A colleague told Franco about a job opening for an environmental scientist at a research center in California. Franco is very interested, even though it would mean relocating from France if he got the job offer. The colleague told Franco he could drop his name in the cover letter, so Franco decided to give it a shot.
Franco knew that his chances of winning a job interview were slim, so he took a shortcut approach. He wrote a brief cover letter and attached the short version of his CV,just to see if the employer shows any interest. If he gets a response that seems hopeful, he will send more material (such as his longer CV, research synopses, and letters of recommendation) that detail his expertise.
As you can see, the following cover letter contains only the points that Franco feels will grab the employer’s attention and leave him wanting to know more.
Here’s Franco’s cover letter.
February 27, 20xx
Tilden Bishop, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Research
St. Patrick’s Research Center
2005 Grand Ave.
San Francisco, CA 12345Dear Dr. Bishop,
Dr. Jones in the Environmental Studies Department of UC San Diego mentioned that you are looking for a new scientist for your Entomology team. When he told me that your project is embarking on a new study, I knew I must apply for the position.
I believe Dr. Jones spoke with you about my qualifications:
- I am a zoologist with a Ph.D. in Animal Behaviour; specialties: Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Entomology
- I have three years of experience as a research assistant to Ernest Brentwood, Ph.D.
- I was a key contributor to three of the entomology reports presented at last year’s International Environmental Conference.
It would be a career highlight for me to work with you, and I would certainly consider relocating for that opportunity. Thank you for giving my application serious consideration. Kindly let me know if you would like me to send a more detailed CV, documentation about my work, and letters of recommendation.
Sincerely yours,
Franco Tgkjuyt
Environmental scientist cover letter