Obtaining your Ph.D. degree can bring many advantages to your professional life. It can be an occasion to get a new job designation or to advance in your career. If you plan to develop in your career ladder, you need to work on a resume and a cover letter. Since a Ph.D. cover letter is your next step to highlight your qualification, follow Fratres guidelines for better writing tips.

A Ph.D. Cover Letter Purposes:

The primary purpose of a cover letter is to demonstrate that you are a right candidate. All this information should not exceed one page. Humanities and Social Sciences Ph.D. applicants can be an exception, and their cover letters may extend up to two pages. The basics of a cover letter are tailored to the job offer you have submitted your application. Take a look at Know all about the Opening and the Closing of a Cover Letter. Now, let's see where academics can write this letter:

If you are planning to pursue an advanced teaching career, you need to check with the faculty/ college in your department. Planning to get your Ph.D., but you don’t know about the requirements? Check this out: PhD Study in the UK.

Try to address your receiver by his/ her job designation. You can also employ this statement: "Dear Members of the Search Committee." In case you are addressing more than one individual.

Interested in teaching? Check this out How to Write An Application Letter for Teaching Jobs at Schools?

Ph.D. Cover Letter Writing Tips :

Obtaining a new qualification should be highlighted in your resume and your cover letter. To write a good cover letter, you should express your fit and focus on potential contributions to this institution and not only the reasons for your application. Show enthusiasm for the academic position such as, 

I am glad to achieve my final academic degree ( mention your university). I was extremely grateful to the Search Committee, who finalized my thesis on old civilizations. My proficiency in Greek and my interest in scripture prompted me to apply for a position as a History Lecturer at ( mention the university in which you are interested in teaching).

If you are not very sure about what to insert as an introduction to your letter, imagine that you are in the search committee. Try to think about what this committee is interested in. The purpose of thinking like heads of departments and college deans can make your task easier, as you will provide in your cover letter what they are looking for.

 For many academics and graduate students, essential points include:

Your research conditions: you can allocate a paragraph in your letter to describe your research journey, especially if you don't have any subtle and stable work experience. Take a look at What Jobs Can you Get with an English Degree in the UK?

your availability and contribution to the field: to increase your employability show your devotion to the field such as:

I write academic articles and essays regularly, and I want to invest my research and knowledge in an assertive teaching position.

Your reasons for the application: of course, you need to explain why you are interested in the job and this institution, beyond regurgitating the mission statement.

Make yourself an excellent candidate: you can describe, for example, your achievements and qualifications. You can use specific details to highlight your skills.

Demonstrate your contribution to research institutions: the academic field is based on a continuous learning process. That's why you need to research recent topics. If you are not elaborating on research regularly, you can mention your potential collaborations. For Doctoral students, here is how to write academic articles for journals in 10 steps.

For humanities, arts, and language colleges: you need to value the field you are applying for with the promise to engage students in being more productive in the literary field. You can show interest in a literary competition such as competition for poets, novelists, or journalists. Take a look at Best Writing Competitions to Enter this Year

Final paragraph: restate your interest in the position by evoking that you look forward to getting an interview. Close your cover letter by thanking the research committee or using closing expressions such as "Kind Regards" or "Sincerely," followed by your name and signature.

A Ph.D. Cover Letter example for a Doctoral Candidate:

Your name

Phone Number

Address

Email

Date

The Research Committee's Name

 Job Title

The college address

Dear Dr. Head of the English Department, 

My name is www. I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Arts, who will hopefully obtain the Ph.D. degree requirements by August 2020. I am writing this letter to confirm my application for Assistant Professor in Literature at ABC institute. After sending an email inquiring about a job vacancy, I obtained a list of the university website's recent professional offers. I am incredibly interested in developing my academic fulfillment and obtaining a job as an Assistant Professor, as teaching has always been my primary ambition.

As a doctoral candidate, I can contribute to the literary field by teaching students who have the same vocation to follow the literary path. I can also establish concrete educational structures, develop advanced educational techniques, and lead extracurricular activities for poetry and theatre. 

My academic training and previous teaching experience included teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) for non-native speakers. It was an exchange experience at (name the college). It was also an opportunity to learn about other different cultures and use my working with them as research on language acquisition within other communities. I am glad to inform you that my exchange program culminated in eight academic essays on behavioral learning, English teaching strategies, and effective linguistic rehabilitation for students out of practice.

My doctoral dissertation was conducted two years ago. It was supervised by Dr. Prof. (name your Ph.D. supervisor), it was a comparative study of both French and English plays by Samuel Beckett. My choice of this contemporary literary study was derived from my bilingual skills and interest in exploring English literature written and translated in the French language. Since I am a theatre lover, I initiated a theatrical troupe to entertain residents in foster places and home care. My theatre club obtained two honorary certificates for social work contribution and artistic development.

I am excited to share my academic and teaching journey in this letter. I am even more excited to get a place in this English college department and expand my skills and knowledge. I hope that my application will be viewed positively, and I look forward to meeting you to discuss this position, including the teaching programs and courses. I invited you to check my resume, my reference list, and a small summary of my recent Ph.D. thesis. Please contact me through my phone number (enter your phone number) or email address.

Thank you for your consideration.

Your name

Signature.

That was a Ph.D. cover letter example. Once you submit your application, you can expect a lecturer interview.