Finally, Scientiae is up! It’s Sci’s first time submitting to the carnival, and I’m very glad that I got in. It’s a big one, too, a two part experiment from Endless Possibilities. I highly recommend, especially the ones from The Bigger Picture (with photos of women in science looking very badass), and more than a permanent student.
And Ambivalent Academic has posted on what to put on a cover letter for people she’s cold-emailing for post-docs. Sci had an idea, and posted an example, but I am but a lowly grad student and could very well be totally wrong. So I am posting my example HERE, and I would really lovely some feedback for those bigger and badder than me!!
*ahem*
*cough cough*
Dear Professor X,
My name is Scicurious, and I am nth-year graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Magneto at Mutant U, on track to graduate in never. My current work utilizes genetic studies to pinpoint mutations in Sabertooths, for the determination of the generation of more crazy things with claws and attitude.
I was recommended to your laboratory by Dr. Jean Grey, who felt that our work is very complementary (/ I had the pleasure to talk with you at the last International Conference on Mutant Research, where I presented my work/ I recently spoke with you about use of x-rays in assessing the presence of adamantium in the skeleton/ I did something else with you and it was totes awesome). I would like to use my postdoctoral experience to investigate the generation of claws in other mutants. Right now, I am fully trained in some aspects of claw generation, but would like to use my postdoctoral experience to move into the additional study of adamantium, which I feel would add greatly to my current techniques and allow me to form a more complete picture of possible mechanisms behind claw growth and badassery. I greatly admire your work on Wolverines, as well as your work with adamentium skeletal elements, and I was wondering if you might be looking for a post-doc at present.
I have taken the liberty of attaching a current CV and research statement, which explains my current work in more detail. Please let me know if there is a post-doctoral position available in your lab, and if you do not believe I would be suitable, I completely understand. Thank you very much for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Scicurious
So? Concerns? Did I say anything horrid and bad and guaranteed to make people run away?
