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DECEMBER 2025

Cover Letter 101

If you’re looking for a new position, it’s time to dust off the resume and scour job postings. In addition to an updated resume, many applications also require a cover letter. While these letters can seem redundant or just extra work, they are a useful tool to help sell yourself and your skills. Here are some tips for writing an effective cover letter.

 

Understand the Significance

Many applicants don’t see the value of a cover letter, or they don’t want to spend the extra time creating one. However, a cover letter helps hiring managers to get to know you and the skills you can bring to a position. An effective cover letter provides details that don’t fit on your resume and highlights your passion for a role. In short, a cover letter can succinctly tell the reader what a resume can’t. Don’t squander this opportunity.

 

 

ON TOPIC

A cover letter is the bridge between a job description and your resume. It’s an opportunity to reaffirm why you are a great fit for the job. It also allows you to drive home your interest in a specific role while revealing some of your personality. Here are three key steps to creating a strong cover letter:

 

Do your research. Be sure to customize your cover letter to each role you are applying for. You can find out more about the culture of the organization by looking through their LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Approach the job description as though it’s a problem the company is trying to solve — if it weren’t, the job wouldn’t be open, right?

 

Start strong. Most cover letters begin generically. “I am applying for X job that I saw in Y place.” is a common leading statement, but how many of those does a hiring manager read each day? You can make your cover letter stick out by highlighting who you are, some experience you have, and what you would bring to help solve their problem. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONLINE RESOURCES

Resources for AISES Members

AISES events, like the National and Regional conferences and Professional Chapter meetings are great opportunities to network. See the list of upcoming events in the Save the Date section below.

 

Have you had a chance to connect with us on ? Check out our posts to get professional development information and more from AISES, our partners, and other members.

 

Online Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOB OPENINGS

Allen Institute – Seattle, Wash.

 

Case Western Reserve University – Cleveland, Ohio

 

Jacobs

– Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

­– Toronto, Ontario, Canada

– Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

– Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

– Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Mayo Clinic

– Rochester, Minn.

– Rochester, Minn.

– Rochester, Minn.

– Rochester, Minn.

– Phoenix, Ariz.

 

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – Minnesota

 

Mississippi State University, Department of Geosciences – Mississippi State, Miss.

 

Purdue University – West Lafayette, Ind.

 

Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago – Chicago, Ill.

 

Swarthmore College, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry – Swarthmore, Pa,

 

Texas A&M University – College Station, Tex.

 

Texas Tech University – Department of Biological Sciences – Lubbock, Tex.

 

Toronto Metropolitan University – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Tufts University – Medford, Mass.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Multiple Locations, United States

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine maintain a database of nearly 300 active research opportunities and administer postdoctoral and senior fellowship awards at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Space Force under the Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program. We are seeking highly qualified candidates who are U.S. citizens and hold, or anticipate earning, a PhD, ScD, MD, or DVM in a variety of fields of science or engineering. Senior research awards are designated for those with more than five years since earning their degree.

 

 

 
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Paths to Opportunities and Winds of Change are published exclusively by AISES.

AISES works to substantially increase the representation of Indigenous peoples in STEM studies and careers.

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