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Covering letters for academic jobs in the UK

Key elements for your academic covering letter .

Your academic covering letter should:

be approximately one to two A4 pages in length, but can be longer (especially for more senior positions).
focus on what you have to offer the department or institution to which you are applying, rather than what you’d like to gain from working there.
succinctly highlight your academic success and achievements, in relation to the post being advertised.
make clear links between your experience and the job to which you are applying (e.g. which of the departments modules you could teach on, which staff members you could collaborate with etc., if relevant).

What to include in your academic covering letter

Your CV is there for the employer to refer to for further details, so you should avoid simply repeating your CV again in your covering letter.

In your covering letter, you should argue your case as to why your experience so far makes you a great candidate for that particualr job at that particular university. Here are some tips on what to include in your academic covering letter:

Open by explaining what you are applying for and where you say it advertised.
Briefly introduce yourself and what attracted you to the employer and the job (avoid directly restating phrases from their recruitment literature).
Explain how your research interests and/or teaching experience complement those of the department.
Give examples that show that you have the right combination of skills. Examples might include some details of modules you’ve taught, conferences you’ve participated in, successful collaborations or projects in which you have been involved.
Include a closing paragraph stating your availability for interview (if necessary) and that you look forward to hearing from them etc.
Jobs.ac.uk have a useful academic cover letter template and an e-book guide on how to write a cover letter for academic jobs.
Keep your letter succinct, relevant and enthusiastic in tone. Ensure it complies with formal conventions, e.g. sign off with “Yours sincerely” if it is addressed to a specific individual and “Yours faithfully” when you don’t have a name, and include your address and the date at the top.
If you would like advice on your academic covering letter, you can arrange to see the PGR Careers Adviser .

Good luck with your applications!

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Sample cover letter

Cover letters add context to your CV and when used correctly are a great way to convince employers that you're right for the job. This sample cover letter should help you get started

A cover letter demonstrates to recruiters how well you express yourself, so you need to make sure that you don't just repeat your CV or give rambling explanations. Instead, use this opportunity to focus on your skills and experience, saving your qualifications for your CV.

The basic cover letter structure covers:

why you're writing the letter
why you think you're suitable for the job (with examples)
relevant skills and experience
summary of your interest in the role.

Double check what you've written as spelling mistakes or lack of attention to detail will put your cover letter straight on the no pile.

Please be aware that this is an example. Use this cover letter template to help generate ideas and structure your own document but avoid copying and pasting. Your cover letter needs to be original and tailored to the job you're applying for.

Avril Lee 115 My Street Mytown WX55 1CQ [email protected] 07777999888

Harry Smith Graduate HR director Big Company Ltd Woodcotes Business Park The Midlands MX9 6PQ

5th May 2023

Dear Mr Smith

Re: Logistics graduate scheme

I would like to apply for the logistics track of your graduate training scheme, advertised on the Prospects.ac.uk website. As requested, I am enclosing my CV.

I am in the final year of my geography degree, expecting a 2:1. Always intending to have a career in business, I have taken modules on the geography of business and GIS modelling. My final-year dissertation is on changing patterns in retail. During my degree, I have developed my analytical skills and ability to read, manage and present data. I have also become familiar with a range of business intelligence sources.

As you can see from my CV I have experience in:

Retail - moving from shelf stacker to checkout operator to team leader in my two years with Fresh Foods. I contributed to the store consistently being in the top five for the region by providing excellent customer service.
Warehouse operations - picking and packing to meet targets over the busy Christmas period.

I have also:

Worked in and led teams at Fresh Foods, on course projects and in sports.
Communicated with colleagues at all levels in retail and warehousing.
Solved problems as a team leader, ensuring staff cover and dealing with customer complaints.
Worked flexibly doing both early and late shifts and covering for absence, sometimes at short notice.
Managed my time when combining study with work and sport.

My semester in Germany exposed me to a different culture and improved my language skills. In addition, my voluntary work with young people has increased my resilience and ability to mix with people from all walks of life.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(Sign your name here)

Find out more

Get more information on cover letters .
If you're applying for a job that's not advertised take a look at an example speculative cover letter .
Learn more about the 5 things to avoid when writing a cover letter .

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Tips for Writing Cover Letters

Published: 18 Apr 2016

Your covering letter is an important document - a key part of your application to a prospective employer. It is surprising that jobseekers often pay scant attention to it. Many candidates fail even to write one and only submit their CV or application form. Craft a strong covering letter and your application could really stand out from the crowd. So if it's of such importance you'll need to know how to produce the perfect covering letter. That's where we step in.

