Tips for writing a motivation letter
It is the most important document in your Ph.D. application. In your motivation letter or cover letter, you have a chance to designate your qualifications that you cannot tell in your CV.
Writing a proper motivation letter can be really challenging without guidance and maybe some example. I suggest you keep your letter not more than a page. Here I will tell you how I wrote my motivation letter step by step, and provide a sample motivation letter.
Introduction
Salutation
It is always better to use the recipient’s name if you know, but if you do not know you can use “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Also, you have to be careful about the title of the person that you are writing. Don’t forget to use Dr., Prof., Assoc. Prof., etc.
Indicate the position that you apply!
It is better, to begin with, an indication of the position that you apply. If there is a reference number for the position don’t forget to state that.
Body
Now, you are ready to talk about your qualifications and experiences. I prefer to tell my background chronologically.
In the bachelor’s degree part, you can talk about the relevant classes that you take. But I advise you to talk about things that make you special. You can talk about the projects that you completed. Write about your graduation projects, your role in the projects, and the instruments and techniques that you used.
The master’s degree part is the most important part if you don’t have industrial experience. Mostly, you should talk about your master’s thesis, what is your project, what is the aim, what is the problem, what did you do to do solve this problem, and don’t forget to mention the instruments that you’ve used. (You can really shine out with the ability to use instruments.) If you have publication mention about it too, it is really helpful.
If you have industrial experience, you should imply the advantages of this situation. Talk about the various projects that you were a part of. Talk about time management and problem-solving skills. If you have patents with your company indicate that. Be careful about confidentiality.
The last part of your body should indicate why you want to work in this position. What makes you a good candidate for this position? You can relate your skills that you gain before with the requirements of the position. If you say nice things about the research institute, professor, and research team that will help you either. 😊
Closing
Finish your letter with a nice closing line. Tell them why you are a strong candidate for this position. Say thank you and finally you can use “Sincerely,”.
Thank you for reading! If you want to discuss more this topic please leave a comment.
