Professor Cover Letter Example and Template

Professors work at universities or colleges as instructors that teach their students about a specific subject within their field of expertise. Professors design lectures, instruct students and assign and grade projects and papers. If you are interested in becoming a professor, you can read through job descriptions to see what qualifications hiring managers are looking for and determine if you have the required skills. In this article, we discuss what to include in a professor's cover letter, some tips for writing a strong cover letter and provide a sample of a professor's cover letter to use as a guide. In this article, we review what to include in a professor's cover letter, go over additional tips and provide an example to guide you. You can read through resume samples to learn how to write a resume for an open professor position. When you have all your materials, you can upload a resume file or build an Indeed resume to start applying for professor-related jobs. Related: Associate Professor vs. Professor: What's the Difference? Stuart Stone, Ph.D. in American History 771-555-0199 I Stuart.Stone@email.com I Brooklyn, New York 11202 May 6, 2023 East River University Dear hiring manager, I'm excited to apply for the professor position in the history department at East River University. Your university has a reputation for academic excellence that encouraged me to apply. My expertise in American history aligns with the scholarship your history department is known for, so I believe that my research can be an asset to your impressive faculty. During my Ph.D. at Clearwater University, where I worked with prestigious professors and taught four different entry-level history classes, I completed my thesis on the American Revolution, published this fall. During this time, I discovered my love for teaching perfectly complemented my love of research, leading me to take on more classes than my program required. Enrollment for my entry-level history classes was 5% higher than the other classes in my section. After getting my Ph.D., I accepted an adjunct position at St. Mercy College, where I continued to teach American history. I designed my class lectures, chose source material, graded papers, and led additional group sessions outside of class hours for students with a keen interest in the material. My professionalism and dedication to the education of students contributed to an increase in student engagement with the department and a growth of about 20 students per year in the undergraduate history department. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I currently teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or additional information about the position on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. I look forward to hearing from you about the open position. I hope to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the education and academic research that is so highly regarded by your university. Sincerely, Stuart Stone To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

What to include in a professor's cover letter

Here are some elements of a professor's cover letter that you can include:

Contact information

A cover letter usually includes contact information so that the hiring manager can reach out to you with any outstanding questions or an invitation to an interview. You can place your contact information at the top of the cover letter to ensure it is easy to find. It's important to ensure that your contact information is the same across all your application materials to avoid confusion with the hiring manager. Some people use headers or letterheads to format their contact information and make their application materials match the format and aesthetic. You can include your name, any relevant degrees or certifications, phone number, email address and the city and state where you live. You don't need to include your exact address, but the general area can help a hiring manager understand that you are willing to commute to their office. If you have an online portfolio or social media account relevant to your position as a professor, you can include that information here. Related: Top Adjunct Professor Salaries by State and Career Description

Professional experience

A cover letter aims to expand upon your experience by providing context and relating it to the needs of the university or college to which you're applying. You want to make sure that you aren't just repeating the same information on your resume, so only mention experiences that you believe are relevant and persuasive to a hiring manager. This may include experience outside of education, as long as it helps you illustrate your specific skills that apply to this position. If you have any awards or recognitions relevant to the position, you can include those to demonstrate that you are a recognized asset in your field. You may want to mention any previous experience you have with the university or anyone who works at the university and could serve as a reference for your capabilities. These elements can make your cover letter stand out to a hiring manager. Read more: 12 Reasons To Become a Professor (Plus Jobs and Salaries)

Relevant skills

You can also use your cover letter to expand your skill set, providing examples and evidence to support your claims. When describing your work history, try to think of specific skills that you want to emphasize. Then, explain how your experience helped you develop those skills or is an example of utilizing those skills. Relate your experiences to the specific needs of the university to show that you are not only a worthy professor but that you are the right candidate to become a professor at this university. When you describe your skills, think of specific instances where your expertise or skill set contributed to a common goal of the university. For example, if you increased the number of students graduating or other students highly requested your class. By relating your skills to benefit the entire university, you can stand out to the hiring manager as a strong candidate that would be an asset to their faculty. Related: How To Become a History Professor

Goals

In your cover letter, you can also express your interest in the position by explaining your career goals and how the position you're applying to can help you accomplish those goals. If your goals align with the mission or capabilities of the university, having these similar goals can indicate that you will be a stable employee dedicated to contributing good work to the university. Additionally, if you have goals of being published or completing research, having faculty that accomplished these goals can increase the prestige of a university, which may make you a more appealing candidate to a hiring university. Related: How To Create an Adjunct Professor Resume: Steps and Sample

Additional tips for writing a professor cover letter

Here are some additional tips for writing a professor cover letter:

Review the job description. reading the job description first is always a good idea because it can help you understand precisely what the hiring manager is looking for. Then you can target your statements to appeal to the university's needs.
Be concise. a cover letter should never be more than one page long, as the hiring manager may lose interest and not read the entire thing. Writing a concise and informative cover letter can showcase your communication skills.
Use a professional format. Format your cover letter with a legible font type and use traditional letter formatting to make a professional impression on the hiring manager.
Provide evidence. When describing your skills or accomplishments, provide statistical or quantitative proof of your statements to provide context for the hiring manager. For example, saying your increased enrollment by 25% is more informative than a general statement.