1. Always send one!

The covering letter's job is actually two fold. At its basic level, the standard one-page covering letter performs a simple courtesy function. It is a socially acceptable way of introducing you and explaining which vacancy you're applying for or which area you are enquiring about. It also provides the recruiter with a handy list of your contact details.

2. Don't rewrite your CV

It should provide edited, juicy highlights from your CV. But it should not merely repeat what the CV includes but rather distils the key themes into one place.

3. First Paragraph and last line

Don't waffle in your first paragraph, make the reason you're writing clear and sell yourself; writing what makes you better than others straight off. Finish with a call to action, request they contact you for a meeting or interview and let them know you will be in touch to discuss.

4. Talk about the company

Do some research into the company/ organisation and include information about them. Specifically tell them what you are impressed with and what attracts you to them.

5. Provide quality evidence of your qualities

Pick out the top 3 or 5 (max) qualities the employer is seeking in their advert or job specification if there is one. These should be qualities that you have already covered in your CV and they should be the 3 to 5 things that you refer to - not explain - briefly in your covering letter. Provide concrete examples and solid numbers wherever you can. For example, after you've introduced yourself in your letter you could include lines similar to these:

"You will see from my enclosed CV that I match your requirements precisely. I have worked in the Education sector for over 10 years and have led a number of departments that have ranged in size from 5 to 20 people."

"You will see from my CV that I have worked in both Further Education and Secondary Education and have successfully developed Virtual Learning Environments in both sectors.”

Your covering letter then is an additional 'sales' document...selling you

6. Reflect your personality

Ensure the letter shows how motivated and enthusiastic you are. Do not include negative comments. Try to use dynamic acting verbs for each skill you are explaining, such as:

People skills - Collaborated, communicated

Teaching - Instilled, motivated, encouraged

7. Relevant and brief

A well written letter should draw the recruiter's eye to relevant experience on your CV. It is an, admittedly brief, space in which you draw a positive picture of you in the mind of the employer. Ensure it is never more than a page long.

8. Contact details

Where ever possible send your letter and CV to a named individual, particularly if it is more of an enquiry than a specific role application. Research using websites, ask friends and colleagues if they know of anyone or ring through to reception and get yourself a name and job title. It will look a lot better than sir/ madam.

9. Sign the letter

Unless you've had to sign an application form, your covering letter is the only place where you provide your signature. This may seem old fashioned in this digital age but it's still a strong signal of your authenticity.

10. Neatness/ presentation

Finally, make sure your covering letter is clearly laid out with no typos or spelling errors. Do this and, compared to many jobseekers, you'll already stand out as an impressive candidate!

Back to listing

Cover letters

A cover letter is the introduction to your job application. It focuses on why you are applying and how you fit both the job and the organisation. You usually use a cover letter to respond to a job advertisement or to make a speculative application .

The purpose of a cover letter is to impress an employer, encourage them to read your CV and leave them wanting to find out more about you. It’s also usually the first thing an employer reads, so it needs to convincingly explain how you are a match for the job you are applying for. You should write a new cover letter for every job you apply to.

To get immediate, AI-generated feedback on your cover letter, you can submit your cover letter to CareerSet . Students can access CareerSet using their university email address. Graduates can access CareerSet by emailing [email protected] for an access code.

Content and structure

In general, your cover letter should include five paragraphs:

Introduction – Explain why you are writing. Say where you saw the job advert and introduce yourself.
Why this type of work – Describe why you are interested and motivated by the type of work you are applying for.
Why this employer – Explain why you are interested in this particular organisation, showing evidence of researching the employer. Mention if you have met anyone from the organisation at a careers event or through LinkedIn .  Avoid repeating text from the organisation’s publicity information.
Why you – Explain briefly why you are suited to the job. Mention your relevant skills, experience and knowledge. Look at key words that occur often in the job description and structure what you say around them. For example, if the job description repeatedly refers to the need to have ‘sales skills’, include your skills and experience in sales wherever you can. Ensure that you also note the specific outcome of what you have done, and quantify when possible. For example, if you saved a previous organisation a certain amount of money, say what amount it was; if you led a team that delivered a presentation, say how many were in the team and the audience you presented to.
Conclusion – End politely, saying you believe you've shown that you've met the requirements of the job and you look forward to hearing from them.

