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
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYour 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.
Thanks Kel ley for you comment: )
DeleteI 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: )
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI'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
thanks chris for your comment: )
DeleteI will try to improve on the introduction part in my subsequent cover letter.
Dear Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI 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
thanks sofie for your comment: )
DeleteI 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!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYou 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
thanks xiao wei for your comment: )
DeleteI 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: )