Assignment Question
Cover Letter Assignment
Overview Now that you developed detailed research plans and all the necessary components of the first chapter, turn your attention to the final application of this material and one that you will return to several months from now. It is time to consider a career application of your intended Ph.D. credential. Students enter the Ph.D. History program for a variety of reasons. Some do so to seek academic employment. Others hope to work at a historic site or organization. The vast majority, however, have widely varying career goals.
For this assignment, you will practice seeking an academic job in higher education. You may also relate this exercise to working at a historic site or public history venue. Other potential jobs should not be addressed in this assignment even if that is your preferred career goal. Keep in mind that for most academic jobs, the cover letter is the first thing that a hiring committee will read. The first page, indeed, the first major paragraph of the first page, is critical to gaining positive attention. You must prove that you are a good fit for their needs, so carefully review a chosen job posting so that you appropriately tailor your cover letter. Remember that upon defending your dissertation, you are now an expert on your topic. Members of academic search committees are experts on their topics, but not likely experts on yours. There are countless websites and forum posts relative to producing a cover letter for higher education. A simple Google search of “writing an academic cover letter” will produce several good hits. Use those to assist you in meeting the instructions below.
Step 1: Search HigherEdJobs.com or a similar academic hiring site. Choose a position (even one that expired in a previous year) to which you will write the cover letter. Research this institution. Consider the benchmarking assignments you conducted for HIST 701. Why kind of institution is it? What types of people do they hire? What qualifications must a person have in order to be a good fit for this place? Knowing the answer to these questions equips you to write a letter directly to their needs. You should not devote great attention to your future research projects if you are applying to a regional, public university known for its teaching. Likewise, you would not focus on your classroom teaching skills if you are applying to be a research assistant at a major research depository. At the top of your submission document, copy and paste the position title and description to which you are “applying.”
Step 2: Draft a cover letter for the noted position. Typically, the cover letter will follow this structure: Date Address Salutation
Paragraph 1 – brief greeting and explanation of what position you are applying for.
Paragraph 2 – lengthy but cogent explanation of why you are a good fit for this position. This may include an examination of pertinent experience, specific job qualifications, connection to the institution or area, or other important factors.
Paragraph 3 – explanation of your research agenda. Remember, while the hiring committee consists of academics, they may not have expertise in your field. You must educate the committee on your dissertation research project and explain – in terms, they will understand – why it is significant. Typically, you will close this paragraph with a sentence stating the next steps in your research or publication endeavors. Understand that you are anticipating the results of your research project long before you have conducted much research. For the purposes of this course, that will be fine. It is possible that you will be required to revise this cover letter when you complete HIST 989.
Paragraph 4 – explain how you will best apply your specific skills and knowledge for this job. If teaching, explain your teaching skills. If a public history position, explain what you bring to bear in that area.
Paragraph 5 – close the application in a happy, positive tone and provide contact information for further questions.
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