Postdoc Cover Letters

[mypointlesspov]

How long should postdoc cover letters be? My internship cover letters were generally about 1.5 pages. Should I aim for keeping postoc ones around one page long like a typical job would expect?

Eta: I should specify that I'm applying to clinical, not research positions.

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[MiniLop]

I've been keeping mine down to a paragraph. Here's the template I'm using:

"HELP PLEASE HIRE ME AS YOUR POSTDOC AS INTERNSHIP IS SUCKING MY WILL TO LIVE AND IM DESPERATE FOR ANY HOPE THAT THE FUTURE WILL BE LESS TERRIBLE"

Any feedback is welcome.

 

[ExecutiveDysfunction]

I've been keeping mine down to a paragraph. Here's the template I'm using:

"HELP PLEASE HIRE ME AS YOUR POSTDOC AS INTERNSHIP IS SUCKING MY WILL TO LIVE AND IM DESPERATE FOR ANY HOPE THAT THE FUTURE WILL BE LESS TERRIBLE"

Any feedback is welcome.

Solid cover letter. Skip post doc and proceed directly to ABPP.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

A page to a page and a half is fine, IMO. If you're going over two, it's too long.

 

[deleted957633]

How long should postdoc cover letters be? My internship cover letters were generally about 1.5 pages. Should I aim for keeping postoc ones around one page long like a typical job would expect?

Eta: I should specify that I'm applying to clinical, not research positions.

I was advised to keep it to a page, which is far less than I did for internship. I'm relieved, honestly.

 

[psychdoc001]

I know this is such a basic question, but how many sites do we need to apply for postdoc?

 

[foreverbull]

Folks, please search postdoc threads. This has been discussed many times and currently in another postdoc thread.

Dreading post-doc apps

To say I'm dreading the quickly approaching post-doc applications would be a major understatement. With having internship apps less than a year behind me, dissertation defense coming up, and working over 40 hours at my internship, I am pretty damn tired of it all at this point. I was...

forums.studentdoctor.net

This gets asked every year. Quick answer: depends on where you are applying and how competitive the sites (and how many slots are open for postdocs). Some people apply to as few as 5, some 10+. Some find it easier than securing a spot for internship, some find it harder. Anecdotally, wide variation overall, so you might want to consider saturation/competitiveness of the site, whether your TD knows other TDs at sites you're applying to, etc.

 

[mypointlesspov]

So there is a site I'm applying to that lists the following application materials:

1. A cover letter specifying the position to which you are applying, your aims.
2. Your personal statement.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh... does anyone know what this means?

 

[dcpsychdoc]

So there is a site I'm applying to that lists the following application materials:

1. A cover letter specifying the position to which you are applying, your aims.
2. Your personal statement.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh... does anyone know what this means?

You can always contact the TD for more clarification. At our site, the personal statement is basically a cover letter telling a bit about yourself, your training and career goals, and the reasons you want to come here for post doc. Good luck!

 

[mypointlesspov]

You can always contact the TD for more clarification. At our site, the personal statement is basically a cover letter telling a bit about yourself, your training and career goals, and the reasons you want to come here for post doc. Good luck!

That makes sense. I guess I was just wondering why they wanted a separate cover letter and personal statement. I decided not to apply to that site, but thanks for the suggestions anyway!

 

[ClinicalABA]

How long..

Regardless of what follows these two words (at least in the context of document length)the answer is always the minimum length that will convey the necessary info.

 

[modestmousktr]

That makes sense. I guess I was just wondering why they wanted a separate cover letter and personal statement. I decided not to apply to that site, but thanks for the suggestions anyway!

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I am still struggling with this one. Does anyone have any additional insights on what differentiates the cover letter and personal statement? Thanks!

 

[WorkLifeBalance]

To my mind, personal statements are about me (for example, I changed careers and my personal statement provided an explanation of this) and cover letters are about the site (what I have to offer to them specifically, what interests me about them, why I'm a good it, etc.)

 

[CheetahGirl]

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I am still struggling with this one. Does anyone have any additional insights on what differentiates the cover letter and personal statement? Thanks!

The struggle is real. You're in the right place for insights.

To my mind, personal statements are about me (for example, I changed careers and my personal statement provided an explanation of this) and cover letters are about the site (what I have to offer to them specifically, what interests me about them, why I'm a good it, etc.)

Agreed.

I think of cover letters as an introduction to who I am (where I have been? What position I'm applying to and why?). I use personal (or mission) statements to incorporate my specialization, evolving research interests, and future plans. As an early career psychologist, I have been able to combine both into less than 1.5 pages, as a letter of intent (similar/slightly different than grant required LOIs). The first paragraph would serve as a cover letter intro, and the remaining paragraphs are mission statements/what you can offer the site. (Anything longer is too much....and as a fellow SDNer pointed out recently when I tend to be verbose, less is more...when you're succinct).

Best of luck.

P.S. You can tell I'm a VA-trained psychologist, because I am all about "missions," now (lingo picked up from our Veterans and very apropos, both clinically for them and professionally for us).