Cover Letters – The Humanities PhD Project

UM Career Center Resume and Cover Letter Tips for PhD Students

A new resource for PhDs from UM’s Career Center includes worksheets that can help identify transferable skills and construct narratives that make the skills developed during a doctorate legible to employers. The packet also provides “brief introductions that explain various application materials, reflection tools that can help … articulate your experience, examples of application materials, and, core competencies from the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) and the Rackham Graduate School.”

Resumes and Cover Letters for PhD Students

This resource for creating cover letters and resumes developed by Harvard’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences Office of Career Services includes answers to FAQs about preparing resumes and cover letters, a useful word bank for describing various career experiences, nine examples of resumes tailored to particular interests or career trajectories, and sample cover letters.

Expert Advice on Entering the Non-Academic Workforce

Anne Krook is a former UM professor who now works as a professional consultant and trains graduate and students and postdocs seeking non-academic employment. Her website contains numerous free resources to help you get started in your search and advice on cover letters, interviews, and more.

Crafting a Successful Cover Letter

This Inside Higher Ed article offers great advice on things to consider and common mistakes to avoid when composing cover letters for academic positions.

The Post-Ac’s Guide to the Cover Letter

This post offers a no-nonsense guide to writing a cover letter as a PhD applying for a non-academic job. It discusses how to target your language to fit the job posting, as well as common mistakes people make when moving from academia to other fields.

Handbook for a Non-Academic Job Search

University of California Irvine has a handbook with advice on non-academic career exploration, cover letters, and sample resumes from PhDs in various disciplines. The handbook—a downloadable PDF—contains worksheets that help students articulate their goals and skills and move towards finding a career that best suits their interests and strengths.