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[smurlein]

I have talked to a number of people about this issue recently.  Does it give you more of an advantage to tailor cover letters to each school than sending out a well-written cover letter that fits the job description?  In the past, I have always waited until I went to MLA to do lengthy research on the schools.  I have had good luck. Both times that I went on the market, I was made job offers.

Thoughts?

[voxprincipalis]

I have talked to a number of people about this issue recently.  Does it give you more of an advantage to tailor cover letters to each school than sending out a well-written cover letter that fits the job description?  In the past, I have always waited until I went to MLA to do lengthy research on the schools.  I have had good luck. Both times that I went on the market, I was made job offers.

Thoughts?

Aieee! Tailor, tailor, tailor, regardless of when you apply. That fit should be snugger than a size 32 pant on the waist of a size 34 guy.

VP

[crazybatlady]

I don't understand the distinction being made here between the job description and the school.

You want to tailor your cover letter to the needs of the school as advertised in the job description.

[smurfette]

Always tailor as much as you can!

[sinead]

I agree with previous responses - tailor, tailor, tailor!

Your cover letter won't generate much interest unless you tell them why you could do exactly what they are asking and why they should hire you to do it!

[trabb]

I am all for the sartorial mode of application.  My confusion lies, I think, in deciding how best to dress my qualifications.  On the one hand, I might adopt the "blue velvet tuxedo" method, doing everything possible to call attention to myself, writing a job letter that screams "look at me" by stating simply "I am qualified for this job because..."  On the other hand, I could go for the "charcoal gray suit with white shirt and dashingly colorful but nonetheless understated tie" model, composing a letter that strives to attract notice for its elegance and care.

For example, if a job advertises a position for someone to teach a "broad range of British literature courses," I could very easily spell out all of the training and courses that make me qualified.  Alternatively, I could carefully weave into the letter examples that show the committee that I'm qualified, using examples from a broad range of courses that I've taught to demonstrate how I organize a course, how I approach class on a daily basis, etc.  The former seems gaudy and tacky to me, while the latter seems more comfortable; I do worry, however, that the latter version requires the committee actually to connect the dots too much.

[voxprincipalis]

Trabb, I like your clothing analogy but am going to change it to a food analogy for a minute.

My feeling has always been that one should give the customer what he/she asked for.

If the committee wants bacon and eggs, give them a plate of bacon and eggs. Don't artfully hide the bacon and eggs inside some chicken au papillote with an apricot confit and a side of roasted winter vegetable ragout.

You can dress up the bacon and eggs if you like, but you always want the committee to leave the table both full and satisfied that you delivered what they ordered.

Yes, I am hungry. I now return you to your regularly-scheduled clothing analogies.

VP

[brunhilde]

The way I read the OP's question, is that it about how much research do you do on a school while writing a cover letter. You have some information necessary to write a tailored letter right in the ad itself, but how much extra information do you need? I have the same question. Job ads say the job will cover XYZ areas and that candidates should have skills ABC. So I can tailor a letter to show how I have experience in XYZ and can cover those areas and how I have skills ABC.

In the process of writing a cover letter, I also go to the dept webpage and look at the existing faculty and the degree programs that they have, and do some general reading of material on their website. I can see how that info will be useful to me in tailoring a cover letter because then I know how courses I may teach would fit into an overall program.

What I don't do is spend several hours researching every aspect of the entire college. I get the feeling from reading these fora that some job seekers are doing so. For example, some job seekers have asked how to get demographic info and on colleges. I know where to get that, but I'm not sure how knowing that helps me write a good cover letter.

I'm mainly applying to R1s, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

[voxprincipalis]

If the committee wants bacon and eggs, give them a plate of bacon and eggs. Don't artfully hide the bacon and eggs inside some chicken au papillote with an apricot confit and a side of roasted winter vegetable ragout.

Sorry, that should be "en papillote."

I agree that one has to know what's vital info and what isn't, but some background is always necessary in terms of relating your work and teaching philosophy to the mission of the school and to the needs of its student body.

VP

[slowandsteady]

For example, some job seekers have asked how to get demographic info and on colleges. I know where to get that, but I'm not sure how knowing that helps me write a good cover letter.

It doesn't.  But it helps me to decide whether I want to apply to the school in the first place.  It does make a difference that you're applying to R1s.  I've never heard of most of the schools to which I'm applying, and I need to know how big the classes are and how interested the students are and whether anyone there cares a whit about undergraduate education before I bother applying.

[j_source]

Tailor as much as humanly possible after doing lots of research.  Use the same language they use and arrange your cover letter and cv in the same order the qualifications are listed in the ad.  With dozens, maybe hundreds, of apps for a single position the committee doesn't want to spend its time trying to figure out if you're a good match.  In a recent round of interviews a couple of the candidates asked questions about data that's on our website.  They hadn't done their homework and it counted against them.  If someone isn't interested enough in our institution to get the basic info, why should we be interested  in them?

 

[trystero49]

For example, if a job advertises a position for someone to teach a "broad range of British literature courses," I could very easily spell out all of the training and courses that make me qualified.  Alternatively, I could carefully weave into the letter examples that show the committee that I'm qualified, using examples from a broad range of courses that I've taught to demonstrate how I organize a course, how I approach class on a daily basis, etc.  The former seems gaudy and tacky to me, while the latter seems more comfortable; I do worry, however, that the latter version requires the committee actually to connect the dots too much.

But how the hell do you do that subtle interweaving bit in a two-page cover letter!?!?! Everyone I've talked to has had very hard and fast rules on the letter length. Ditto to all the people who told me to research fancy programs and interdisciplinary centers and whatnot I could claim I wanted to participate in. If I add those, my little "my dossier will follow" paragraph bumps over onto the next page. And we know what happens when a word spills over onto the next page ....

[trabb]

But how the hell do you do that subtle interweaving bit in a two-page cover letter!?!?! Everyone I've talked to has had very hard and fast rules on the letter length. Ditto to all the people who told me to research fancy programs and interdisciplinary centers and whatnot I could claim I wanted to participate in. If I add those, my little "my dossier will follow" paragraph bumps over onto the next page. And we know what happens when a word spills over onto the next page ....

11.5 font, margins bumped out just a little bit.  I've also been working on my application letter for three or four years, and it's gone from a bulky, awkward thing to being sleek, polished, and concise.

I also don't worry about it going onto the third page if I'm actually addressing the ad.  After all, 3 pages is only a fatal mistake on teaching statements and research statements.