The purpose of a cover letter
What is a cover letter?
The cover letter narrates who you are, summarizes other documentation you have supplied (research statement, CV, teaching statement, etc) and asserts why you are a fit for the department. In your cover letter, identify and convey how you differentiate yourself from many other applicants for the position by highlighting the unique value of your academic contributions that will add to the department. Include concrete examples, reference prior experiences and include clear evidence to support your claims.
How much do I research the department?
In your letter, you should show that you have researched the department, the university and other on-campus locations you'll be working at or collaborating with. Most importantly, you are representing yourself as a colleague and persuading the committee that your research/teaching expertise significantly contributes to the department.
How much do I tailor my letter?
While there may be similarities between the jobs you apply to, there will be certain areas and experiences that require more emphasis in some jobs than in others. Tailor your letter specifically to the job you are applying for, addressing department needs outlined in the job description and from the information you gathered researching the department/university. The cover letter is not just about you; it's about connecting you to the department and its needs. Frame your research strategically, identify the courses you can teach and note the service you can provide.
Do I have to change my research to fit the job I am applying for?
If your research does not directly fit the job description, don’t change your research! Rather, it's a matter of framing your research in a particular way that reflects what they may be looking for and makes a connection to the department. As a persuasive document, your cover letter should frame your research in a particular way that articulates why your research is what they are looking for. Approaching cover letters this way may open more job possibilities that you can apply for!
What are the major components of the cover letter?
In general, the structure of your paragraph is organized around topics related to research, teaching and service with an introduction and a conclusion. Outside of the introduction and closing paragraph, the organization and length of your sections will vary according to the type of position you are applying for. If you're applying for research-focused positions, you will need to emphasize your research. If you're applying for a teaching-focused position, highlight your teaching and include service. For a post-doc position, you may want to include a paragraph on the specifics of why a post-doc at the school and/or a service paragraph if you're required to run workshops/labs/supervise students.
What is Service and do I have to include a Service paragraph?
Service is any work or volunteering you did for a department, university, journal, conference or community outreach. These can include student/faculty committees, peer reviews for journals and conferences and conference volunteers.
You are strongly encouraged to include a service paragraph, whether about your past service experience or how you may provide service in the role you are applying for. Service communicates that you are planning to be an involved colleague, someone who cares about the department and will contribute to making it a better place.
Do I have to include paragraphs about my research/teaching if I include a research/teaching statement?
Yes, your research and/or teaching statement is far more detailed than what you will outline in your cover letter. The cover letter summarizes all your other documents and a persuasive story of why you are a strong candidate for that position.
Do I have to personalize my letter?
Yes. If you can, make it out to the department chair or whoever is indicated on the job posting. If no name is indicated, you may use "Dear Hiring Committee."
Structure of a cover letter
Research-focused positions
What does a research-focused cover letter for a tenure-track position look like?
A research-focused cover letter can contain 2-3 paragraphs about your research. The goal of the research paragraphs is to define your research, demonstrate your past and current research contributions and detail future research plans. While this may appear like a research statement, remember a cover letter summarizes other application materials.
Guideline for writing a research-focused position cover letter
These sections may vary according to the job posting, so use your best judgement when referring to this guide.
Introduction: In your introduction, identify the position you're applying for, who you are, what your research expertise is and how your experiences and skills can contribute to the department.
P1 Research Overview: Define your research and who you are as a researcher in relation to how it suits the University/department. What is your research expertise? How does it contribute to the field related to the job? List the number of relevant publications and name those publications and where they were published. You may even include articles you are submitting or have submitted and are currently under review. List any awards and the value of those awards.
P2 Current Research: You may include a paragraph on your dissertation if you are working on it or recently defended it and completed the PhD but avoid letting it dominate the entire letter. The importance of this paragraph should detail the significant contribution your dissertation makes in your discipline and what intellectually and/or technologically innovative methods you have used to complete it. Approaching your dissertation in this manner focuses on its current achievements and its future impact.
P3 Future Research: What current and future projects are you working on? You want to show the committee that you have a research plan, so indicate what kinds of research you plan on doing. If you are turning your dissertation into a book, mention this and the tentative book title. Indicate papers that you plan on publishing based on current research and how these papers may develop into future research or even another manuscript.
