 11:36 am

If you are legitimately still afffiliated to the Ph.D. university, then use that, as it’s generally higher status than the adjunct institution. If, however, you happened to score and adjunct job at a high status institution, then use the adjunct school letterhead.

October 9, 2011 at 9:32 am

I have the same concerns as Elizabeth. My entire dissertation committee has advised me (I asked each separately) to NOT use the letterhead of the place where I am adjuncting, for it will look like I’m trying to inflate my position. I should say that they’ve been fabulous about all the points you say are major failings of many advisors and had much the same letter-writing advice as you except on this matter.

October 9, 2011 at 12:06 pm

You need to use letterhead, and if the adjunct school is the only one you have, then you should use it. If you’re still legitimately affiliated with a Ph.D. granting institution, then that would be the appropriate choice in most cases.

October 15, 2011 at 8:43 am

I have already graduated and actually am adjuncting at two places. Which letterhead do you recommend I choose in that case? Thank you.

October 16, 2011 at 7:34 am

The higher status one. or, if they’re equal status, then the one that looks nicer!

April 9, 2018 at 5:26 pm

And that is the main message that is sent: I want to associate myself with an institution based on its status. It’s just another facet of the marketing scheme of prestigious schools, and others simply ape those who are supposedly higher up in prestige.

In my department, we hire based on what will be the best fit for our students; candidates who appear to simply showing off without addressing one’s accomplishments and a teaching philosophy that adds value to how we serve our students don’t even get an interview. What demonstrates belonging and contributing to an institution is communicated by the CV. The use of institutional letterhead does little more than pigeonhole the candidate into a status level before you even look at their other material, so it hurts them more often than it helps. Even if one is entitled to use the letterhead, it’s better to abstain. And if it truly is a tradition, it’s one worthy of ditching.

April 11, 2018 at 11:25 am

You’re very special.

October 12, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Dear Karen, Thank you so much for the thoughtful and constructive advice on preparing a postdoctoral application! Being at a large public university in light of recent budgetary cuts, the resources available to advanced graduate students in this regard are rather limited and the landscape has changed dramatically since my committee members were on the market. In putting together various dossiers I’ve noticed that a number of institutions are asking for ‘personal statements’ either in lieu of a cover letter or to supplement a separate more detailed statement of research interests. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on how this differs from the cover letter you’ve outlined. Also, as I a minority woman I am applying for various fellowships requesting a nebulous ‘diversity statement’ and was hoping you might have some suggestions on how to tailor a professional statement that avoids the usual immigrant narrative cliches.

October 12, 2011 at 12:14 pm

PS. To clarify, I am in the humanities completing a degree in Comparative Literature.

October 13, 2011 at 9:57 am

Personal statements are tricky, because they have to link your past, your present, and your future together into a coherent whole that addresses your larger scholarly motivations and passions, but without getting drippy and emotional or pathetic. Basically you should think of the personal statement as depicting an arc, in very factual, evidence based ways, from an early inspiration in life through study in a discipline, to a body of scholarship you have produced, to an ultimate career goal….with an eye to how the postdoc will play into that arc in a concrete way.

Re the diversity statement question—I’m not sure I understand it. Please elaborate or contact me directly by email at [email protected] .

October 14, 2011 at 10:35 am

Hi Karen, Thank you for the feedback on the personal statement! They are certainly trickier than a standard cover letter but becoming increasingly more common for postdocs. As for the diversity statement some fellowships ask that you specifically write something addressing diversity in your educational/ career trajectory and goals: From: http://www.ucop.edu/acadpersonnel/ppfp/uc_ppfp.html Education and Background Statement – 500-700 words describing your personal background and contributions to diversity and equal opportunity through your academic career While still others are simply fellowships to promote academic diversity among junior faculty and ask that you address your eligibility for a diversity fellowship: http://www.nyu.edu/diversity/academics.research/fellowship.html http://as.cornell.edu/academics/opportunities/diversity-fellowships/index.cfm I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to approach such a statement tactfully.

October 15, 2011 at 4:20 pm

How do you suggest approaching a school that doesn’t have an opening? I’m ABD and would like to introduce myself in case an opening arises? Same rules apply? Or best to abbreviate?

BTW – found your blog through The Chronicle of Higher Education. Great posts all around!

Thank you, Milton Stokes

October 16, 2011 at 7:37 am

Generally, this is something that is Not Done. I would not encourage it. If you are determined to do it, then I’d reduce everything to one page, remove anything about future projects and sketch out your research much more briefly, focusing more on teaching.

February 20, 2013 at 10:11 am

I would like to hear more about why you don’t encourage contacting a school that doesn’t have an opening.

I’ve done this type of thing during my entire professional career (non-academic). I am now finishing a PhD. I contacted a school that I would like to work at and that did not have an opening. I sent the chair of a particular program my CV and teaching philosophy. I arranged an informal meet-n-greet. Six months later, the chair contacts me and tells me that they have ‘created’ a tenure-track faculty position. This clearly worked for me.

August 19, 2013 at 7:36 pm

Honestly, while this site is ‘helpful,’ I think it does more harm than good. It has offered a terrifically paranoid look at the job search process, and quite honestly: If there is anyone on the PLANET who cares about the technical aspects as much as this author claims to, they are not people I want to work for/with. It reeks of micro-management, and there are plenty of schools that are more open-minded in their approach to the academy.

October 26, 2011 at 10:39 pm

If we shouldn’t address the letter to “Professor so-and-so”, do you suggest using “Dr.” instead? And doesn’t that sound more pandering?

Thanks for the helpful advice.

October 27, 2011 at 7:17 am

ACK, NO!!!! You always *address* the letter to Professor/Dr. So-and-So!!!!! Good heavens. That’s just proper formal letter-writing etiquette. In general, Professor is better.

No, what I’m talking about is in the body of the letter, when you write things like “I studied with xxxxx” or “I would look forward to collaborating with xxxx”—in those types of sentences, you always give the full name of the person, without a title of Prof. or Dr.

October 27, 2011 at 2:11 pm

Thanks for the clarification.

One more question: If the search committee chair is not named, is “Dear Search Committee Members” the appropriate opening?

October 28, 2011 at 8:41 am

Yes it is. Always do a bit of checking to see if you can find the search chair name. it adds class to your letter to have a name. But many searches (especially recently) do not specify anyone, and so more and more letters must be addressed to “Dear Members of the Search Committee” (I tend to prefer this form, but either is fine).

October 20, 2013 at 1:26 pm

I have a related question. When I write cover letters, I always try to find one or two professors with whom I’d like to collaborate to mention specifically in the letter. How do I handle it when one of those professors is the committee chair, and I’ve addressed the letter to them? It feels weird/too informal to use “you,” but it also seems weird to mention their name without acknowledging that they are the committee chair (like I’ve forgotten who’s reading, or something). Advice?

November 7, 2011 at 11:38 am

Great website, thanks! Though I have to say that faculty serving in search committees will have different opinions, and it is hard to say a perfect cover letter should be like this and like that. For example, our department head warned us that as grad. students we should not use the university’s letterhead whereas, that is a big miss for you.

November 7, 2011 at 8:12 pm

Department heads are often wrong.

January 31, 2012 at 10:50 am

Hi there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!

February 11, 2012 at 4:47 pm

At my RI institution you use letterhead for official business. Using it to apply for a job is not official business. At our last presidential search, none of the candidates used their institutional letterhead for their job documents.

As someone on a search committee, if I saw someone using their university letterhead for personal reasons it would raise questions about their understanding of workplace etiquette.

Karen’s advice is just that – hers. She doesn’t speak for all search committees.

February 17, 2012 at 11:59 pm

Quick question, again about letterhead: I teach part time at a college where I get the impression that receiving external mail would be quite odd. Do I use their letterhead even if I’m asking the search committee to mail materials to my home address? Thanks!

February 20, 2012 at 11:18 am

letterhead typically isn’t used for the address per se. The mailing address is drawn from the cv.

March 1, 2012 at 6:48 am

Quick question about the second project paragraph: I am applying for a visiting assistant professor teaching position at a liberal arts college, should I replace the paragraph discussing my second project with another teaching paragraph or will the search committee still like to see that I have research plans?

March 1, 2012 at 8:46 am

good question. if it’s a one year visiting pos. then you can consider replacing the 2nd project with teaching. If it’s multi-year, then you’ll want to keep in the 2nd project. Another variable is the status of the institution. If it’s a very elite SLAC, then they’re hiring at levels equivalent to R1s, and the 2nd project para makes you competitive there. If it is anything but the most elite, then teaching should be more prioritized. It’s a delicate dance!

March 5, 2012 at 7:48 am

I too have chaired a number of searches, and put students on the market as well. I teach a seminar on the job market as part of our PFF program. 9 of your 10 points are spot on… the tenth (actually the first) couldn’t be more wrong. Letterhead is reserved for use by members of the department. A graduate student is not a member of the department. When I receive cover letters from ABD’s on letterhead, I assume they have stolen it or used it without permission.

March 5, 2012 at 8:30 am

Your assumption would be wrong then. I hope you don’t rely on it to disqualify candidates. In the vast majority of depts in the United States grad students are expected to use the letterhead. If you are based somewhere other than the U.S. then that is a separate issue.

March 5, 2012 at 9:59 am

No, it’s not used to exclude candidates, but it’s also VERY uncommon. I’ve been on perhaps 40 searches over the years– faculty positions in my field and others as well as administrative positions, and I can only think of a handful of times when I’ve seen ANY candidate submit an application on their departmental letterhead, and I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen graduate students do it. Highly, highly inappropriate, and in some departments it would likely get the student in trouble, as they are flat out forbidden to use letterhead for any reason.

March 5, 2012 at 11:00 am

Sorry, don’t agree with you on that.

March 8, 2012 at 6:35 pm

At my R-1 when I was a grad student, we were all handed packets of the University letterhead and envelopes to use for our job searches. In my field (literature), one rarely sees cover letters that aren’t on letterhead. Very rarely.