Formatting and length

Your cover letter should be consistently and professionally presented. Employers will reject applications with poor spelling or grammar, so write in good English and revise English grammar rules . If applying for jobs in the UK, ensure you use British spelling throughout.

If you use English as a second language, the University's Academic English Service offers one-to-one tutorials to help you improve the accuracy of your language in job and internship applications.

Your cover letter should also follow the layout of a professional letter. This means including your own address details, as well as the employer’s.

You should also take note of the following points:

Aim for one A4 page in length. Avoid using too much text – be concise.
The font should be no smaller than size 10 and no larger than size 12. You should choose a modern and professional font style, such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
If possible, always write to a named individual. Ensure your tone is formal and professional: you should say ‘Dear Ms/Dr/Mr Smith’ and end with ‘Yours sincerely’. If you can’t find a named individual, write ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ and end with ‘Yours faithfully’.
Give your cover letter a title to reflect what it is about, including the job title or job reference code. These are important as the organisation may be recruiting for several posts at the same time, and it may not be obvious which one you are applying for.
As your cover letter and CV are a package, present them similarly, including using the same font.

Emails and cover letters

When applying for a position by email, you can use the email itself as a cover letter and attach your CV, or write a brief email message and attach a separate cover letter and your CV.

If you choose to use the email as your cover letter, structure and format your email as described above. Use the email subject line to explain the purpose of the email.

If you choose to attach your cover letter to your email, avoid repeating information in the email which is in your cover letter. The email should be brief and professional, referring to your CV and cover letter attached.

Cover letter example

As a guideline, here is an example cover letter to give you an idea of how to put the above advice into practice:

Example cover letter (PDF)

Additional resources

General cover letter advice (Prospects)
Speculative cover letters (Prospects)
General speculative application advice (TargetJobs)
Graduate CV and covering letter templates (TargetJobs)
Graduate attributes (Careers Centre)

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Cover letter and application Pathway
Cover letter template
Example cover letter
Speculative cover letter

Writing a cover letter

Your covering letter acts as the introduction to your application and is your personal sales pitch. Your CV contains the facts, the cover letter is about your motivation and fit for the organisation and role. You have no idea which the employer will look at first so make sure they are both strong. Use a cover letter with your CV to apply for advertised vacancies (unless the instructions state not to)

Speculative cover letter advice

Cover letter support

Use our Application and Cover Letter Pathway Simply choose the module on cover letters, learn at your own pace, or complete the whole pathway, the choice is yours.
Book an Application Review appointment

Cover letter structure

In brief you need 3 sections

Why you are applying to this company? What makes them stand out from other similar companies?
Why you are applying for this role? - Your motivation for applying, show your understanding of the role.
The skills and experience you have that match the job description.

Cover letter content

Include a date to provide some proof of when it was submitted
Keep to a single page. Slight changes to margins and fonts are ok but keep it readable, professional and concise.
Provide your contact details. Traditionally your and the company address are at the top of the letter. Digital applications can be more flexible.
Go the extra mile. Mention how you research their company . LinkedIn conversations, panel sessions at Careers Fairs, networking with UoM graduates at the company etc
Start well. A named contact to start your letter is ideal, but can be hard to source. "Dear recruiter/recruiting team" will work if you need to.
Dont skip the evidence. Just stating you’ve got the required skills will not be convincing. Provide context for where you developed your skills, and your letter gains more credibility.
Be careful of using over-enthusiastic terms such as “overjoyed”, “ecstatic”, “passionate”when describing your emotions, try to keep to terms you would be happy using in a professional conversation.
Mention the company. Do not write the generic application letter. Find reasons why you are applying to that firm, and tell them so.
Use the reference number. Include it as part of your subject line, to make it clear which opportunity you're interested in.
Keep your letter ending positive. If you started your letter writing to a named person, you should finish "Yours sincerely". Otherwise is should end "Yours faithfully".

Further resources

Our cover letter template to help you get started
Active language Use our list of active words to help clarify your involvement in activities.
Example cover letters on Prospects website
Advice on how and when to disclose a disability
Getting in touch

Careers Service, The University of Manchester

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Cover letters

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Two page CV
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Template: Cover letter

The purpose of a cover letter is to convince the recruiter that you are the person for the job. In most cases it accompanies your CV and is your chance to express more directly and personally why you are interested in the job and organisation.

Structuring your cover letter

Structuring your cover letter – a letter should have 3 parts:.

1. Why you want to work for the company (Why them?) . Thoroughly research the employer/ organisation and what makes them stand out in comparison to their competitors, look at their products, services, research, culture and working practices.

