Week 6: Cover Letter/ Personal Statement BA 4908 Class Agenda o Housekeeping • Participation 2 – due 9/27 • Late work is not accepted o Describe the guidelines and content of the cover letter & personal statement o Prepare for next class Purpose of the Cover Letter/Personal Statement • To inform the contact person why you are applying • To persuade him/her to look at your application materials • To persuade him/her to see you General Guidelines for Cover Letters/ Personal Statement o Use the same font and paper as the resume/CV o Sign your full name in blank ink o Do not use “justified” paragraph; Use standard block format (Align left) o Single space between sentences and double space between paragraphs o Use italics and bold font if limited to no more than five Important Considerations o Tailor the correspondence to a particular recipient, organization, or position • Do NOT use “To whom it may concern” • Dear Search Committee Members • Dear Graduate Committee Members o Use “Mr.,” or “Ms.” in the greeting of the letter o Write out their first and last names in full if you don’t know the hiring manager’s Gender • Do not address the recipient in the greeting by his or her first name Important Considerations (Cont’d) o Use the proper spelling of all names and the correct organization name - Call to check! o Do not explain why you are looking for a job o Research the organization to fine-tune your letter (e.g., mission, goal, student population) o Eliminate extraneous information o No errors! Overview of a Cover Letter o Introductory paragraph o Experience/Education paragraph o Skills/Attributes paragraph o Closing paragraph Introductory Paragraph o Introduce yourself • How did you hear about the organization? • E.g., mutual friend who encouraged you to apply, job advertisement, etc. • What position are you applying for? • Why are you interested in the position? ØBe sure to include why you specifically want to work at that organization • Vision, Mission, Goal statements and your goals and values Experience/Education Paragraph o Be Concrete! vs. Laundry list o Describe your educational and work background that relates directly to the target position • Be specific on how your education/experience help you with the duties required for the position • Be specific on how your education/experience can benefit the organization o Roughly 3-5 sentences o Be sincere and persuasive • Make every sentence count Skills/Attributes Paragraph o Be concrete/specific! o Describe your skills/attributes that relates directly to the position • Be specific on what you’re capable of because of your skills/attributes o Highlight skills, personal attributes, and traits that will benefit the organization o Roughly 3-5 sentences o Lead off with your best-selling points Closing Paragraph o Ask the potential employer to contact you and restate your interest in the position and the organization o Express appreciation § “The enclosed materials demonstrate that I am well qualified for the position. If my background is of interest to you, please contact me for a personal meeting. I certainly look forward to discussing any opportunities you may have at XYZ Corporation. Thank you for your time and consideration.” What is a statement of purpose/personal statement? • Most graduate programs require some type of personal statement (statement of purpose; SOP) or essay • Requirements vary widely • Few paragraphs about your reasons for applying to their graduate school • Numerous essays on various topics Before writing • Think of your audience • Who will be reading this statement? • What will the admission committee be looking for? • Research on the application materials and the graduate program • Contact the faculty members • Review the course offerings and requirements for the degree Guidelines • Follow guidelines exactly! • Address EACH aspect of their questions • Some programs often ask multiple questions • Address each question separately • Demonstrate the quality of your writing (draft, revise, receive feedback, revise, and proofread) • Do not exceed the page limit, word limit, or character limit Content • Identify your educational and career goal • Explain how you became interested in the field (1-2 sentences) • Highlight your educational and work experiences that facilitated your desire to achieve a graduate degree in the field: • Education background • Explain how your paid and volunteer experience validated your desire to pursue this career • Each of these experiences should demonstrate how they led to your educational/career path Content (Cont’d) • Identify why are you applying to the specific program • Explain how this program will position you for your career • Explain your personal attributes that make you a good fit with the program • E.g., fluency in languages, fluency in statistical programs or programming languages, ability to overcome obstacles, work ethic • Make sure your statement fits with the graduate program mission Additional Notes • What can you bring to the program? (without overstating your abilities) • Strengths and achievements • Mention relevant skills (e.g., research, fieldwork) • Help the reviewer to • (1) understand that your applying to this program was well thought out • (2) what you can bring to the program and career For Ph.D. Programs and Research Based Masters Degrees • Explain your research background • Statistical experience, research experience, scholarship, conference presentations, and publications • Identify why are you applying to this specific program and/or faculty member • If possible, you should tie your research interests with at least 2 faculty members to increase your chances • Those faculty members need to be doing similar research Prepare for Next Class o Required reading • Plunkett, pp. 41- 44, p. 47 (sample cover letter) o Office hours this week • Tue: 9/29/2020, 2:30 – 5:00 pm • Thu: 10/1/2020, 2:30 – 5:00 pm Rescheduled to • Wed: 9/30/2020, 2:30 – 5:00 pm Prepare for Next Class o Participation 3 1) Upload a cover letter OR personal statement on the CANVAS discussion board by 10/6. § Upload MS word file § Briefly mention about the job position you want to apply (target of your cover letter/personal statement ) § Use hypothetical contact information (e.g., address, phone number) 2) Peer feedback by 10/11. • You may choose one student’s work (cover letter/personal statement) and leave a comment in the “Reply” field • Pick a student’s work that has no comments • Be sure to look on items that I have been mentioned in the lecture video and reading material • Provide detail suggestions for strengthening the cover letter/personal statement Credit will only be awarded once you complete both activities 
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