I imagine this poster must be a very different field from mine.

October 15, 2012 at 8:17 pm

Your departmental culture is apparently very different than mine, then. Our grad student website (managed by departmental staff) has files with the department’s letterhead, and we are explicitly encouraged to use it for our professional correspondence.

And a serious “ouch” to “a graduate student is not a member of the department.” Really? Then how do you explain the presence of my profile on the department’s website?

It’s occurring to me how much worse my grad school experience could have been.

March 25, 2012 at 10:02 pm

“A graduate student is not a member of the department”? Ouch. If I were shopping for graduate programs, I would stay far, far away from any department that would not consider me, as a graduate student, to be a “member.” What are graduate students considered to be in your department, then? Nuisances?

May 3, 2012 at 7:32 pm

In my R1 department, graduate students are emphatically members of the department. We expect them to represent themselves well in business correspondence, which means on our letterhead if it is on paper. It the professional responsibility of graduate students to apply for jobs as they get close to finishing. Thus doing so is official department business.

I have to agree with Curiouser. Maybe students applying to graduate school should ask about a department’s letterhead policy to get an idea of how they will be regarded there. And maybe grad students who are considered “inappropriate” for applying for faculty positions on letterhead should be thankful for not getting that interview.

June 10, 2012 at 4:46 pm

I will be graduating this August and I am currently an instructor at a Technical College; so technically I can’t use my PhD University letterhead for October applications. Will the Technical College letterhead have the desired impact for an application in a R1 department, or will it be counter-productive?

June 11, 2012 at 7:49 am

well, it’s a choice between that letterhead and no letterhead…. it’s true the TC letterhead is not going to give you much boost, but i’d say use it anyway.

June 12, 2012 at 4:18 am

I agree with Karen’s advice except for three issues:

1. “Your letter must be on letterhead”. In fact, any academic from the UK would strongly challenge this view. An applicant is not required or expected to submit a ‘letterheaded’ cover letter unless employed by a relevant academic institution. Even if you are applying as an employee, the use of the university’s letterhead for personal ends may not be permissible, and it’s even counter-intuitive. Imagine a Warwick University lecturer/professor applying with a Warwick ‘letterheaded’ cover letter for a position at Cambridge University. However, a PhD graduate can support their application with a reference letter by a faculty staff.

2. “Letters do not have titles”. I’m afraid; there are legitimate grounds where a main title and subtitles are required in cover letters. Some job briefs would state—applicants should identify the academic position, level, and subject expertise (for which they are applying) as heading on cover letters. For example, a job advert seeks a “lecturer, senior lecturer, professor or reader in Marketing”. In some instances, the recruiter is seeking for four candidates to fill those positions. It is sensible to identify clearly on the cover letter with a heading/title the position you are applying for: Lecturer? Senior Lecturer? Reader? Etc. And if more than two disciplines were identified on the job advert. State the discipline you are applying for. This makes it relatively easy for the recruiter to route your application to the relevant faculty or person.

3. “Your letter must be two pages max”. In fact, this is not a rule unless otherwise stated by the recruiting organisation. I prefer a one-page cover letter. Sadly, this is not my experience with academic cover letters. Some recruiters would even state a minimum words-count of 2000 to 5000. Do you know why? They stress applicants should address all the person-specification competences (some range between 10-20). This is where sub-headings are useful.

In fact, there’s a distinction between cover letters and application letters though both are often used to mean the same thing. Most academic job-supporting letters are application letters, not cover letters though the latter are letters of application, semantically. Cover letters are shorter, usually one-to-two pages long. Anything beyond that is a letter of application.

Check http://www.jobs.ac.uk , the main portal for academic jobs in the UK. Browse through the job adverts, dig through some of the job briefs or packs, and see for yourself.

Yet, this doesn’t take away the overall benefits of Karen’s advice. However, the one-size-fits-all tone of the advice is something to think about.

October 9, 2012 at 12:40 pm

How is any of this relevant for applications to US institutions? I don’t see any indication of the fact that her advice is meant to be universally applicable. I bet in Japan they do thing even more different…

July 3, 2012 at 6:22 am

This letterhead issue has me confused. I defended this May-does this mean that any job applications that I sent out prior to May 12 can have my university letterhead but any I send out after May 12 cannot? Or is there some sort of “6 month rule” especially in the market where it is not uncommon to be looking 6-12 months post graduation for a job? I feel like if I exclude any letterhead it looks as if I am just some failed “floater” with no affiliation.

July 3, 2012 at 7:08 am

as far as I know, there is no 6-month rule. you’re affiliated, or you aren’t. the summer would be a gray area, but once the next school year starts, no, you cannot use the phd institution letterhead. Unless, of course, you negotiate an unofficial unpaid affiliation. people do that.

August 3, 2012 at 5:18 am

Hi Karen, I am sorry if I missed this, but shouldn’t there be a “service” paragraph tied in with research and teaching interests?

August 3, 2012 at 6:35 am

October 7, 2012 at 11:57 am

If you are saying there should be no service paragraph, I have to disagree. I am at a top-tier SLAC and service is everything. This is where applicants can highlight work in areas of race, gender and the like. Maybe service is less important if you are a grad student, but I have served on several Humanities hiring committees, and we do consider service, esp at a “self-governing” institution. Organizing a conference, working with an association, esp gender/race/sexuality, editing a journal, these are important “service” activities that speak to a candidate’s ability to contribute to the institution. Moreover, I can’t imagine a worse message to send for those applying to their 2nd job, since it might convey that the candidate contributed nothing to the institution at which they served. Committee work is a huge expectation at SLACs, so showing that you pulled your weight rather than left it for everyone else (usually women and people of color) why you holed up in your office doing your research does not bode well.

August 4, 2012 at 12:34 am

Oh wow, okay. And what is the word on repeating verbiage from the research/teaching statements in the research/teaching paragraphs?

August 5, 2012 at 2:52 pm

You can repeat about 1 short paragraph’s worth of verbiage in the two documents. Since the TS will be 1 page long (usually about 4 paras), that means about 1/4 of it can reappear in the letter.

August 7, 2012 at 10:11 am

Been on the job market for over 2 years so will start applying to community colleges. do the same rules apply re: cove letters, with an emphasis on research?

August 8, 2012 at 9:18 pm

Definitely not! The CC letter must emphasize teaching above all else, although research can certainly be mentioned. Please do read Rob Jenkins’ pieces in the Chronicle fo Higher Education for detailed and specific information on applying to Community Colleged.

August 21, 2012 at 7:05 am

I found in the career service website at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign advising to write a one-page cover letter instead of a two-page for a social science position. Is this customary? or is it part of a recent trend? Would you advise that the shorter the better in any case?

Thanks in advance!

August 21, 2012 at 10:10 am

oh good heavens, believe nothing from UIUC! But i digress. for sciences—real hard sciences–and alsothe field of philosophy, one page is the norm. Art history has some leanings in that direction. for all other fields, inc. social sciences, two pages is the standard.

September 16, 2012 at 9:59 pm

Hi. If I want to look for a another tt job should I use the letterhead of my current Job? Thank you!

October 10, 2012 at 7:48 pm

Yes, it’s expected.

March 7, 2013 at 8:56 am

Does this also hold if you’re working at a non-profit research institute and applying for a TT position?

September 21, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Hi Karen, In a job letter for a postdoc, should I include teaching at all? I would not mind teaching a small class but I do not want to scare away a potential job by saying I would take my time away from research. Thanks for your kindly advice!

September 27, 2012 at 6:23 am

Hi Dr. Karen, I am applying to a position that ONLY accepts an emailed application. Not an online form with attached documents; they want only your cover letter, CV, and list of 3 recommenders attached to an email. What should the letter look like in this case (no letterhead)?

December 12, 2012 at 3:31 pm

I have the same question – what do you do when they only want emailed letters? Print it on letterhead, scan it, and send as pdf?

December 12, 2012 at 4:49 pm

Correct; or use digital letterhead which most schools have now.

December 13, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Most schools now have digital letterhead; ask for that. If not, then yes, you print, scan, and send as pdf.

September 30, 2012 at 1:01 pm

Hi Karen, Do you find double side printing inappropriate for cover letters? My institution has high-quality paper with letter-head (25% cotton) but no blank paper of the same quality.

October 10, 2012 at 7:51 pm

Interestingly enough, page two of a letter plus all other documents are always just on plain printer paper. I realize that may seem odd with page one of the letter being on letterhead, but nevertheless, that’s how it’s done. I don’t think there is anything wrong with double-side printing though–it’s just not all that common.

October 11, 2012 at 2:29 pm

I know this posting is a year old, but I’m in a quandary. I am doing an externally-funded research fellowship at a big uni in one city, but I am living on the other side of the country and teaching (for one term) at the school where I completed my PhD. I am now applying for a tenure-stream position that was just posted at my postdoc university. What letterhead should I use – the postdoc university or the PhD-granting uni at which I am now teaching? I think using the postdoc uni’s letterhead might not look so good, especially since I don’t live there and I just started the fellowship. On the other hand, using the PhD university’s letterhead when I’m just lecturing for one term would be weird too. Should I just make my own simple letterhead?

October 11, 2012 at 2:31 pm

PS my PhD is a year and a half old, if that makes any difference.

October 11, 2012 at 2:59 pm

Use the one from the Research Fellowship institution.

October 14, 2012 at 2:37 pm

Should you end your letter with a little personal information that is relevant to the job? Although I’m not Chinese for example, I grew up in China, which is why I’m applying to Chinese related jobs. I’m also a minority which job ads stress emphasizing. Where or how to put this stuff in especially if it’s not evident from my name?

October 22, 2012 at 6:20 am

I finished my PhD in Dec 2011 and joined as a post doc at a different Uni. Now I have come across this opportunity to apply for a tenure track position. But I am doing this without the knowledge of my post doc supervisor. I will be supplying references from my PhD supervisor and committee members. The reason for this simply because in case I do not get the job , my post doc would be a bit rocky and would miss out on the future opportunities that may come my way. So my question is how do I state my situation in the cover letter.

