letter of intent/interest - more standarized or unique?

[pharmacology888]

In terms of the letter of intent for industry fellowships (or in general of that matter), should one write a very conventional/standarized letter, or should one try to make it a little more unique/creative while at the same time remembering the professional aspects as well? I want to make my letter a little less boring, but I'm afraid that the reader will mistake my intentions for a lack of etiquette or professionalism.
thx

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[Hels2007]

In terms of the letter of intent for industry fellowships (or in general of that matter), should one write a very conventional/standarized letter, or should one try to make it a little more unique/creative while at the same time remembering the professional aspects as well? I want to make my letter a little less boring, but I'm afraid that the reader will mistake my intentions for a lack of etiquette or professionalism.
thx

What exactly do you mean by standardized? If it looks and sounds like an example from a book that could be sent to 100 different places with barely any changes bade - it is a bad letter. Because it is so generic, it tells me nothing about who you are and what you know about my program, and why (and how much) are you interested in it.

I would presume that if you are writing a letter of intent, you have met with the program at the Midyear. Draw in the comments from that meeting into your letter. Were there particular aspects of the program you discussed? Something the program said they considered a very important quality in a candidate? Then mention it and tie it to yourself to make yourself as good a candidate as you can possibly be.

However, the language should be very professional. Eloquent (if you can) but professional - meaning, no slang, no sounding like you are writing to your aunt or your old friend, etc. That relates to the vocabulary choices AND the grammar you use.

PS Your status says pre-pharmacy - isn't it a bit early for you to worry about letters of intent for post-doc?

 

[calrx]

Currently my letter of intent is 1 full page & 3/4 of a second page (including all the adresses and my signature). I've heard 1 page is standard but is it ok to leave it a little longer? I don't want to be the only applicant with a ridiculously long letter but it flows nicely and I really don't know what to cut out.

 

[Hels2007]

Currently my letter of intent is 1 full page & 3/4 of a second page (including all the adresses and my signature). I've heard 1 page is standard but is it ok to leave it a little longer? I don't want to be the only applicant with a ridiculously long letter but it flows nicely and I really don't know what to cut out.

That's the biggest mistake of budding writers - getting too attached to what they have written. It goes away with experience. Or it doesn't.

As far as having almost two pages... it IS too long. Most people do not have the patience or the interest to read two pages closely. Keep things short, sweet and to the point. You think people are going to be willing to spend time on trying to figure out what you actually tried to say, when there will be a lot of people telling them everything up front in an easy to digest form?

Now, WHY is it so long?

Have you written a whole paragraph long love note about why the program you are applying to is the best thing since sliced bread? Cut it down to one or two key ideas.

Have you re-told half you CV in the letter? Cut it all out, leaving only one or two key highlights (be they qualities or experiences - up to you, depends on the program you are applying to).

Have you gotten boggled with detail? Try to distance yourself from your writing and think - is that something I would need to know if I were deciding which of these N people to invite for an interview? Is this information going to help me make my decision? Details can take attention away from what's really important and hide in the overall mess.

Take the red pen out and strike everything that is redundant, unnecessary, or "just sounds nice" without adding to the substance.

If after doing the above four steps still hasn't gotten you to the one-page single-space limit... well, repeat until they do. Just about the only allowable trick, if you have just over a page - say, three or four lines that wouldn't fit - then make the paragraphs 1.5-spaced and take the full two pages with extra spacing. That may work, but obviously it's the means of the last resort.

Feel free to PM me for a more personalized advice.

 

[calrx]

Thank you Hels2007 for your honesty. One of the professors writing a LOR for me offered to read and edit it for me so I'm waiting for her to get back to me. She is a great writer and brutally honest so I'm sure she will eliminate most of the garbage. I did put a lot of emphasis on why I'm interested in xxx program and why I'm the best candidate for xxx program. A lot of the beginning could be cut out. I discussed a lot of different reasons why I'm pursuing a residency and my goals. I guess I'm just a long-winded person at times! I'll work on it....

 

[Hels2007]

Thank you Hels2007 for your honesty. One of the professors writing a LOR for me offered to read and edit it for me so I'm waiting for her to get back to me. She is a great writer and brutally honest so I'm sure she will eliminate most of the garbage. I did put a lot of emphasis on why I'm interested in xxx program and why I'm the best candidate for xxx program. A lot of the beginning could be cut out. I discussed a lot of different reasons why I'm pursuing a residency and my goals. I guess I'm just a long-winded person at times! I'll work on it....

That's a common downfall of all people with scientific background... we put in too much detail, too much irrelevant information. I had that kicked out of me within the first few months in the real world. Not everyone does, though, and sometimes in meetings I can just scream when people get hung up on some detail which is completely irrelevant for the overall situation.

But that's not to say that there aren't jobs where being long-winded and very, very detailed are appreciated and needed. Plenty of those around... Just figure out where your natural inclinations and your career aspirations intersect.