<aside> 🌻 Tips for writing cover letters / personal statements

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How does a cover letter differ from a resume?

• gives you a chance to not just show what you did, but what you learned
  • for example, on a resume you might talk about your role on a team, where you talk about your responsibilities, how many events you led, how many social media impressions you got, etc.
  • on a cover letter, you might talk about how that role taught you about the importance of collaboration, the importance of interdisciplinary thinking, effective communication, etc.
• gives you a chance to explain your interests and objectives within and beyond the Master’s program
• a resume talks about what you did in the past , but doesn’t necessarily highlight what you’re hoping to do in the future → this is where a cover letter comes in
• you can tell a story of how your experiences tie together through your cover letter
  • for example, on a resume, you would list all of your research or mentorship experiences
  • on a cover letter, you can talk about how you discovered your research interests (ex: maybe you learned about the topic in a course, or you have a personal experience)

What can I write about?

• volunteer and work experiences
  • do not just talk about what you did, but what you learned
  • your resume will allow you to talk about what you did, and the cover letter will allow you expand further on what you learned
• showcase your individual and collaborative work experiences
• your course experiences!
  • did you learn something in class that sparked your interest with a specific topic?
  • did you do an assignment on a topic that relates to the program you’re applying to?
• incorporate some of the program’s philosophies and values into your own cover letter
  • for example, if a program says that there is a lot of collaboration → highlight your collaborative experiences (whether that’s a club, a research team, a sport, etc.)
• what about the program excites you and what you hope to gain from the program
  • show the admissions team that you have done research on the program
  • do you want to gain a specific skill (ex: written communication)?
  • do you want to participate in a specific experience that is only offered through this program (ex: doing exchange with McMaster’s MSc Global Health program)
  • do you want to take specific courses offered through this program?
  • how does enrolling in this program align with your career aspirations?

My cover letter format

Name (pronouns)