Your help is highly appreciated .

By the way , I have learnt a lot from your website. Thank-you for taking the onus of teaching and guiding.

Kind Regards,

October 25, 2012 at 7:34 pm

The idea of forbidding graduate students to use letterhead (or submitting ANY cover letter without it) baffles me; I’ve never heard of such a thing. Don’t departments want their students to get jobs? Perhaps this is discipline specific (I hope so.)

October 28, 2012 at 1:02 am

Do you think the same format applies when applying to European departments?

October 28, 2012 at 2:16 pm

I’m not an expert i the European job market, so I don’t know. It translates well for the UK.

November 13, 2012 at 4:55 pm

This is great. To pick what seems to be a crucial nit: in point 5 your stress NEVER to address potential colleagues as “Professor so-and-so,” and yet in point 1 you say the phrase “Dear Professor XXXX” should follow the date. Is this an oversight on your part? Or is there some difference between the use of “Professor” to address the search committee chair and references to other faculty in the department?

November 13, 2012 at 8:02 pm

You must always use Professor so-and-so as a term of courtesy in the address and heading of a letter. This is because it is a title that belongs in this context. Professors use this title in letters to to each other as well, as a courtesy. However, when you are referring to faculty with whom you’d collaborate in the body of the letter, then they are referrred to only by their last name, or if you prefer, first and last names.

January 18, 2013 at 3:20 pm

I really appreciate this list and most of it was a very helpful reminder. I’m not sure what to do about the letterhead, however. Most applications are digital (in some cases letters have to be pasted into an online form which removes formatting), and the university’s policy on letterhead says that graduate students are not to use official letterhead.

Does it always look horribly unprofessional not to have the letter on letterhead, or do people understand there are different policies with respect to access? My university says only full time faculty are entitled to use it.

January 18, 2013 at 6:09 pm

First, re the digital thing: that’s no excuse not to use letterhead! Many campuses have digital letterhead and at those that don’t, you can simply print your letter on letterhead and then scan as a pdf. But the other issue of access to letterhead: I tell people to lie, cheat, and steal to get it. But if all that fails, then sure, you can submit sans letterhead and you won’t be instantly disqualified because of it. Just make sure you have a decent subdued personal letterhead so that you’re not submitting on a blank white page, and that the letter itself shines.

January 22, 2013 at 9:14 am

I am currently a researcher at an academic institute, and am applying for a position of assistant professor in University of Florida. Do you think I should use the letterhead of my current employer? Should I tell and get permission to use the letterhead? (I am NOT a student any more). Thank you!

January 22, 2013 at 11:40 am

I believe it would be appropriate for you to use the letterhead. I suppose asking would be a nice courtesy.

January 23, 2013 at 10:37 am

Dear Karen,

Thank you for the advice! My another question is at the end, shall I use “Yours sincerely” or something else to conclude the cover letter?

January 26, 2013 at 11:13 am

Thanks for this resource.

I am not a grad student. I have been an adjunct instructor for a 5 years, at the same institution. A full-time position recently came up at another institution. Do I use letterhead from my current institution? My gut tells me no. Is my situation unique? Thanks!

January 26, 2013 at 11:14 am

I see my question already answered. Sorry!

February 20, 2013 at 4:10 am

Hi Karen, I would like to apply for a postdoctoral position, and the required documents do not include a cover letter (explicitely). “Please send a single (!) PDF with CV including publications, a statement of research interests, and three references (…)”. I recall I read in one of your blogs or commentaries that one should include a cover letter even if not asked for. I am debating whether (A) sending a short letter introducing myself, what I do, and why I want to work in that lab, or (B) not sending any cover letter to avoid putting the researcher to read extra stuff that she/he has not asked for. Any advice would be greatly appreciate it. Carolina

February 20, 2013 at 5:55 pm

Hi Karen, In reference to my previous question, I forgot to mention that I don’t want to look like I don’t know how to follow a simple instruction (but the application w/out cover letter may look incomplete…?).

Thanks again for this very helpful website, it can be saved as a golden bookmark.

February 21, 2013 at 2:09 pm

Thank you so very much for all of this advice, it’s invaluable.

I am in an unual situation, in that I already hold a tenure-track position…however, I would like to apply for a post-doc position in teacher education at a different institution (I was hired ABD and just graduated with my Ph.D. this past May). Believe it or not, the post-doc pays more than I’m making now, and I would only be teaching 1/4 of the classes (2 a year vs. 8 here), which would give me much more time to concentrate on my research agenda for a couple of years. My question, of course, is about my cover letter. How much of your advice above would vary/change when applying for a post-doc after having worked as an Instructor/Assistant Professor for three years at a university? Because it is a post-doc in teacher education, should I highlight my research over my teaching/supervision or vice versa? I have way more teaching and supervisory experience (20 years of it at both the secondary and post-secondary levels) than I do research experience. I haven’t published anything yet, but I have presented at many conferences. Should I write about the research/articles/grants I’m working on even if I haven’t submitted anything yet? I have been told to NOT include “work in progress” on my CV unless it has been submitted and accepted for publication. Your advice however states that in the cover letter, one should write about written work in the manuscript stage and where you plan to submit it. I’m a little confused! Finally, I would like to somehow get across in the letter that more time for research is what attracted me to the position, but I don’t want them to think that I prefer research over teaching, or that I’m…well…just lazy!

Thanks in advance for your help!

February 21, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Julie, comments on the blog have increased to a level where I can no longer provide detailed individual responses here; if you’d like to work with me on this issue and the application, however, please do get in touch at [email protected] . Karen

March 7, 2013 at 7:25 pm

I enjoyed your post. If possible, please add the steps for a teaching/research position, as opposed to a research/teaching position. Thanks

March 9, 2013 at 10:16 pm

I’m an ABD in the fine arts (music composition), and so glad to have found your site! Any advice on what to do when research on the department and/or search committee members comes up scarce? I’m preparing to apply for an assistant professor position at a school whose department website is pretty bland, and the chair of the search does not keep his own website (the norm in my field), so I’m having difficulties finding anything beyond a brief bio. Is it overstepping to call the department in an effort to find out more about their program and/or faculty?

March 15, 2013 at 8:21 pm

Karen- Forgive me if this was discussed within the replies and comments. I skimmed through, but didn’t find anything speaking to this.

I have an MFA in dance and am just beginning my job application process. For much of the cover letter information, things are similar or the same as for a research-based position. I, however, am not published and won’t be doing research, at least not in the same sort of way. The positions I’m applying for are those is in search of faculty to both teach and make creative work (which I have done a great deal of but not all of it in academia, much of it as a self-produced artist). I assume I simply put this into the paragraph layout where published works and research projects are listed. The groundwork and funding for self-produced creative work is fairly different. Do I state a sentence or two about significant previous work and then about my upcoming work in the same way? (…listing grants for funding? … what about the fact that much of my work is funded through fundraisers? I’m sure this is not something to include.)

April 15, 2013 at 2:02 pm

THANK YOU!!! Although my comment follows none of your advice my cover letters will from now on! Bless you for sharing this very valuable information. You’re right, no one has the time to teach it and for first generation scholars it can be extremely difficult to find someone outside of your professors who would know how to help.

Thanks again, Opal

May 21, 2013 at 1:54 pm

Great advice – thank you! I am wondering, however, if you have more specific advice for cover letters when applying for sessional (adjunct?) positions, when the details about one’s research plans, etc. don’t apply. Thanks!

May 21, 2013 at 2:25 pm

I have not written about that, and should. For now, it’s a mistake to jettison research completely in any job letter as it helps to distinguish and define you, but for an adjunct position, do put teaching first and expand it to two paras, and put research second and perhaps keep to one para; the “next project” para is not necessary. Other elements should remain the same; you still need to tailor even if you consider it an utterly pointless exercise.

May 22, 2013 at 8:08 pm

Thanks! I do wonder what exactly you mean when you say “adjunct” – I take it that covers a range of positions. Here (Canada), we often apply to teach each separate course, including ones we’ve taught before at the same university, as a “sessional”. For example, just teaching one summer course. I would think the cover letter would be a bit simpler for an application to teach just one course vs. a position involving teaching multiple courses?

March 6, 2014 at 5:12 pm

Hi Karen, Great stuff. On a similar note to the adjunct question above, might you have any advice for those of us looking to make the jump into administration? Clearly the emphases are different in the content of the letter, but do I frame the cover letter with tweeks to your guidance above or think of it more as a corporate job cover letter. For example, for an administration job, do I use letterhead?

May 27, 2013 at 2:11 pm

First, thank you for putting this out there. I am in a different field, but have been trying to find some guidance on the letter format/content – and I can already see several areas where I can make improvements. After three attempts on the market with limited success, I decided to overhaul all of my materials this year. I am looking for a assistant/advanced assistant professor position at a R1 institution, and I have one glaring problem.

I have been out of school for 7 years now working in the private sector (research) – for personal reasons. I have been advised to include some explanation of why I did not go into academia right away – which I have not done because it does not seem relevant. I have been doing high level research with nationally recognized organizations, written countless grant applications (and gotten some), published (although not at the rate of an assistant professor), managed projects, and so on. My seven years of actual research (and some teaching) experience, in my opinion, make me a much better candidate than an ABD or even newly minted Ph.D. Yet I have been passed over countless times to folks with far less experience, because (as one insider told me) my dissertation date is ‘too old’.

So my question is how do I overcome this? I can’t hide the fact that I graduated seven years ago. Should I explain that I went into the private sector for personal reasons? Or perhaps frame it as a really long extended post-doc to sharpen my research skills? As I gear up for another round of applications, I could really use some advice on how to address this unique problem. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you again for posting this list.

August 6, 2013 at 11:47 am

For “Para 1” you state “Short self-intro; your current position”. What if a person is currently not attached to any university and is not teaching at all, even as an adjunct? What should one state?