Explore the following:

Website, beyond the first pages, looking at any case studies, reports
Sector news – know what is going on, e.g., the latest trends
Social media – check all their platforms for news
Current or former colleagues and especially valuable are alumni of UofG

2. What skills do you have that would be valuable (Why you?)

The next paragraphs should focus on what you bring to the role, so analyse the job description and choose 3 or 4 skills and write an account of when you have used these skills.

3. Sign off or ending

Finish your letter with a short paragraph (a few lines), reiterating your enthusiasm for the role with something specific. Avoid cliches, like, it would be an honour to work for your company.

Check the spelling, grammar and ensure that it reflects your story.

Get to the point quickly - show rather than tell how you have the skills necessary to do the job – provide evidence. Pick out bits from your CV, but avoid repeating exact phrases
Be concise - do not cram every reason why you might get hired. Be selective and create impact
Keep it to a page - brevity is more effective. Be mindful of using small fonts or narrow margins to squash text
Match your CV - e.g. font and size, however avoid writing out your CV, think about 3 or 4 skill areas and highlight them
The employer is the focus not you - try not to begin every sentence and paragraph with "I". State why you are attracted to the organisation and what you like about it. Try to work out the top half dozen or so priorities in the employer's mind and offer five or six matching pieces of evidence in your cover letter
Why you are the person for the job - select a range of achievements relevant to the needs of the organisation and set out your top three or four as points you will cover in the letter. Do not apologise in your letter for the lack of experience or your lack of a specific qualification
Accuracy and research - you need complete accuracy in names and job titles, as well as the name of the organisation itself (plus the names of products or services). Print a letter off and proof read it carefully before emailing
Who to send it to? - research the staff list of the organisation carefully to ensure your letter is read by the right decision maker. LinkedIn will help and some organisations’ websites will have a list of staff. For larger organisations, the HR/ talent acquisition departments will deal with all aspects to do with recruitment and it is also worth targeting the head of the department in which you are trying to get a job
Follow instructions - have tehy asked for you to address all the criteria or just a few? Have they given a word count?
Proof read - check the spelling, grammar and ensure that it reflects your story
How to end - avoid being pushy and simply end your message stating that you would like the opportunity to take the conversation further

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Academic CV Template

An academic CV is based on the Chronological CV format. However, the two-page limit need not apply to academic applications due to the addition of supporting information relating to details of your PhD and other related research. An academic CV can, therefore, be many pages in length, depending on your experience in the workplace – five pages is the rough guideline for average length. For more help on completing an academic CV read our Academic CV Guidelines here. An example of a completed Academic CV Example for PhD Graduate and Academic CV Example for a Senior Post is also available. Use our academic CV template to help create the perfect CV.

Write your contact details across the page (saving space)

Include your mobile, email address, LinkedIn and website/portfolio.

Briefly state exactly what it is you want – what post are you applying for. Don’t waffle.

PERSONAL PROFILE

This is an optional but if used, a key element of your CV. The rest of your CV content will be based on this section. Use words which reflect skills and experiences which match the opportunity you are applying for but keep it short.

Write in reverse chronological order, the institutions where you studied, when you studied and outcomes. If you are applying for your first post after graduating, then this section can highlight aspects of your PhD which are relevant to the post you are applying for. Include an abstract of your PhD. You may choose to write a more detailed synopsis here or you could put this as an Addendum (if relevant to your application). See the Guidelines for more information.

Write in reverse chronological order, job title, organisation and dates (only month and year necessary). Include jobs you did as a student only if they are relevant to your application. Focus bullet points on your transferable skills and achievements in each role.

Use this section to write about your computational skills, administrative skills, teamwork skills, time-management, communication skills and project-management skills giving some evidence of how you acquired them. What IT skills do you have? Rather than write a long list, use sub-headings: you may want to include some skills in your Addendum if you have one. Depending on the topic of your PhD, you might want to have a section for research skills.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Perhaps you held a position of responsibility, play/played a sport, have volunteering experience, or were an active member of a university club. Do you speak any languages, have a driving licence, play an instrument, or hold a non-academic qualification? If so, include them here.

Three referees would be appropriate. Include your PhD supervisor and at least one other academic who knows you. Give as many contact details for each referee as possible, (address, email and telephone number) with title if appropriate.

Academic CV Additions

Now you add the extra information you need to turn the classic cv into one for your application to work in academia.

