imperfections in the context of considering a
whole person than in the context of a descrip-
tion of a human on paper in whom the
employer has no vested interest.
Write to the contact person listed on the
announcement. If you know someone other
than the contact person at the company, you
may send a copy of your correspondence to
the person you know with a personal note
saying that you’re applying for a position
at their company and that their support
would be appreciated. One way to inform
the official contact that you’ve also sent your
CV to someone else is to add a P.S. to your
cover letter that says, “I have taken the liber-
ty of sending a copy of this correspondence
to Jane Doe, who was my colleague at the
University of Alabama.” Do not blind-side a
potential employer by unnecessarily sup-
pressing relevant information.Take time to write a letter that clearly refer-
ences the particular job for which you are
applying. Generic letters that indicate that
the candidate is looking, for example, for a
position “that utilizes my skills in research”
scream, “form letter!” and are not worth
sending. Touch upon your most impressive
credentials, but do not repeat your CV in the
text of the cover letter. The letter should typi-
cally be three paragraphs: the first states sim-
ply that you are applying for the position; the
second states briefly the nature of your inter-est and most relevant and impressive qualifi-
cations, and the third asks for consideration
and can indicate for example how you are
best reached. The cover letter should fit easi-
ly, using 12-point type, on one page, and
should leave ample white space at top, bot-
tom and at the margins. In a cover letter, less
is more.Proofread the cover letter three times, then
ask a trusted friend, colleague, or relative to
proofread it. Grammatical or typographical
errors in the cover letter, like a cover letter
that is unnecessarily long, are often grounds
for exclusion.
If you’re sending a paper letter, sign your
name in ink (do not use an electronic signa-
ture). Enclose your CV. Do not include a list
of references unless requested.Arranging an Interview
It is more preferable for the employer to con-
tact you for an interview than for you to fol-
low your letter with an additional request for
an interview. However, if you hear nothing
for two weeks after you send the initial letter
or email, you may follow up with a phone
call or email inquiring, cordially, if you can
schedule an interview. Do not be defensive,
accusatory, or impatient.A good analogy is dating
behavior. People generally like
to be pursued, but not too
aggressively. Don’t devalue
yourself or appear desperate.THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY
CHAPTER 6 • CAREER TRANSITION 181Generic letters that indicate that
the candidate is looking, for
example, for a position “that
utilizes my skills in research”
scream, “form letter!” and are
not worth sending.In a cover letter, less is more.