August 9, 2013 at 12:40 pm

Some of the questions were about how to link diss. research into 2nd par. of the cover letter; even after several years of post-doc or an adjunct position, when the diss. is somewhat “past.” Karen’s advice was to still mention briefly, but it should be organically related to the rest of the research. This was difficult but I think I managed to do it in one closing sentence of the par. “These projects each stemmed from technical achievements of my dissertation research, which demonstrated that ….[some research results which shared tech. and knowledge base as afore mentioned research].” I was super stoked about how to weave in this distant memory when I am so focused on the present & future, had to share.

September 2, 2013 at 7:11 pm

Thanks for the great advice! I am wondering your opinion on lifting key sentences from the research and/or teaching statement and putting them in the cover letter. Is it okay to repear if you have a really stellar overview sentence in one document and put it in the cover letter, or should each piece of writing be crafted completely individually so as to avoid reviewers thinking you are being repetitive as they read between documents? Thanks!

September 3, 2013 at 11:17 am

1-2 sentences of repeat are ok, but not more than that.

September 3, 2013 at 3:35 pm

A quandary: for jobs which want the cover letter, teaching philosophy, research statement all rolled into one, does the 2 page limit still apply?

My advisers say they essentially only see three-pagers submitted, and so they’re advising me to use a three page format.

I know that you stress the importance of the 2-page format, and just wanted to check for when the research/teaching parts are not separate. Thanks again, DM

September 4, 2013 at 8:24 am

Hi! Just a quick question: assuming you respond to a job announcement posted by [email protected] or even [email protected] , to whom the cover letter should be addressed? The structure of the organisation in not published, so you can´t gather info about the Human Resources department. The job you apply for can be located in various departments. Thank you!

September 4, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Karen, What about if I have a lot of professional experience that I think might be relevant to teaching. For example, curatorial work, should I mention this in my CL? If so, where would it be the most appropriate placement of such information? I believe that it will convey that beyond teaching and researching, I’m placing these ideas into practice through exhibitions and community education. Thanks!

September 10, 2013 at 9:10 am

I have a question about the letterhead issue. Is it improper to use the letterhead of the institution where I currently adjunct if I am applying for a TT job at the very same institution? Thank you. [Please do not include my name or email. Thanks again.]

September 13, 2013 at 4:15 am

Any thoughts on length when they ask for “a detailed cover letter” that includes “research and teaching interests”? 3 pages? Or still 2?

September 14, 2013 at 5:38 pm

Reading the article and comments makes me relive why I left academia! So obsessed with form and every little thing must be exactly as instructed, if not, they won’t consider you! In the corporate world people accept these little differences as long as it appears you can do your job. Interview process much more straight forward too. Particularly disturbing given that social science/humanities academics are supposed to be all about celebrating diversity and studying difference…

September 22, 2013 at 7:57 pm

Cover letter is 2 pages–single or double spaced?? Thanks.

October 11, 2013 at 10:17 am

Single. With a space in between each paragraph. See guidelines here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/

October 11, 2013 at 10:16 am

Thank you for this. Question: I can see the value of a graduate student using letterhead, but isn’t in unethical to use the letterhead of your current employer if you are seeking a new employer?

November 3, 2013 at 10:00 am

Hi Karen, What a fantastic blog and service. My question is this: my university will not let graduate students have business cards with university letterhead. They say we are just ‘temporary’ so cannot have cards, never mind letterhead (it is locked up). What would you suggest? Its embarrassing to be asked for cards at conferences (i’m on the job market) and not having one. Thank you, Christine

November 3, 2013 at 10:01 am

I meant business cards with University Logo…

November 4, 2013 at 10:51 am

Make your own that approximate the university logo. You can do this yourself if you’re adept at photoshop, or can get a designer to do it for you at a pretty reasonable fee, I’m pretty sure.

December 6, 2013 at 4:07 pm

I’m currently in a one-year VAP position, struggling to write my cover letter for the TT position that is opening up at my current institution. Do you have any advice on how to tailor this letter, without sounding too familiar or too awkwardly formal? I’m required to submit separate teaching and research statements, as well.

December 7, 2013 at 10:45 am

Read the post, What Inside Candidates Persist In Doing Wrong.

December 17, 2013 at 4:04 pm

Thank you for the wonderfully informative Blog, Karen.

I am in the last few months of my PhD and planning to apply to a 9-month lecturer position at a state university. Ideally, I would like to work in the position for 1-2 years and then move into a tenure-track position (preferably at the same university). Should I mention my research plans in my cover letter or application materials? Those plans are not very relevant to this particular position, although are quite relevant to my long-term plans for this specific university (which happens to be the university that granted my B.S. and M.S. degrees).

December 18, 2013 at 10:55 am

Well meaning advice, but the snark is not warranted. As someone who has also served on search committees, let me say that (1) we start with the c.v. and only glance at the cover letter if we are already interested; (2) because we started with the c.v., we already know the information on the c.v., such as your degree granting institutions — we are looking at the cover letter for additional info; and (3) as long as the cover letter wasn’t written on an old napkin, we don’t care what it is written on. And no, it should not be on institutional letterhead. The purpose of letterhead is so that you can write on behalf of your institution in your official capacity. Your personal correspondence and affairs do not belong on institutional letterhead. You sending your job application on letterhead would be a signal that you don’t understand the difference — unless of course it is the decision of your school to find you a different job and you have been tasked with making that happen.

February 7, 2014 at 2:58 pm

“[U]nless of course it is the decision of your school to find you a different job and you have been tasked with making that happen.”

If you’re a graduating PhD student, that’s sort of the case, isn’t it?

October 4, 2014 at 8:12 pm

This has been my impression, as well; that letterhead is used by current faculty to request review copies of textbooks, for outgoing offer letters, job openings, etc. i.e. official department business. Does one also use letterhead when tendering one’s resignation? If not, it seems a little weird to use it when asking to be considered for a position vacancy by another institution.

In fact, I’ve never seen letterhead used for a cover letter to accompany a job application. I’ve only worked for 3 academic institutions, but have served on numerous hiring committees, and have seen institutional letterhead used for cover letters exactly zero times. To my eye it looks a. disloyal; b. as your Australian commenter suggested, as if one is trying to tart up a rather thin application packet; and c. redundant. The CV indicates *both* the current employer, *and* the duration of one’s tenure there — and of course the information would need to be verified independently, letterhead or no.

This really could be generational. I am not extremely young by any means, but — maybe because I have worked in the private sector — I would find it jarring, were I to encounter institutional letterhead in a stack of applications.

December 30, 2013 at 10:42 pm

I have a quick question about your first point of advice. You say that snail-mail address is necessary, but with more and more applications being sent in online or over e-mail, often there won’t be any address in the posting. Should I look up the department and just assume that using the address on their website is appropriate, or leave it out, or…?

Thanks much!

December 31, 2013 at 11:53 am

I wanted to get a brief clarification on your recommendation regarding length. Is your two page rule based on 12 pt font single spaced or 1.5 spacing? My cover letter follows your rules and comes in at 2.6 pages at 1.5 spacing. I wasn’t sure if I was write on the money or had an overly long cover letter.

Thanks, Chris

January 7, 2014 at 11:48 pm

Hi, The information you have provided is very helpful indeed. I have a question though. I am applying for PhD’s and in one of the applications the University require a motivation statement on the topic and a motivation letter on why I want to do the PhD. How should I go about with these two letters? Will appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Regards, Abeer

January 16, 2014 at 12:15 pm

Hi, I have a question of what makes it in and what doesn’t: should all of your major grants make it into the cover letter, or will the CV do some of that work? At this point I’m ABD & have an AAUW dissertation fellowship, a Javits, & a Fulbright (from the year between undergrad & grad school). The dissertation completion grant makes it in seamlessly enough, but I’ve never really figured out how to pull the other two in without interrupting the flow. On the other hand, if they’re really skimming I might be sabotaging myself by leaving out the strongest aspects of my case under the assumption they’ll read my CV. Thanks!

January 21, 2014 at 9:30 am

Dear Karen, Does the letterhead rule apply to electronic submissions and submissions through Interfolio? If yes, how does one do it technically – should I print my cover letter on a letterhead, then scan and send it as an attachment? Also, I am now away from my institution (in a different state). Should I ask our departmental secretary to scan a letterhead and to email it to me?

January 22, 2014 at 11:19 am

Dear Karen, this is a very informative post – the directness of your words is a plus and saves time (yours and ours), therefore I will try to do the same. 🙂 This is NOT to have an “ad hoc” advice, but I would rather be interested if you had any experience on similar topics. My questions:

1. Because of a research project (in a highly regarded research center), after my PhD I was away from teaching for two years (and in the meatime I graduated). Does it look bad to TT jobs? Should I aim at adjunct and TAs to “catch up”? Also, I might be able to get back to my Univ to get some TA teaching – is it bad looking (“look, he has no teaching therefore they took him back”). Of course in the meantime I would search for local depts for other adjuncts/TAs.

2. As I apply I am living in France. I still have a US address but should I use the European one? Does it really matter?

3. I am a European student, but I am a resident, and really willing to return to the US. Considering also point 2, is it worth to mention it in the letter (my visa status and my intentions) or it sounds “awkward” and not necessary/unprofessional?

Thank you very much for all this info!

February 7, 2014 at 2:49 pm

I don’t know whether Karen would agree, but I think I can address questions 2 and 3.

About having two addresses: I have a “permanent” address where I can always receive mail and a “current” address where I rent and spend most of my time, which changes once a couple of years or so (the two are in different states in the US), and I simply list both in my CV. I think you can use a similar approach if you want people to be able to contact you at either address.

Mentioning the address explicitly in the letter, though, is perhaps unnecessary: what does that accomplish? If you’re applying for a job on another continent it is already clear that you’re willing to relocate.

Mentioning immigration/residence status (if that’s what you mean by “Resident”) is helpful and important, so that they know that they don’t (or do) need to worry about visas and other such paperwork. For that just make sure to use the exact official phrase that identifies the status (e.g. “Permanent Resident,” “Resident Alien,” “Naturalized Citizen,” etc.) The short sentence describing the status can fit in well either in the introductory paragraph before you start going into the meat of the letter, or in a postscript.

