Composing Attractive Cover Letters

Cover letters that spark interest are one of the keys that pave the way to obtaining job interviews: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Composing an attractive cover letter requires you to strike the right balance between promoting your unique value to a potential employer and explicating the reasons why the company or research institute you are applying to is a perfect fit for you. The workshop is aimed at PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows who wish to train their ability to write a cover letter that complements their CV and other application documents.

Objectives and workshop content:

  • Content: The structure and content of various parts of a cover letter for a job application
  • Attending to language conventions in cover letters
  • Personalizing the letter for each application
  • Highlighting your achievements and skills without sounding arrogant
  • Conciseness: Keeping the letter no longer than one page
  • Reviewing and customising participants’ own cover letters, both by peers and the lecturer

In addition to these core points, any issues identified in participants’ own writing may be addressed.


Target Group:
Doctoral Candidates & Postdocs


Workload:

Pre-workshop preparation:
Participants write, upload and bring to the workshop an unedited first draft of a letter of application that will be reviewed during the workshop. Having a copy of a job advertisement for a position the participant would like to apply for is also recommended, as the cover letters can then be tailored to that specific position. Workload: 1-2 hours.

Time spent in the workshop:
3 hours (4 lessons).

Post-workshop:
Participants will have the opportunity to submit their revised cover letters to the lecturer for comments and corrections. Workload: 1 hour (this part is not obligatory).

Course information

Course level
B2/ C1
Date
  • Wednesday 09.10.2019, 09:00–12:00
4 Lessons
Lecturer
Riana Paola, PhD
Registration via Transferable skills

Course materials

Script

Important

Registration for this course is only possible as of 7 August 2019, 9:00 am via Transferable Skills.

Certificate of attendance

In order to receive a certificate of attendance (available on request) for this course, you are not allowed to be absent at all.

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