Thursday 21 February 2013

Cover letter and Resume




COVER LETTER

Michelle Low
Kent Ridge Drive 4,
Singapore 156388

18 February 2013

Dr Lucia Mori
Senior Principal Investigator
Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos Building, Level 4
Singapore 138648

Dear Dr Mori,

Application for the position of Research officer, Job ID: BMSI/SIgN/LM/RO/04022013

I am very interested in the Research officer position advertised on the A*STAR webpage and it has prompted me to forward my resume for your perusal. Being an initiative programme under Singapore top biomedical research agency, A*STAR, SigN has attracted around 200 scientists from all over the world to work under renowned principal investigators in human immunology research. Hence, it will be of great honor to work under top principal investigators in the world and I believe my acquired knowledge and experience can contribute their current research.

I will be graduating in 2014 from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science in Life Science (Hons.) with specialization in Biomedical Science.  Furthermore, I have graduated from Ngee Ann polytechnic with a diploma in Biomedical Science. With both a honours degree and diploma certificate, I have an edge over the rest of the graduates as I had two Final Year Projects opportunities. These experiences provided me a chance to work with different supervisors and receive prompt feedback that allows me to hone my experimental techniques. In addition, I had taken several modules relevant to the job scopes of this position. In particular, I had read and aced in Immunology for my diploma and Experimental Microbiology for my degree. During the course of Immunology, I conducted an experiment that involved the fusion of mice spleen cells with myeloma cells using PEG method. This practical enabled me to practice on basic cell culturing techniques and acquired skills in the handling and immunization of mice. In Experimental Microbiology, I acquired knowledge on the fundamental skills in aseptic techniques and different biochemical testing which are essential for any scientific experiments.

In addition, I have internship experience at the Centre of Innovation in Environmental & Water Technology where I developed methodology for a research study and conducted experimental testing that include cell culturing and ELISA. My work had later laid the foundation for subsequent interns to continue with the research. Through this valuable experience, I had learnt to plan, conduct and analyze experiments independently as well as to troubleshoot protocols. All these skills are of relevant for a research officer.

With my laboratory experience and a self-driven attitude, I hope to be able to contribute to your company.  Enclosed within is a copy of my resume. I would like very much to meet with you to discuss further about this position.  You can contact me at 12345678.  Thank you for your kind attention and have a pleasant day!

Yours sincerely,


Michelle Low


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8 comments:

  1. kel24 February 2013 at 20:19

    Hi Michelle,

    Your letter is very well structured and is easy to read. I also like how you include technical terms which makes it very relevant since you're addressing it to the PI who will be very interested in your research experience.

    I think your cover letter can be improved in 2 ways: 1) conciseness 2)linking your experience to your achievements.

    In your first paragraph, you describe A*Star to the PI when she should know better since she is already working there. You could just say that you would like the opportunity to work under renowned PIs.

    Your dual qualification of a diploma and degree is a great asset to you and you should play to their strengths. Working "with different supervisors to "receive prompt feedback" is not putting the achievements in the best possible light.

    I would suggest something like, "The two FYPs have exposed me to numerous techniques which I am very proficient in to showcase the 2 FYPs and "The diploma has given me more practical skills while the degree has given me the theoretical knowledge necessary..." to stress the advantage of your 2 qualifications.

    I think that your achievements are really impressive and that you have a solid background to build your case on.

    Kel Ley
    p.s. please critique mine... nobody has done it yet... so sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown10 March 2013 at 08:55

      Thanks Kel ley for you comment: )

      I think your suggestion is quite useful. I will improve on my cover letter for my future job application.

      Sorry! I did not have time to look at yours but I think the others would have given valuable critiques on yours: )

      Delete
  2. Unknown25 February 2013 at 04:16

    Hi Michelle,

    I'm sorry to say this but I didn't really like the introduction. I feel that going straight into the description of how you could contribute and less of why you want to work there would have been better. Currently, it starts off a little like you are patronising the person reading.
    Do note the jarring formatting error in the 2nd paragraph. Also, it should be " I previously graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a dipl in ..."
    What I like in the second paragraph is the attempt to link the technical aspects of what you have done to the job you are applying for. Research positions tend to be very specialised, hence stating exactly what technical skills/experience you have would be very beneficial.
    I also like the simple layout of the letter itself. I see that the layout is in reverse chronological order and specifies relevant skills from both education and internship.
    In all, I would say this letter is sufficiently effective, though you have to take note of making grammatical errors.

    Cheers,
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown10 March 2013 at 08:57

      thanks chris for your comment: )

      I will try to improve on the introduction part in my subsequent cover letter.

      Delete
  3. sofiealmqvist25 February 2013 at 06:09

    Dear Michelle,

    I have to say I disagree with Christopher on one point. I loved your introduction and ending of your cover letter.
    The introduction captured the readers attention and showed the reader that you are really interested to work with this company which I think is really important.

    The ending is a good summary and had a personal touch which I like!

    You described your skills and knowledge of Experimental Microbiology in a great way and with a good language. Something you can add in that paragraph (second paragraph) is how you can take advantage of these skills and knowledge in this specific job. Even if it is obvious your skills is relevant to the position you are applying for I think it is important that you write in what way you can use the skills for this specific position.

    You have done a very good job with your cover letter Michelle! Thank you and good luck with your future applications.

    Sofie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown10 March 2013 at 08:59

      thanks sofie for your comment: )

      I think you are right about the part where I should try to sell my skills more for the position. i will try to improve on that area. thanks again!

      Delete
  4. xiaowei26 February 2013 at 09:28

    Hi Michelle,

    You have a really well crafted cover letter that highlights your research experiences. I have no problems with your introduction except that you may want to make it more concise.

    Regarding your 2nd paragraph, there are some words that I am not too sure whether it should or should not be capitalized, so you may want to review them again. Personally, I do not think it is essential to list out what you have done in the module. You may say you have acquired XXX relevant skills during (the course of Immunology/your education in polytechnic) instead. It is true that the position requires basic Immunology background but I feel that there was too much irrelevant information regarding the class practical in the 2nd paragraph.

    You may wish to elaborate the skills you picked up during internship instead, since you have used some immunology-based methods. Nevertheless, I like how you concluded that paragraph but you may want to remove “any” in that last sentence in the 2nd paragraph.

    All in all, you have some wonderful work experiences but perhaps you can include some non academic achievements too. Great job! Also, it is great to find a fellow NP alumni in class!

    Xiao Wei

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown10 March 2013 at 08:51

      thanks xiao wei for your comment: )

      I was actually thinking of elaborating more about my internship experience but the work I had done was not related to immunology.Hence, I focused on what I had learned in Immunology instead.

      Anyway, I will think about your suggestion and improve on my resume next time: )

      Delete

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