Again, Karen, if you disagree, please make it known.

February 11, 2014 at 8:44 am

Dear Y S, thanks so much for your reply (and Karen, any advise is of course highly appreciated, while I understand how hectic would be to follow up to the tons of comments you receive here…).

The visa status comment does make a lot of sense to me, and the two-address option is a good idea. Right now the next future looks like “point 1” will happen (i.e. I will teach at my alma mater for an year or so), after which I will go back on track. Fingers crossed! Thanks again!

January 22, 2014 at 6:36 pm

Any advice on cover letters (reorganizing the paragraphs? different content?) for community college positions that do not require you to do research and do not require a Ph.D.? I am currently at a 4 year institution and do have a Ph.D. but am moving for personal reasons.

January 23, 2014 at 10:12 pm

I think I just threw up in my mouth. I don’t have a PhD., I have a terminal degree (MFA). I’m a master of adunct at career colleges but desperate, that’s right, DESPERATE to get out of career college pigeon-holing/label and teach full time and put on big kid pants. My student evals and classroom observations are, to be candid, stellar. But is the non-PhD making me never get a single short-list email? Even though many positions I apply to require an MFA? My letter, I thought, was solid. Mortified, and crushed, three years later… only ONE state university … I made it three rounds. I was in the top two. They went with the other candidate. Devastating.

February 12, 2014 at 10:51 pm

Since there seems to be a serious divide regarding the letterhead question (looks like some people will throw out your application if you have it, others will throw it out if you don’t), what about trying to find out what the recommended practice of the university you’re applying to is, and going by that?

February 13, 2014 at 8:52 am

Thanks so much Karen. I have a question regarding the letterhead. I am still enroll in the graduate program in one of the Ivy s, however, I am working full time in a not at all recognized liberal arts. Should I use the letterhead of the Ivy university or should I use my current employer’s letterhead?

March 9, 2014 at 8:26 am

I am in the process of preparing a blind mailing to universities in my area, especially those who do not have a guitar department. Since I am not affiliated with any major University, can I use my professional logo which is my name with a guitar as one of the letters in my name as part of my header – sized accordingly (with the appropriate contact info)? Or just use it on the large label of the envelope with my return address. The logo can be found when the reader pulls up my site.

April 21, 2014 at 11:04 pm

I appreciate your frankness…I know this post was not too recent, but hopefully you still check it. My question has to do with your suggestion to use university letterhead. This advice is in sharp contrast to what I’ve heard in the private sector. There if you are using your employer’s letterhead then it suggests that you are basically collecting pay for your job search. Obviously this is not good (even according to business ethics), hence my question. What if your Ph.D. granting institution is also your employer because you teach several classes there? Should you use university letterhead, or does the use of letterhead suggest that you are collecting income to search for work?

Perhaps I’m looking into this one too deeply? I’ve always just used my name and contact info at the top of a letter. My guess is that if this isn’t good enough that I wouldn’t want to work with the faculty on the search committee. Then again, my kid is hungry and needs to eat. Thanks in advance.

April 22, 2014 at 8:26 am

This is a good, perennial question. In academia, in the US, it is generally considered normal to use your institutional letterhead. In the UK, and also among a small minority of US academics, letterhead is considered inappropriate. My sense is that the anti-letterhead position in the US –which again is a small minority — is somewhat generational, with its proponents mainly being on the older side. In all of my experience working with candidates, I’ve never encountered a problem with the use of letterhead, and I’ve received a great deal of confirmation that it is indeed expected.

May 22, 2014 at 7:34 pm

Thank you. I received a call from 1 of 2 applications where I used university letterhead. I can’t be certain that it helped, but it didn’t seem to hurt. Although at this point I think university funding is the biggest barrier to entry.

Mine could also be a special situation given I have access to it in order to write letters of recommendation for students on a regular basis. Of course I always ask them if they’re sure they wouldn’t prefer a letter from someone with a better title. Thanks.

May 8, 2014 at 10:32 pm

I am a teacher at XXX Public Schools and am applying for a job at the Curriculum Department, outside the classroom at the same XXX Public Schools organization. Do you recommend I use their letter-head? If so, is it OK to create my own digitally with their logo, etc…?

May 10, 2014 at 7:03 am

I should also note having just read the above post, that my employer is in the UAE, any idea of the “norm” around here? On the hiring committee would sit a mix of Europeans, Aussies, Kiwis, Americans and locals… Thanks!

May 27, 2014 at 1:11 pm

Regarding letterhead: I just graduated from my PhD institution, and have a one-year VAP lined up for the fall-spring (job recently offered/accepted, nothing signed). However, I plan to apply for a particular position for the following academic year (15-16) which has a deadline that is very, very soon–before I start the VAP! The VAP institution’s letterhead would “look” better, I think, because it advertizes my “employed” status, but can I use letterhead from a department before I have really started working there? Would it be strange to ask the secretary for it? Or should I stick with my old PhD institution’s letterhead (I’m sure they won’t mind)? Or use nothing?

July 21, 2014 at 10:59 pm

Regarding letterhead – For some strange historical reason, my lab is in a department whose name does not represent my field. I don’t want to disclose my actual situation, but it would be analogous to someone who studied human physiology being in the Department of Botany. If that person applied for a job advertisement looking for a mammalian physiologist with letterhead from the Department of Botany, I’m worried they would get sorted to the “no pile” without a second glance. In such a case, would you still be adamant that the cover letter must be on departmental letterhead?

August 20, 2014 at 6:44 pm

I began teaching public high school while finishing my dissertation, and have continued doing so afterwards while applying for academic jobs. The only letterhead I have access to is the one provided by my employer (the high school). It would seem better to not have any letterhead at all than to use a high school’s letterhead to apply for a college teaching position, but your blog entry has made me wonder. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you.

August 20, 2014 at 8:17 pm

Your instincts are right–don’t use it.

August 22, 2014 at 10:53 pm

Dear Karen, thank you for this amazing article. I have a specific question and I would appreciate if you could comment on that. My Ph.D., post-doc and current job institutions are all the same (rf. to my website). I am concerned that this would hurt my application. Do you have any advice on writing the cover letter for this situation?

August 23, 2014 at 6:00 pm

It does not require any special mention. Just proceed normally.

August 25, 2014 at 12:42 am

Thanks Karen.

August 28, 2014 at 11:25 am

Thank you very much for this helpful advice. I have two questions regarding your post.

1. I am currently finishing up my dissertation with a scheduled defense in November and I will be starting a postdoc position in January. I will be applying for tenure-track positions for next academic year (applications open now) and I’m wondering if it would help to mention that I will be working as a postdoc fellow for a year. If so, can my “second project” be the work I will be doing as a postdoc?

2. I am a PhD student in the school of social welfare and I’m wondering how linking my research interest with practice experience be seen by R1 Universities. Would it help my case if I mention in the context of contribution to the field?

September 4, 2014 at 4:06 am

Can I “cite” my articles in the cover letter?

I refer to a text something like this:

“I worked on the XXX topic and the outcomes are Mr. CV et al, 2014, and MR. cover letter and MR. CV, 2014.”

September 4, 2014 at 9:00 am

It’s not usually conventional to “cite” per se, but yes you definitely MENTION articles in the cover letter! Typically you just come out and write, “Based on this research I have 3 articles published or in press. The first, “title,” was published in Journal of XX in 2013. The second, “title,” is… and so on.

September 7, 2014 at 8:42 pm

I keep following your work and your site is since quite a long time now a great point of reference for me. I have a similar question to an old unanswered comment though – I am currently VAP in College no. 1, but haven’t started yet really – classes will start in a week – and I want to apply to College no. 2, for a tenure-track search that will close in 2 weeks. Given the small time window (three weeks between my VAP and the closing date of the search) I have two simple questions, related to the fact that I will be just arrived to college No. 1: 1. cover letter: should I use letterhead from college no. 1? Meaning, should I just go ahead and ask the dept admin for it a week into classes? 2. references: after how long can I really ask a reference to colleagues at college no. 1? Would be a month in the semester acceptable (references for the job at college no. 2 will be asked later)? Should I better stick at my doctorate references instead? Thanks so much for all this work! GGG

September 12, 2014 at 11:40 am

I am attempting to obtain digital files of the letterhead for electronic submission. Forgive me if my question has been answered, but I did not see it above: Should letterhead only be used on the first page of the cover letter or on all pages?

Many thanks

September 15, 2014 at 6:20 am

only the first page.

September 18, 2014 at 8:23 am

What are your thoughts on a “service paragraph” in the cover letter if space allows? As a graduate student and then as a VAP, I have volunteered for department assignments, etc., which I was under no obligation to do. Applying mainly to liberal-arts-type colleges, do you think this would enhance my appeal, or would these kinds of things be considered “par for the course,” and/or irrelevant?

Many thanks.

September 18, 2014 at 11:42 am

My core principle: service will not get you a job. Corollaries: don’t do too much service,a nd don’t devote too much space to the service you did. A line or two at most, on truly impressive service, like a campus-wide diversity initiative. That’s about the extent of it, in my view.

September 23, 2014 at 4:07 pm

I’m curious – should I tailor my job letters according to the other documents that are also going to be in my application? For example, for one job I have a cover letter that has a more involved paragraph on the diss research because they don’t ask for anything else; another school asks for CV, research plan, teaching plan – so for that school would I have a more streamlined “cocktail-party” description of the diss research? thanks!

September 26, 2014 at 7:24 am

The cover letter is always the same, regardless of what other supporting docs they request.

October 27, 2014 at 5:19 pm

Hi Dr. Karen,

I teach part-time at a private university in Southeast Asia that has no international reputation. Do I use the letterhead from this university to write a cover letter?

