Writing a cover letter can be confusing especially if it is your first time. A cover letter is a letter of introduction attached to or accompanying another document such as a résumé or a curriculum vitae.
There are certain element that when absent in a cover letter makes it incomplete. This is why I am providing you with this checklist to help you not miss the “golden element” in your cover letter writing.
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Cover Letter Writing Checklist
Does your cover letter heading include all essential information?
- Full Name
- Professional email
- Phone Number
- Date
- Relevant Social Media Profiles
- Did you address the right person? i.e. hiring manager in the university / your future direct supervisor?
- Does your introductory paragraph grab the reader’s attention?
- Did you mention 2-3 of your top achievements?
- Did you use numbers and facts to back up your experience?
- Did you successfully convey that you are the right person for the PhD program?
- Did you identify the core requirements?
- Did you successfully convey how your experiences help you fit the requirements perfectly?
- Did you convince the hiring manager / your future direct supervisor that you’re passionate about the research program you’re applying to?
- Did you identify the top 3 things that you like about the his/her research area?
- Did you avoid generic reasons for explaining your interest in the program?
- Did you summarize the conclusion with a call to action?
- Did you use the right formal closure for your cover letter?
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If your response to the above check list is completely affirmative then congratulation on writing a unique and compelling cover letter for your PhD program.
If your answer to any of the questions in the checklist above is false, then you will need to rewrite your cover letter making sure you fix the missing parts.
I hope my guide to writing a unique and compelling cover letter using the Cover Letter Writing Checklist above was useful to you.
Kindly share this useful information to anyone you think it might be of benefit. Subscribe to Scholarships King notification to be notified about the latest scholarship opportunities.
