Upcoming Events and Workshops:
Cover Letter Tips
Writing a cover letter for the first time can be scary! We want you to think of a cover letter as a way of putting all information you want to convey in your application, in a single letter. Cover letters are used in nearly all professional settings, so this is good practice!
In your cover letter, be sure to include an introduction of yourself, your interest and experience in public service and government, your interest in a particular fellowship, your qualifications, a conclusion, and a signature. If you apply for multiple fellowships, it is acceptable to reuse components of your cover letter, as long as your interest in and qualifications for each fellowship are clear. If it helps, think of it as an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion; the first body paragraph answers the question “Why are you interested in public service and government?”, the second body paragraph answers the question “Why are you interested in this particular fellowship?”, and the third body paragraph answers the question “Why are you a strong candidate for this particular fellowship?”. However, this is only a guide, and you can modify as you see fit.
We encourage you to view our guide to writing a cover letter and our cover letter template. CareerEd also has excellent cover letter resources, available here, that we strongly encourage applicants to use and view. In general, try to keep your cover letter to a single page.
Practice Interview Questions:
1. How does this fellowship fit into your academic and career goals? How will you bring back what you have learned to Stanford’s campus?
2. Many of your coworkers will be much older or more experienced than you. What experience do you have working on teams with people who are very different from yourself?
Campus Resources
Haas Center Peer Advisors
Make an appointment to meet with Cardinal Quarter Peer Advisors or general Haas Center Peer Advisors. Peer Advisors have previous experience applying to similar or identical opportunities, and can assist in your internship search.
Stanford Career Education
CareerEd, Stanford’s center for career education, offers resources to help students with resumés, cover letters, interviews, and other application materials. Visit their calendar of upcoming events or their resources page to register for a career coach appointment or resumé workshops.
Hume Center for Writing and Speaking
“The Hume Center is staffed by experienced, trained tutors who can help you at any stage of the writing or speaking process on any type of writing or speaking assignment. Meet with a tutor, schedule an appointment, stop by Hume for drop-in hours, or visit one of our “remote” locations across campus.”
Writing tutors frequently work with students to develop fellowship applications, and Oral Communication tutors frequently help students practice fellowship interviews. Visit the Hume Center website to view drop-in tutoring hours, schedule an appointment, or learn more about resources at Hume.