October 27, 2014 at 6:33 pm

Dear Karen, I must thank you for the work that you have done here on how to write a letter for the tenure-track position. I was wondering how I should frame the beginning of my application though, especially if I have actually finished or left a contracted teaching position in order to move to another country (Australia) for the sake of acknowledging residency, and plan to apply for a tenure-track job in an Asian country. Do I simply just leave it out, or state that I have finished my term as an associate professor in that former institution?

November 7, 2014 at 8:00 am

Dear Karen- I have found your website and blog postings very helpful. I’m in the process of submitting post-doctoral applications and I just received a lovely email from my department that they will not issue letterhead or electronic letterhead “specifically for this purpose” [for applying for jobs that they will ultimately take credit for]. Don’t you love it!

November 11, 2014 at 3:08 pm

Yep. Our institution won’t even issue electronic letterhead to the faculty for writing recommendation letters, because the digital files could “get out there” and be abused. Given that almost all job applications are done electronically, I wonder if the letterhead standard will begin to disappear.

November 12, 2014 at 11:05 am

How shitty is that?

Everybody’s using digital letterhead now, so it doesn’t seem to be waning at all.

November 15, 2014 at 9:58 am

Hello Karen! I’m ABD and i’m writing my cover letters, research statement and the like. I have just come across a job offer where (only) a CV, one-page cover letter is asked (so no research and teaching statement). How am I supposed to reduce my current two-page letter (written by following your guidelines) to a one-page cover letter if I’m not expected to send any additional files where I explain research and teaching in more detail? Should I sum up para 2,3,4 to one single paragraph for instance?

November 17, 2014 at 10:35 am

One para of diss, one para pubs, one para teaching, one para tailoring, all shortened so that the whole fits on a page.

November 16, 2014 at 10:27 am

Our professor is having us draft a cover letter, CV, etc. and practice “applying” to a position that is interesting to us. Really practical class even though I’m probably 2 years from doing this in real life. This post is really helpful as I’m crafting my cover. Thank you!

November 17, 2014 at 10:32 am

Fantastic! what is your program? I’d love to know who is doing good work like this!

November 17, 2014 at 1:57 pm

I just graduated from a seminary with my Ph.D. in philosophy and church history. I currently work for a small career school full-time in the general education department while adjuncting at my seminary’s undergraduate institution and another online institution. Because I want to work at a college or university that has religious affiliations, would it be better to use letterhead from the college where I adjunct, or should I use letterhead from where I work full-time?

November 24, 2014 at 5:23 pm

In the first paragraph, if we list where we learned about the job (listserv, et cetera), what if a member of the hiring committee sent me the job announcement personally? Should I write the listserv that I saw the job listed on as well, or should I list that the committee member sent me the job listing? If the person told me about it, and I write in my letter that I read about the job on a listserv, might that be seen as snubbing the person?

December 11, 2014 at 10:38 am

Thank you for the sound advice. I’m in a somewhat unique situation – having completed an MFA, I am now in my 2nd year of a PhD program, but have been approached by a department chair about applying to a TT position that needs a candidate with the technical skills I have from my MFA – he assured me that my MFA would qualify me. I therefore haven’t done a dissertation (but I did do an MFA thesis exhibition), so my first question is how to address this difference? My second question is, if my advisor has given me his blessing on applying and assured me that if it works out I can matriculate within the PhD program from afar, is this something I should keep to myself in the cover letter and/or interviews (if it comes to that)? I don’t want to give the impression I would be distracted in my professorial duties, but I do want to finish my PhD.

January 24, 2015 at 12:00 am

I believe the MFA is considered a terminal degree for the field so you should be fine. Were you?

January 23, 2015 at 11:57 pm

Hi Karen, I appreciate your insights. They have been helpful. I have written some cover letters with letterhead and some without and after testing the waters and some reflection on the issue here is what I have come to believe. If you are an adjunct applying for a better position then by all means use letterhead. I say this because I believe the university should support your efforts to seek a living wage, but also because as an adjunct you should have access to university letterhead. You probably do not and should not have access to letterhead as a graduate student (else you could write your own recommendation letters, then again we all could, hence the need for a phone call). As a member of the faculty I view using letterhead as dipping your pen in the company ink. Wouldn’t a shoddy course in business ethics call this a personal use of organizational resources? The other issue that comes to mind is more important. If the reputation of the institution featured on your letterhead speaks to the search committee more than the quality of your text or argument is the place really somewhere that you’d like to work? I think that while you very well might grab the attention of the search committee using university letterhead (in this sense your advice is sound) I would caution that you might not to work there. I guess it depends on whether you are looking for a job or the right job. Does this make sense?

January 27, 2015 at 12:04 pm

Great post and really helpful. I’m about to start applying for TT jobs after a 3 year postdoc. This post is tailored to those applying for jobs straight out of grad school. I’m curious about how you would alter Point #9 for those coming from a postdoc.

February 6, 2015 at 3:46 am

Thank you for these wise suggestions, Karen! How do you think we should tackle a postdoc application in the humanities that requires a CV, research statement, and teaching statement but no cover letter. The on-line application requires uploading these documents so there is not even the chance of including a brief cover sheet on letterhead. Although the CV can clearly identify present position and PhD granting institution (publications, etc), it’s almost impossible to do the job of personalizing yourself in 2-page research statement. Also, when the indication for research and teaching statement is “two-page,” should we assume this is a single or double-spaced document?

February 6, 2015 at 11:15 am

please read my post, The Postdoc App: How It’s Different and Why, and also, Dr. Karen’s Foolproof Grant Template. Use the latter for the RS. You can do all you need to in two pages if you use them well. That’s very hard, though! By the way, Ihave a good webinar called “How to Apply for a Postdoc in the Humanities and Social Sciences.” It’s $50; you can find it here: http://theprofessorisin.com/webinar-recordings/ And finally, I work with people individually on this kind of app all the time. A two page proposal is 2 hours at $125/hour, so $250 (with rush fees if nec due to timing).

February 14, 2015 at 9:44 am

Hey Karen, thanks a lot for the advice! It’s helping me craft my first cover letter for a tenured position. However, I have a question pertaining to a certain aspect of the letter. I did my M.S. before I went into my Ph.D. and I worked on two completely different projects but my research from my Masters was very significant and was published in peer-reviewed journals. Do you think it will hurt if I weaved my Master’s research into the second paragraph of the cover letter, just before I go into my doctoral work?

February 16, 2015 at 3:21 pm

You can do that if it’s relevant, although it would be AFTER your doctoral work, in the working-backward model that more senior people should use. BTW, please read the blog post, Job Letter Issues When You’re Beyond the Dissertation, for more on that.

February 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm

I am interested in your service. I have an application I plan to submit for an application next week on which your inputs (for the $30 fee) sounds good. I already did a first draft of the cover letter, but am now looking at how well it conforms to your advise, and immediately see it’s too long. One point, I’d like to ask you right now. I structured the body of the cover letter to match how I meet both the minimum and desirable qualifications for the position. I assume that the hiring committee needs to look point for point how well one qualifies for the position, so numbering and bullet-ting the points is the right thing to do. Any comments? Looking forward to hearing from you.

March 3, 2015 at 11:39 am

If you want to work with me personally, please email me at [email protected] . You can see my services and rates on this page: http://theprofessorisin.com/services-and-rates/ I do not offer a $30 review option (if you could tell me where on the website that is listed I’ll remove it immediately). My basic fees as of Winter 2014 are $125/document. I am booking about 2 weeks out right now, come Fall I will be booked several months in advance.

March 10, 2015 at 11:10 am

Thank you for this great article, it’s been very helpful! I have a question regarding the fine art faculty equivalent. I’ve been an adjunct for fifteen years at a prestigious art school,and I’m preparing an application for a posted position for a visual arts [part time] faculty at a university. My CV has the gallery showing equivalent to publishing in a different field, but this is the first time that I’ve applied to a large university. Can you tell me whether it’s appropriate for me to use my school letterhead for my cover letter? And might you have any other comments about how different this process might be than if I were applying in the humanities? Any comment would be appreciated. Thank you!

May 8, 2015 at 11:51 am

Karen, I come back to this list again and again and again – thank you so much for writing it.

I’m not sure if you still check these comments, but just in case, a quick question about letterhead: I just finished my DMA requirements and the defense of my dissertation. I’m submitting my final copy to be Dr. Greg near the middle of the month, but because I’m using the graduate school’s grace period my degree won’t officially be conferred till August. So my question: how long is it ethical to use school letterhead? Can I use it through August, or is it smarter to move to personal letterhead once all my requirements are wrapped up?

May 8, 2015 at 1:49 pm

you can use through August!

May 21, 2015 at 2:45 am

I’ve found out that the most important question to answer for yourself is WHY do you want it – as soon as you know that you can just GO for it with full confidence.

Here’s my resume that got me a job interview at Google – maybe it is of some help 🙂 http://www.goodypatterns.com/the-resume-that-got-me-an-interview-at-google/

June 1, 2015 at 8:45 am

Karen, I spent so much time writing targeted and research coverletters when I was applying for faculty positions (in physics), that I break out in sweat just thinking about it. Now I’m applying for tenure this year and I was looking for some advice regarding tenure package coverletters and found myself reading this blog. I just wanted to say that reading this made my day. Apparently I’m laughing loudly enough that my grad students are coming in from their offices next door to see what’s so funny. A good time to send them the link and teach them the gospel of good coverletters! Thanks.

June 1, 2015 at 9:02 am

thank you! I am glad you like it and that you’re sending your grad students my way! You know I have a book coming out, right? Here’s the link. http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Essential-Guide-Turning-Ph-D/dp/0553419420/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433174472&sr=8-1&keywords=kelsky+professor

By the way, I also help people write their tenure docs, so get in touch if you’re interested at [email protected] . My next book is actually on how to get tenure, but you’ll be long tenured by the time it’s actually published! Hope it goes smoothly!

June 1, 2015 at 1:33 pm

Congratulations on the book! I’ve pre-ordered it from amazon for my students, although I fear that they will presume that I expect an academic career for them.

