Cover letters

A cover letter should be professional, focused and tailored to the opportunity.

Your covering letter should:

• fit easily onto one page of A4;
• focus on the criteria from the opportunity advert or description;
• be written clearly and succinctly to highlight the most relevant skills;
• use space well and avoid very long paragraphs;
• convey your enthusiasm for the job and organisation;
• be addressed to a particular person where possible i.e. ‘Miss Brown’ instead of ‘Dear Madam’;
• end with either ‘Yours faithfully’ (if addressed to Sir or Madam) or ‘Yours sincerely’ (if addressed to a named person);
• be written in business language rather than overly-academic language. Use the list of useful key words in our CV and resumes section.

Using Generative AI

Gen AI can be useful for analysing job advertisements, generating ideas and drafting an initial cover letter. However, even with careful prompting, AI-generated content can come across as generic and may not accurately reflect your experiences, motivations or interest in a particular role. For a strong covering letter, you should carefully review, personalise and tailor any AI-generated content, ensuring an authentic and compelling case for why you are a good fit for the position. See our Generative AI section for more information.

1. The introduction

Start by explaining who you are and why you're writing. This section may include:

• where you're studying and the course you're taking;
• your expected grade (at least if it is a good one!);
• the position you're applying for and where you found it (e.g. company website, job board, careers fair;
• if this is a speculative application, state what you're seeking (e.g. internship, vacation work) and your availability;
•  any previous contact with the organisation (e.g. meeting representatives at an event).

2. Why you want to work for them

Demonstrate your genuine interest in the employer. Provide two to three specific reasons why you want to work for them:

• explain why you're drawn to this career area and their organisation in particular;
• mention relevant experiences, such as attending a company presentation or completing related work experience;
• show you’ve done your research; go beyond generic phrases like “challenging opportunities” or “team-based culture”;
• highlight unique aspects of the company that appeal to you.

3. The ‘selling’ section

"Review this section carefully for every single application you make as the requirements will differ from employer to employer. Relevance is key to success."

A very important section where you make a compelling case for your suitability. Be selective with your examples rather than trying to cram in all your experiences:

• tailor this section to each application as employers have different requirements;
• highlight your most relevant skills and experiences with concise, focused examples;
• link your examples to the key skills required, e.g. “I developed strong communication skills as a Year Group Representative, liaising between staff and students to resolve academic concerns.”;
• draw from different areas of your background such as academics, work experience, extracurriculars etc.

4. Closing paragraph

Wrap up with a positive and professional tone:

• mention any attached documents (e.g. CV, application form);
• express enthusiasm about the possibility of an interview;
• indicate any dates when you may be unavailable.

As a research student or postdoc writing a covering letter, what you choose to highlight will depend on whether you're applying for a role within or outside of academia.

What to emphasise when applying for different kinds of work

Academic work

When applying for a postdoctoral or lectureship position, you may want to emphasise the following:

• research interests and experience;
• research techniques you are familiar with e.g. subject specific lab-based, software, modelling, simulations, GIS, risk assessment, and any other analytical problem-solving techniques;
• teaching, demonstrating, tutoring or supervising experience;
• publications – papers, book chapters, peer/journal club reviewing;
• conferences – presentations, including poster presentations;
• administrative experience e.g. helping with College/Department Open Days, welcoming new students, managing Health and Safety in your lab;
• financial/commercial awareness e.g. writing grant applications/proposals, buying supplies/equipment for the lab, managing lab or other budgets.

Industry

When applying for an industry based position in research, you may want to emphasise the following:

• research interests and experience;
• administrative experience;
• research techniques relevant to the post;
• key skills e.g. project management, creative problem-solving, negotiating and persuading, achieving results.

Sometimes, you may wish to use your cover letter to provide additional context about aspects of your application. Common examples include employment gaps, mitigating circumstances that affected academic performance, or other experiences that may not be fully explained elsewhere.

• Briefly explain significant gaps in your CV where appropriate.
• If a gap relates to circumstances such as illness, caring responsibilities, or other personal challenges, you can choose to provide a concise explanation.
• Where relevant, highlight any skills, experience, resilience, or personal development that resulted from overcoming challenges.
• If your academic results were affected by mitigating circumstances, explain these briefly and professionally.
• Draw attention to more recent academic achievements, relevant experience, or evidence of your capabilities where these better reflect your current pot

Some students choose to discuss their disability, neurodivergent condition or other health condition in the cover letter. The main reason for this is to ask for adjustments during the recruitment process. For further information and guidance on doing this, see our page on disability and neurodiversity.