P4 Teaching: How does your research inform your teaching? State your pedagogical values and give concrete examples of activities/assignments you have created. State your ability/interest in courses that you'll be applying to teach at the university.
Depending on the situation/job posting, you can include two teaching paragraphs: one focused on past teaching experiences and the second on future teaching possibilities. The past experiences paragraph showcases relevant content you have taught and the kinds of activities/assignments you have assigned. The future teaching possibilities paragraph can state which courses you can teach at the institution (based on your research), you can also propose possible specialty courses to be offered in undergrad and graduate curriculum. Some jobs may require you to be involved in a curriculum (re)design, so the second teaching paragraph can be impactful.
P5 Service:  Speak to the kinds of service you can offer for the department that are listed in the job description. Such as serving on committees, mentoring graduate students and contributing to certain curricula and/or labs are notable. Even if the job description does not mention service, it may be advantageous to include a paragraph detailing research-related service.
Conclusion: Summarize the information you have stated above and connect it to the department and/or university's goal(s) or mission statements. Note that you look forward to meeting the hiring committee for an interview.
Do I have to include a teaching or service paragraph if it's only a research role?
Read the job posting carefully and find out what the advertised role will entail. If there is no indication that you will be teaching, you still might include a paragraph that describes your teaching in terms of supervision, mentorship and service. As a research-focused assistant professor position, you will have to supervise students and serve on committees.
Teaching focused positions
What does a teaching-focused cover letter for a tenure-track position look like?
A teaching-focused cover letter emphasizes your teaching, presents your pedagogical values and methods and details how your teaching experience can contribute to the department you are applying for. Depending on the position you apply to, your research experiences can be framed about your teaching (more below) and it is likely you will include a service paragraph.
Guideline for writing a teaching-focused position cover letter
The sections of the letter may vary according to the job posting, so use your best judgement when referring to this guide. Introduction: In your introduction, identify the position you're applying for, who you are, what your teaching expertise is and how your experiences and skills can contribute to the department.
P1 Pedagogical Statement: The first body paragraph should state your pedagogical values, the areas you can teach in and your overall teaching experience. You can view this paragraph as summarizing your teaching statement or philosophy of teaching statement.
P2 Current/Past Teaching Experiences: This paragraph can detail your past teaching experiences. Include relevant course content (avoid course codes) that you would be teaching at the institution you are applying to, as well as how you have taught those courses. Include how you design courses, what assignments and activities you incorporate and why you approach your courses in this pedagogical way.
P3 Future Teaching Experiences: Outline what you will bring to the department and the courses they offer. Name the courses you can teach and address other duties outlined in the job description that you can perform. You may prefer to combine the past and future teaching paragraphs together if, say, you don't have as much past or relevant teaching experience, or if you feel that this combined approach is better. You also can combine the pedagogy paragraph with past/current teaching paragraph if you feel there is too much overlap or repetition in creating two separate paragraphs.
P4 Research: You may include a paragraph about your research. If the position does not expect you to do research, be sure that you frame your research through a pedagogical lens: "My research in X informs my teaching in this way." Or, that your research makes you the expert to teach the courses you plan on teaching. If the position expects you to do research, focus on your current and future research plans.
P5 Service: Speak to the kinds of service you can offer for the department that are listed in the job description. Such as serving on committees, mentoring teaching assistants and contributing to certain curricula is notable. Even if the job description does not mention service, it may be advantageous to include a paragraph detailing teaching-related service.
Conclusion: Summarize the information you have stated above and connect it to the department and/or university's goal(s) or mission statements. Note that you look forward to meeting the hiring committee for an interview.
P2 Current/Past Teaching Experiences: This paragraph can detail your past teaching experiences. Include relevant course content (avoid course codes) that you would be teaching at the institution you are applying to, as well as how you have taught those courses. Include how you design courses, what assignments and activities you incorporate and why you approach your courses in this pedagogical way.
Postdoc positions
What does a cover letter for a post-doc position look like?
The contents of a post-doc position vary from position to position. Typically, post-docs are research positions, but they also might involve teaching and service. You may use research-focused positions as a guide to construct your letter.
However, you may want to include a paragraph focused on why you are applying for that postdoc position. What does this university have to offer you for doing further/future research, and how can you contribute to that university's research output in that area? Why do you want to work under the supervision of X supervisor?
Otherwise, read the postdoc position carefully to determine which paragraphs to include and what kind of information to disclose.