A follow-up on the coverletter guidelines, would you similarly recommend a strictly-2-page-max coverletter for the tenure application? Seems a little short for something that is supposed to guide the committee through a ~150 page file.

June 1, 2015 at 8:11 pm

No of course not. Tenure documents have their own genre expectations. Although, I’ve actually never heard of a tenure file cover letter.

June 2, 2015 at 6:10 am

Interesting. Well, Canada is a wonderland of academic unicorns and pixies. Yes, I’m to make the case for tenure in my coverletter, which also then acts as a guide to the detailed research, teaching, and service support documents. My colleagues all agree that in many ways the coverletter is the most important part. Like you said, the evaluators have a limited attention span, so one needs to tell them what to think!

June 15, 2015 at 11:35 am

Hello Karen – I really appreciate your site. Questions regarding letterhead: I am a recent graduate from a masters program. Am I entitled to use the school’s letterhead in my teaching job applications if I do intermittent work for them (ie: work 3 admissions events per year)? I wouldn’t want to use the letterhead inappropriately. Thank you for any advice.

June 18, 2015 at 10:38 am

probably not, if you’re not actually employed by them on an ongoing contract.

July 5, 2015 at 6:10 pm

Hello Karen, I am currently writing a cover letter to apply for a Visual Arts faculty position at a University. I know that fine arts aren’t your field, but as I really need help I am wondering if there is any resource, or person you know that could offer advise, or the same payable services that you provide? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

July 6, 2015 at 8:12 am

I do work on fine arts job documents, and have helped many clients on their fine arts applications.

August 11, 2015 at 11:04 pm

Dear Dr. Karen,

A question re: the two-page rule. The application package of a job I’m applying to includes: a) cover letter, b) CV, c) three letters of reference.

Is it a situation when I can legitimately expand my cover letter to three pages in order to introduce my research plans? Since the search committee has already saved themselves much time and effort by removing research and teaching statements, they should probably be more tolerant in regards to the length of the cover letter. Shouldn’t they?

Thanks for your great website!

August 11, 2015 at 11:08 pm

No. And I answer this same question many times in this comment thread.

August 28, 2015 at 3:03 pm

Like many of your readers, I recently completed my Ph.D., I am adjuncting at two institutions, and I am on the job market. I have two questions: 1) Which letterhead should use if I am teaching at two institutions? More specifically, I am teaching an online course for the more prestigious institution from which I earned my Ph.D., and I am teaching 2-3 courses per year from the less prestigious institution from which I earned my MA.

My second question involves the use of letterhead when applying for administrative positions. In this case, I am applying for an administrative position at a local community college. Again, which, if any, letterhead should I use–more prestigious Ph.D. granting (but less teaching) or less prestigious, but also, MA granting (where I teach more)? Also, the community college position shares contracts with the local university.

Thank you for your assistance. You blog has guided me through numerous applications and I look forward to reading your new book!

September 25, 2015 at 5:29 pm

Hello Karen, I am writing with a question regarding cover letter verbiage in application for “open rank” and/or “general faculty” positions. Is it better to specify to which rank you are applying (Assistant/Associate Professor, e.g.) or to restate the exact wording in the job posting? Does the tier of the employing institution affect this in any way? Thank you!

October 3, 2015 at 12:41 am

Dear Dr. Karen, The Good: I read your indispensable, brutally honest, yet funny book last weekend. It helped me immensely in composing my teaching philosophy statement. I followed your advise closely and I believe I have a strong statement now. The Bad: I still need to finish my CV and letter of application by this Monday, Oct. 5th. The Ugly: I’m struggling to find the right word template to best suit the documents, any suggestions? I suck badly at formatting documents. Thank you for helping me and so many others in the mean dark streets of academia.

October 3, 2015 at 11:20 am

Hi Karen, I am enjoying your blog and book. I am wondering where (if at all) I would talk about my research skills not directly relevant to my dissertation or ideas for my second project. I was a research assistant for my advisor for many years, and got what I believe is better-than-average training in study design, quantitative analysis, managing complex data, etc. Aside from my advisor’s letter, I don’t think my application materials are adequately communicating the extent of my skills. Do you have any suggestions for whether or how I should weave this in? Thanks!

October 17, 2015 at 4:55 pm

Hi Karen, I just read your book and think it is fabulous. Quick question: I am applying for a job in a field other than what my PhD is in (though they want an interdisciplinary person and my research is a good fit etc.). My undergraduate degree, however, was in that field. Should I mention my undergrad degree in the opening paragraph after stating what my PhD is in? So that they see that I come from that background too? Or is that old news? Thanks!

October 23, 2015 at 7:12 am

Hi Karen, Do you have any advice on where/how to incorporate postdoctoral research with regards to point nine on your list? Perhaps I could incorporate it into my second project paragraph? The trouble I’m having is that my PhD work and postdoctoral work are very different!

October 23, 2015 at 6:44 pm

please read my blog post, How to Apply for Your Second Job; it gives an adjusted template, that starts at current research and works backward to the diss.

November 7, 2015 at 9:49 am

Your website and books have been spectacular resources for me! I wish that I had found them a few years ago when I started my doctoral program. Now that I’m in the middle of my job search, however, I feel that your advice is giving me an extra advantage; allowing me to make the most of my experience.

I do have one question about the advice in this post, though. Letterhead is essential. I definitely understand that. In order to pay the bills while I’m completing my dissertation, though, I’ve gone back to teach middle school.

Since I am no longer employed at my university, I’m been submitting my application letters on the my middle school’s letterhead. Is that hurting me? I’m sure that I could obtain electronic letterhead for the department in which my program resides, but that feels misleading. I welcome your thoughts.

November 9, 2015 at 7:33 am

yes that is hurting you. make a sedate personal letterhead and use that.

January 14, 2016 at 8:45 am

Are there examples posted on this site? Not clear what should be placed in “XXX” in opening line: “I am writing in application to the advertised position in XXX…” Do you mean the job board site where posting was found, i.e. Higher Ed Jobs?

January 14, 2016 at 9:24 am

I provide examples when you work with me as a client. Please email at [email protected] to inquire about that.

January 28, 2016 at 2:03 pm

Go on then Dr K, I will argue with you about length. And this is from a UK perspective. Most UK jobs are advertised with a list of competencies, a person specification, or somesuch list of essential and desirable factors that job applicants must demonstrate that they meet in order to be shortlisted. Leaving a single item not addressed means you will almost certainly not be shortlisted. This is not insider advice, but openly stated on all job application packs.

The trick seems to be to write a concise and articulate cover letter that answers each point on the person spec whilst also conveying your scholarly identity, teaching ability and general fit. My gut tells me that I would rather exceed length (within reason- I’m talking a half page here max) than to skimp on answering the blasted “person specification”. Believe me it is very hard to demonstrate an extensive list of attributes (frustratingly the more criteria you meet the longer your explanation) and leave enough space to show what you actually offer. I would be very interested to hear your views on this- and any UK readers with search panel experience- though I imagine Dr K will insist on a two page rule!

February 2, 2016 at 1:34 am

I am preparing a postdoctoral application and one of the documents I should submit is a description of my current work. I read your post (thanks for your help!!) and I wonder why I should not include my publications plans. They are honest and some manuscripts are almost ready to be submitted. Thanks again!

February 3, 2016 at 9:33 pm

Thank you Karen! I’ve been asked to write a one page ‘statement of fit’ and I’m just wondering how to make it stand out from the cover letter, esp the tailoring part. I’ve written a whole bunch of tailoring paragraph’s essentially, in which I address the different aspects of departmental/collegial expectations and what I contribute to those areas (for eg, interdisciplinary engagement). Correct, y/n?

February 4, 2016 at 8:14 am

yes that works. Just please don’t go into desperate emotionalism. Your “passion” and “eagerness” is not what they want to know about.

February 20, 2016 at 5:45 pm

Hi Karen, I am enjoying your helpful book these days. I have a question about mentioning publications in the cover letter. After giving a summary of my research, should I only mention the number of papers that I have published out of my research, or it is also good to mention name of journals (at least some of them that are more prestigious)?

Something like this: I published my PhD research in 10 peer-reviewed journals, including Nature and Physical Review Letters.

Or it is better to downplay them, and pretend it is not a big deal for me.

Thanks for your time. Amed

April 18, 2016 at 12:35 pm

I am currently employed by a non-profit research foundation, but I have a volunteer faculty appointment (i.e. unpaid) at a university. Which letterhead should I use? The non-profit is well known at the institution I am applying to.

Thanks for your help!

April 19, 2016 at 7:23 am

You should use the research foundation. Letterhead implies a contractual relationship.

April 25, 2016 at 7:45 pm

Hello Karen, Thank you for your book and website. Would you please advise me on “How to Send my Cover Letter”? Should I copy-paste it into the body of the email in addition to attaching it to the email, or just attached it and then write a very short text as the body?

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

June 27, 2016 at 11:53 am

Dear Karen, I have found your website and book really helpful. However, I still have one lingering question. My advisor continues to refer to the “job letter” as encompassing what you segment into the cover letter, research statement, and teaching statement. If a job simply asks for a cover letter, cv, and writing sample, is it the expectation that I am only to send the two-page letter? This seems a bit terse in terms of selling myself. My advisor suggest sending what he perceives as the “job letter” which includes every element. Am I missing something here? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

June 29, 2016 at 9:54 am

This is answered in my Vitae column this/next week. Please check it out there!

July 7, 2016 at 2:57 pm

Hi Karen! Thank you so much for addressing my question in your Vitae column. I can see from the comments that most agree with your advice with the exception of the one liberal arts professor. Now if only I can get my advisor to heed to this information when editing my documents. If not, I might have to retain you for your services. Thanks again!

July 7, 2016 at 4:55 pm

Good luck! And remember, you can always dip a toe in with one of our Quick Review services!

August 10, 2016 at 8:42 am

In your material you discuss not explicitly stating your fit for a position. In a job I am currently applying for, the posting asks for a letter that provides a “description of your fit to the position relative to the qualifications listed in this advertisement.” How do you recommend addressing this?