An academic CV differs from others in that it should include sections which relate directly to your research and other related skills and experiences. You can see a suggested subject heading list below, or refer back to the Academic Guidelines. There is no set Academic CV format: your layout is up to you.

An applicant with experience applying for a senior post, may well want to add an Appendix/Addendum in which research information can be written in detail as well as other relevant information. A new graduate may not have the experience to do this and can incorporate all relevant headings into the main body of the CV.

Below are some suggestions of how you can record your skills and experience under different headings, and they are just examples. Remember the three key elements potential employers look for are Research, Teaching and Administration, so these three elements should definitely be prioritised and included in all academic CV’s.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Brief summary of current research + names of supervisors
Emphasise creative and innovative aspects of your research where possible.
Where is your research going? Where would you like it to go?
Your potential employer might well know your supervisor – that will give connections and employer may well know the methodology of supervisor
Incorporate conferences and posters
Collaborations – highlight your name even if it is third or fourth in the list of contributors
How have you disseminated your research to a wider audience?
Conducted archival research
Evaluated and selected the appropriate approach to identify key features of the research
Conceptualised the problem
Planned and managed the research project
Ability to deal with different methodologies and theories
Recorded, analysed and interpreted data

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teaching/demonstrating experience both paid and unpaid – including anything of relevance.
Training, mentoring, facilitating
Supervision of students – undergraduate? Postgraduate? Year?
What teaching materials have you designed or prepared?
Seminar experience? How many hours and how many students?
Have you organised any fieldwork or trips?
Any involvement in course organisation or preparation
Lab supervision
Any informal mentoring or supporting students
Have you supervised any dissertation work or theses?
Have you been involved with tutorials
What lectures you have delivered
Evaluation techniques

ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE

Responsibility for planning conferences
Committees (Board of Studies – even as an undergraduate perhaps?) and student associations
Marking, assessment and related paperwork – did you run a lecture course?
Examinations – perhaps you have helped with invigilation or marking?
Writing up research or checking other research work
Ability to prioritise workload and to meet deadlines
Have you made any changes to procedures which have improved the efficiency of the research project or department?
Administration related to involvement with course work or degree schemes
Have you helped out at Open Days?
Planned or organised conferences?
Involvement in writing research proposals
Excellent verbal and written skills

CURRENT RESEARCH

Write about the aims, responsibilities and successes of your research so far
What techniques and methodologies have you used so far?
Are you using quantitative and/or qualitative methods?
What technical skills are you using/developing?
What other skills are you acquiring? Problem-solving skills? Project Management?

FUTURE RESEARCH INTERESTS

Use this heading to identify where you would like your research interest to go.

QUALIFICATIONS

Teaching qualifications
IT qualifications
Language qualifications such as TEFL
Any professional qualification
You could put any professional courses you have attended

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Member of curriculum development team
Supervised research students
Setting and marking of examinations
Supporting students in a pastoral/advisory role
Membership of committees/boards
Represented institution at conferences and seminars
Established collaboration outside the institution
Coordinated academic and policy dissemination
Managed and supervised staff
Programme administrator

PUBLICATIONS and PRESENTATIONS

Depending on how many publications you have, you could include a shortlist in the body of your CV or provide a full list in an appendix. Include journal articles, books or chapters of books, reports and patents. If you wrote as part of a team, list all authors and highlight your own name in the sequence.

CONFERENCES and COURSES ATTENDED

Give details of any conferences you have attended, and those at which you have presented delivered poster presentations.
Mention any involvement you may have had – perhaps a Grad School event or a conference at department level
List any posters or exhibitions where you have presented
You could use this section to list any courses you have attended

FUNDING and ACADEMIC AWARDS

List any bursaries, scholarships, travel grants or other sources of funding that you were awarded for research projects or to attend meetings or conferences.
Who made the award and for how much?
Did you win any undergraduate prizes?
Was the award for you alone or was it shared?
What role did you play in securing it?
When was the award made?
Include grants, awards, bursaries and fellowships

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

List any membership you hold of any professional body or learned society relevant t your research or other life activities.

For further help and advice with academic applications please see:

Academic Cover Letter
How to Write a Cover Letter for Academic Jobs
How To Write A Flawless Cover Letter
CV Advice Webinar

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Nadine Lewis

Nadine Lewis is a qualified and experienced careers consultant currently working in higher education. She is passionate about empowering students, graduates and professionals to take control of their careers. Nadine has been published in Prospects and presented at various events. In her spare time, she enjoys attending cultural activities and travelling around Europe. LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nadinermlewis