Co-authored with TPII editor, Verena Hutter Almost every section of the CL has its own intricacies and pitfalls. The tailoring para for example can easily become a place where self-aggrandizing and desperation meet (“I’ll be a great asset … [Read more...] about The Intro Paragraph is Your GPS Locator
How To Write Academic Job Cover Letters
“My Family Lives In Driving Distance” – Or Not
For Fall 2016 I am reposting the top 25 posts on academic job applications. In the past month a client wrote in his tailoring section that he was excited to apply to a position at the University of Chicago, because his "family lives in driving … [Read more...] about “My Family Lives In Driving Distance” – Or Not
“I’m the Ideal Candidate for Your Position!”
During Fall 2016 I am reposting the top 25 blog posts about the academic job market. Today's post is yet another post on job letters. This one is on that object of contention: the fit sentence. You know the one---it's the sentence that says, … [Read more...] about “I’m the Ideal Candidate for Your Position!”
Banish These Words, 2016 Edition
Every season I note a new batch of trite, overused words cropping up in job and grant documents. I've already written about some of the most critical to banish from your vocabulary here, and here. Here is the newest set of words that need to go. The … [Read more...] about Banish These Words, 2016 Edition
Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it)
An expanded and updated version of this post can now be found in Chapter 22 of my new book, The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job. I am keeping a shortened version here, but for the complete discussion … [Read more...] about Why Your Job Cover Letter Sucks (and what you can do to fix it)
How to Write Your Own Rec. Letter, plus All of my Vitae columns
In my two+ gratifying and enjoyable years of writing for Chronicle Vitae, I've only had one column rejected by them, and it is this one, which I submitted late in December as an end-of-year compendium of all my columns, organized thematically. I … [Read more...] about How to Write Your Own Rec. Letter, plus All of my Vitae columns
A Perspective From the Hiring Committee (A Guest Post)
This is a guest post, volunteered by a tenured reader. Also check out her previous post. I and my fellow committee members work in a somewhat technical field at a mid-tier state university. While every institution and department is different, … [Read more...] about A Perspective From the Hiring Committee (A Guest Post)
The Art of the Cover Letter is Live!
The Art of the Cover Letter is now live! The Art of the Cover Letter ($79) is a 10-module self-guided course, all-online, available anytime 24/7, that walks you step by step through the planning, info-gathering, writing, and editing of your academic … [Read more...] about The Art of the Cover Letter is Live!
Introducing: The Art of the Cover Letter
Big news here at The Professor Is In! Our new product, The Art of the Cover Letter, is about to go live! LIVE! FIND IT HERE What is The Art of the Cover Letter? A 10-module self-guided course, all-online, available anytime 24/7, that walks … [Read more...] about Introducing: The Art of the Cover Letter
A Big Week at The Professor Is In: My Book Comes Out!
The day finally arrived! On Tuesday the book came out and The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. into a Job was officially launched onto the world. 480 pages, half of it newly updated and revised versions of the most … [Read more...] about A Big Week at The Professor Is In: My Book Comes Out!