10 Easy Tips to Help You Write the Killer Bioinformatics Cover Letter

1. Address it to the right person. Not to Dear Sir or Madam. Not to the Hiring Manager or Department Director. Address it to Mr. James Jones, Director of Bioinformatics. Find out who the hiring manager is and direct your letter and resume to that person.
   
   


2. Get it right. Don’t insult the hiring manger by spelling his or her name wrong. Make sure the spelling is correct, and that you include all the appropriate initials and the correct title: James Jones, MD, PhD, Director of Bioinformatics.
   
   


3. It ain’t about you. Your resume is all about you and your qualifications. Your cover letter is about the company and how you can benefit them.
   
   


4. Don’t be funny. Or pushy or arrogant. Confident, assertive professionalism is the right tone.
   
   


5. Tailor it to the recipient. Find out what you can about him or her, and target your letter to that person. You will use different language if your hiring manager is a PhD in Computer Science than if she is an MD or a PharmD.
   
   


6. Tailor it to the job. Most of the time, a cover letter is a letter of application for a specific job. Be specific about how your education, skills and experience qualify you for this bioinformatics job.
   
   


7. 1st paragraph: why you are writing. Keep it simple. You are writing to apply for a particular position. Say that in so many words.
   
   


8. 2nd paragraph: how it will benefit them to hire you. List your two or three top skills and accomplishments that relate to this position, and tell how the company will benefit from having you in that position. “The expertise I gained with the Human Genome Project will be invaluable in developing new gene therapies at your company.”
   
   


9. Use the language. Use professional bioinformatics terms, speaking as one professional to another. Avoid jargon, but use appropriate terminology that demonstrates your knowledge of the job.
   
   


10. 3rd paragraph: action steps. Let them know how to reach you for an interview. (I’m looking forward to receiving a phone call (mobile # 555-555-5555) or email (jjones@yahoo.com) from you to arrange for an interview.) Also tell them what you will do if you do not hear from them. (If I haven’t talked to you by then, I will call you in two weeks to see where you are in your hiring process.)