Cover Letter Template
Street Address
(Note that in an e-mail message, you would omit both your and the addressee’s contact information, as well as the date. Simply start with the salutation.)
City, State Zip Code
Month Day, Year
Contact Name
Title (if known)
Organization Name
Street Address
City, State Zip Code
Dear Professor/Dr. Last Name:
Opening paragraph: Clearly state why you are writing. If applying for a specific job, indicate the position title and where you saw it advertised. If you were referred to the position from someone within the institution, or by someone the addressee knows, mention that as well.
Middle paragraph(s): You should have several paragraphs that elaborate on how your research and other experiences in graduate school have prepared you for the job as it is described. Disciplines differ on the length and level of detail required for cover letters, so be sure to get feedback from people in your department. Junior faculty members who have recently been on the market themselves are often the best people to ask.
Think about how your interest in both the job and the organization developed—in order to stand out from the potentially long list of applicants, you will need to make a coherent argument for why it was a logical decision on your part to apply for the position, and why it would be a logical decision on their part to hire you. What kind of contribution will you make to their existing department? How will you fit in? Make sure you are writing for your target audience. For instance, for a liberal arts college you may use more space addressing your teaching experience than you would for a large research university. For a school outside a major metropolitan area, you may also want to indicate why you are interested in living in that part of the country.
Closing paragraph: Indicate that your CV and other supporting documentation is enclosed. Express interest in speaking with the addressee further in a personal interview, and indicate that you will follow up within an appropriate time frame. Thank them for their time and consideration of your application.
Sincerely,
(signature)
Name (typed)
A Sample Cover Letter
000 K Street, #40
Boston, MA 02000
November 15, 2005
Professor Jason Winter
Chair
Department of History
Williams College
Williamstown, MA 02167
Dear Dr. Winter:
I am writing to apply for the position in Chinese History advertised in the Association of Asian Studies Newsletter. I am currently writing a dissertation at Harvard University under the direction of Professor Philip Kuhn, entitled “The Power of Mercy: The Early History of the Chinese Red Cross Society, 1900-1937.” I will complete my dissertation in August 2005. An abbreviated version of my first chapter will be published this spring in Papers on Chinese History (Harvard University).
My research focuses on state-society relations in China in the early twentieth century. My dissertation, “The Power of Mercy,” reveals changing patterns of elite participation in public affairs in the late Qing and Republican China by examining the transformation of Chinese philanthropy from a sporadic local initiative, led by elites, to a sustained national effort, engaging a steadily growing segment of the Chinese polity. I use the archives of the Chinese Red Cross Society, as well as other published and unpublished materials gathered in China, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the U.S., to chart this shift in elite activity from the local to the national arena and to map out a parallel transition in elite self-definition. China’s merchant and educated elite, caught in the flux of a crumbling dynastic system and an onslaught of foreign influences, used philanthropy, particularly the medical philanthropy espoused by the Chinese Red Cross, to create a social niche for themselves that was at once traditionally sanctioned and, at the same time, appealingly “modern.” My study links these trends to China’s growing nationalism and emerging interest in becoming a member of the international community. This investigation into the politics of humanitarianism places China’s present-day engagement in the global arena in historical perspective and uncovers some of the earliest bases for the dissonance between China’s international behavior and Western expectations for that behavior.
My work on the Chinese Red Cross Society also contributes to current scholarship on the rise of “civil society” in developing nations, an issue of central importance in today’s era of emerging democracies. My research reveals the growth of alternative loci of power in the realm of social welfare action in China, power sources developed in a notably non-confrontational, mutually beneficial relationship with the state. These finding challenge much recent work on “civil society” which claims that the public sphere must operate in opposition to the state; they underscore the need to re-examine how social actors and governments work together. This in-depth study of philanthropic development in China also fills a gap in scholarship on non-Judeo-Christian philanthropic traditions and makes important strides toward an understanding of the historic relationship between the government and the voluntary sector prefacing the growth of the welfare state.
As a graduate student, I have combined research and teaching. At Harvard, I have designed and led a year-long tutorial (seminar) on modern Chinese history for honors-track undergraduates and taught two sections of an introductory course on the social anthropology of China. In these courses, organized as discussion seminars, I stress a range of skills: writing, critical reading, and persuasive oral presentation; I also challenge students to consider changing gender roles in Chinese society. Students have been generous in expressing their appreciation of my enthusiasm for the material and my dedication to improving their writing and analytical abilities; I would be glad to send their letters and course evaluations to you at your convenience.
My interdepartmental teaching experience and my training in pre-modern Chinese history, modern Chinese history, and social anthropology have made me a devout believer in interdisciplinary study. I am excited to see Williams’s extensive course offerings in anthropology, political science, and Asian American history, all fruitful areas for cross-disciplinary cooperation, complementing and adding complexity to the teaching of history. I am particularly interested in working with Williams’s Asian Studies and Women’s Studies programs to build on these interdisciplinary opportunities.
At Harvard, I have taken an active role in fostering academic community. Skills I developed while working in academic administration in Washington have enabled me to build bridges within and between disciplines through activities such as organizing an interdisciplinary lunch series at Harvard’s Center for International Affairs (long a bastion of Political Science); founding and editing a graduate student journal; assisting in ongoing joint curriculum development of the East Asian Studies program; and serving as an non-academic advisor to Harvard undergraduates. My experience teaching and advising students, my administrative abilities, my familiarity with living and studying abroad and with the process of placing students in overseas programs, as well as my commitment to the larger ideals of a liberal arts education all combine to make me and Williams an ideal match.
I am enclosing my curriculum vitae and course descriptions; my dossier (including letters from Professors Philip Kuhn, William Kirby, James Watson, and Ezra Vogel) will be forwarded to you separately. Please let me know if I can provide additional information or writing samples to aid you in the evaluation of my application. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Catherine Ryan