August 30, 2016 at 8:19 am

Dear Karen, I find your advice most helpful among all! Thank you very much for your sharing! You mentioned letterhead here. Unfortunately, as a PhD student, I don’t have access to my insitution’s letterhead, but I’ll make one myself. Besides cover letter, is it necessary to use letterhead for all application documents, including CV, dissertation abstract, research proposal, so on and so forth? Thank you!

September 1, 2016 at 10:55 am

Hi Karen. I recently purchased your book and I’m using it as a guide to prepare my job application documents. I have a question about the cover letter, though: don’t you think that even two pages is too long? My first draft is two pages to the bottom, and everyone is telling me that it’s too long, considering that search committee members will be receiving tons of them. Thank you!

September 7, 2016 at 9:46 am

It might depend on your field, but sure, go for 1.5 pages if you can.

September 1, 2016 at 12:27 pm

I am applying for assistant professor jobs from a postdoctoral fellowship, so I filed my dissertation 16 months ago. This far out from filing, when one is focused on the book version of the diss rather than the diss itself, do you still include the requisite “dissertation paragraph”? Or do you at this point just start referring to the book in what used to be your “dissertation paragraph”? Thanks so much!

You can focus on diss for several years post-phd. Of course, if you are well into the book process, and have an advance contract, it’s fine to refer to it as a book project instead of a diss project.

September 2, 2016 at 10:30 am

You advise applicants not to sound like a student. However, many resources encourage including dissertation progress in the cover letter. What are your thoughts on this in reference in the cover letter.

September 19, 2016 at 11:12 am

I just bought your book and am wondering about whether I should make clear in either my cover letter and/or CV that my current assistant professor position is collateral, and not tenure track. I am several years out from my PhD with a fairly strong publication record and I simply do not know whether to explain that this is not a “real job” (as one of my senior, male collaborators put it to me). I feel compelled to say that I do not have the same status as someone applying from a TT position. Are 1-year contractual professorships better left unexplained in job documents? How much of a difference does it make to SCs that my position is not permanent? Thanks so much.

October 3, 2016 at 1:30 pm

Quick Question: Do I use the letterhead for my cover letter is I am an adjunct? I feel like I should? I teach just as many if not more classes than other profs on campus and I have more students than most and I am just as important as full time faculty. What is the proper format?

October 15, 2016 at 10:29 am

How would you use letterhead if the cover letter should be send via email? thank you

October 17, 2016 at 1:14 pm

electronic letterhead.

October 24, 2016 at 12:25 pm

Thanks for this great post – I’ve also purchased your book and found it very helpful while preparing my materials for the job market.

I’ve a question about using letterhead. I graduated with a PhD from an R1 in May, and though I had interviews and two campus visits last year, I did not land a job. I’m now an adjunct at a community college, however I won’t be applying to community college positions. Since I’m applying to Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges, I’m wondering if I ought to use the community letterhead or not? My instinct is not to use it. I do still have access to my PhD granting letterhead, but I’ve graduated, and so assume I ought not use it. What do you advise?

October 25, 2016 at 4:06 pm

If you’re only adjuncting chances are you can’t use it anyway, but i agree that CC letterhead is not ideal for seeking R1 and elite SLAC jobs. If you can get a temporary teaching gig at a slightly higher ranked school, however, use that letterhead.

September 26, 2017 at 12:09 am

Hi, I’m about to apply for Assistant Professor position, they requested for application letter and cover letter. I would like to know what is the difference between the two. I have searched online but couldn’t get any answer. Thanks

September 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

I have never heard of such a thing; i suggest you email/call the dept and inquire.

October 7, 2017 at 3:39 pm

Hi Karen! I was wondering how a cover letter differs once you already have a PhD and are currently employed in academia? For some context, I am in my first year as an assistant professor (tenure-track), but am applying to a different institution for personal reasons. I am content with my current position, but I am interested in another institution for personal reasons (closer location to my partner who is also in academia), but the position I am applying for has a lower teaching load and it’s location would enable me to start a specific applied-learning technique that I am currently unable to do at my current institution. I have your book and don’t recall seeing anything about that in there. I am wondering if/how I should mention my current affiliation? Also, should I mention any of the personal reasons I want to move (i.e., to be closer to my partner), or if I should only focus on the teaching load and its proximity to the venue that I want to pursue for an applied learning activity? Any of your input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

October 9, 2017 at 10:48 am

Please read all the posts in the category, Your Second and Third Jobs.

And also look at my columns on the second job, and changing jobs, in Chronicle Vitae. I have 2 or 3 there.

October 31, 2017 at 3:41 pm

Hi Karen, I have a question about an application for a 3-year Visiting Assistant Professorship in American Studies. They ask for a cover letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, and a statement of research interests. I am not sure what is left to be included in the cover letter? Thanks a lot for your help!

October 31, 2017 at 4:30 pm

for a 3 year position, basically the normal core template, with the teaching para responding very carefully to the teaching fields specified in the ad.

June 22, 2018 at 3:27 pm

Hello Karen,

I’ve really enjoyed your book – so helpful!. In the chapter on coverletters you give two clear rules for graduate students: 1. use your university’s letterhead 2. use one inch margins

However the letterhead provided by my university has 1/2 inch margins built into the template. When I change the document to 1 inch margins, the letterhead becomes off-center. Are the half inch margins on each side acceptable?

October 1, 2020 at 10:02 am

This is so conflicting and a bad recommendation for international applicants, because I am very very sure and the internet pages of various universities are not giving me any other information than “do not use the German university’s letterhead or logo for private reasons”. I would hate to know that my cover letter would be thrown out just because I’m adhering to German law of not misappropriating my university’s letterhead and *especially not to get a job elsewhere*. I’m an *unpaid* aka unemployed PhD at a very prestigious German university, which my first paragraph and CV note, and the only specific info I find online to my university is a news article about a U.S. visiting PhD sending out letters with the German university letterhead for illegitimate purposes. And yes, he wants to remain anonymous, cause it’s so embarrassing and not okay, even if it was related to some research project.

November 2, 2020 at 8:13 am

Read your book and many of your posts- thanks for all your help! U just came across an Asst. prof job ad only asking for a CV, “a cover letter including statements of research and teaching interests”, a DEI statement, and 3 refs. I’ve read your response about how to write a combined teaching and research statement, but I’ve never seen a combined CV/research/teaching statement. Should this just look a lot like what my standard 2-page cover letter already looks like (following your format)?

September 3, 2021 at 10:32 pm

One serious problem with the advice to use official letterhead: At public universities, official letterhead is legally only for official, not personal, use.

For example, a New York state ethics pamphlet reads “The Public Officers Law prohibits a State employee from using State resources—including official letterhead—to personally benefit himself or herself or others, or for private business or other non-governmental purposes.” This restriction would apply to any professor at a state university in New York (they are indeed state employees). I notice a German graduate student has raised the same problem above: evidently foreign universities are more serious about this question.

Universities themselves have little interest in enforcing this rule on their faculty, but that doesn’t mean that someday an academic wouldn’t run afoul of these ethics rules.

September 7, 2021 at 10:24 am

Whether this is the case or not, the convention is to employ letterhead. I am not reporting what should be the case; i’m reporting what is the case.

October 12, 2021 at 2:57 pm

I find your advice generally helpful and straightforward. However, I’m curious about updates, given the way most applications, including cover letters, are submitted these days: uploaded electronically in some personnel system.

Letter head: It’s hard to get electronic versions of letter head (and I sort of wonder about that recommendation for someone who already has a job and is looking for a job somewhere else–seems a little unethical to use letter head of a place you’re trying to leave).

Address at top of letter: Do the rules about full address of the place where you’re applying still apply if there will be no paper copy ever sent?

October 12, 2021 at 9:53 pm

Yes, one still uses standard business letter etiquette in a letter submitted electronically. And actually e-letterhead is quite normative now, and most use it. As i’ve discussed at length in various places, it’s the norm in the US to use the letterhead of your current institution. Some feel weird about it, and it’s not the norm in the UK, but there it is.

March 23, 2023 at 1:44 pm

There are those who believe that it is inappropriate to use official letterhead for personal business.

March 30, 2023 at 1:23 pm

Yes that’s what i am at pains to say in many places, including in my book. But it’s conventional in US academia.

[…] Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it) |Description : Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it). avatar. Posted on July 13, 2011 by Karen. In my 15 years as a faculty member I served on approximately 11 search committees. Some of these search committees I chaired. … http://theprofessorisin.com/20 .. […]

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[…] harsh advice on your cover letter. (From […]

[…] but I have taken great inspiration and assistance from the Professor’s infamous blog post, “Why your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it).” I still have terminal list addiction, but I have successfully played some of it down, and […]

[…] reference, be sure and read (and print out and tape to your wall!) “Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks” and also “Those Twelve Sentences: Evaluating Cover Letter […]

[…] is a piece of very reasonable advice offered by The Professor Is In in her very useful blog post, Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks. It is also the advice many of us give to our students who make big claims in their essays but […]

[…] on this and all matters academic job related, visit http://theprofessorisin.com/ . You can find out why your cover letter sucks and how to stop acting like a grad […]

[…] Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it) […]

[…] ← Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it) Dr. Karen’s Rules of the Research Statement → […]

[…] 2016 Job Market I am re-posting the essential job application posts.  We’ve looked at the Cover Letter and the CV  and the Teaching Statement.  Today we look at the Research […]

[…] The Professor Is In With a heavy focus on academic writing, The Professor Is In builds upon both the academic and alt-ac careers of Dr. Karen L. Kelsky as she shows everyone from undergrad students to current professors how to build a career within or outside of an academic context. Her blog is incredibly comprehensive, with help for everything from applying to grad school to dissertation writing to landing a tenure-track job. We love that it’s heavy on sarcasm and isn’t afraid to bring up the unpleasant realities—try consuming her articles (or book) in small, bite-size sections. Suggested Posts: “Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it)” […]

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