Preparation for Application to Agency for Science, Technology and

Research (A*STAR) – Summer February 2017

Welcome to UCEAP in collaboration with A*STAR

This brief presentation covers pointers for your application to the A*STAR laboratories covering the following items:

1. The Cover letter

2. Your Curriculum Vitae/Resume

3. Letter of Recommendation

4. Official Transcript(s)

Much of this information is included in your Pre-departure Checklist.

But first you will need to figure out which of the A*STAR institutes are of interest to you.

There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. Please write your questions down as they arise and wait until prompted to ask them via the Questions box.

Explore the A*STAR Institutes

On the UCEAP A*STAR program pages, click on the Internship tab and on that page,

under the section titled Opportunities, click on the A*STAR Research Institutes. This will

take you to a list of 21 institutes and centers with which you might apply to work.

On that page, continue to click in and you will learn a little about the lab and the type of

work that they are doing. Click on the Visit tab for each and further information is found.

Information about whom to contact about your institute or center can also be found there.

Participants are selected by each A*STAR Research Institution (RI) independently.

Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis. You may apply to more

than one institute or center.

You must email the required documents to the A*STAR contact(s) for your prospective

project(s) by February 22, 2017 for primary consideration. Many of the documents

require additional preparation time. Do not wait until the last minute to work on your

application.

The Cover Letter

Do a cover letter expressing interest in a specific research/internship position:

• Keep it no more than one page in length.

• Customize each to the lab/organization/company to which you are applying.

• Don’t exaggerate your skills or experience. Be honest.

• Make sure the letter explains why you are interested in the research/organization

objective, why you want to work with the group, and why you are qualified. Anything

else is irrelevant.

1st Paragraph – Introduction

This paragraph should say who you are and why you are writing this cover letter in two

sentences. Use this paragraph to name drop one or two people with whom you have

worked (in class or position) or someone who works in the field with whom you have spoken

about this, but don’t overdo it.

Example: My name is Jane Doe and I am a 3rd-year economics major at the University of

California XXX. I am writing to apply for the Financial Analyst position at Goldman Sachs

given my interest in the bond market and my desire to be part of Goldman’s industry leading

performance in this area.

The Cover Letter (cont’d)

2nd Paragraph – Why Choose Me?

Tell your reader why you have what it takes to make a difference for the organization.

Use detailed evidence of your abilities from what you have already studied, successfully

completed and accomplished in school. Relate/transfer your accomplishments to what the

research lab may need. Indicate the ability to learn anything you have not yet

undertaken.

**Tip: Short bullets are very effective way to format this section.

Example: While studying economics and working as a part-time manager at the campus

bookstore, I gained knowledge and experience that will enable me to be a successful

financial analyst:

• Extensive Modeling Skills: I received A’s in all of my advanced economics classes which

emphasize quantitative analysis using complex models. I see myself using my advanced

regression analysis models to find hidden correlations in financial data

• Client Management Ability: I solved problems and built relationships in my bookstore job

by interacting with hundreds of customers a day. Our store has never had a satisfaction

rating below 90%. Because this role will have client facing responsibilities, I will be able

to apply my maturity and communications skills to manage constantly evolving client

demands

The Cover Letter (cont’d)

3rd Paragraph – Why this Lab/Organization/Agency/Company?

This paragraph is all about wooing the company and explaining to them that you know what

they are about and why you fit in with their culture and mission. Be very specific and

personal about why the group and its work interest you. Back this all up with examples.

Avoid plugging in generic responses that you would find off the company’s website and

recruiting materials.

Example: I am choosing to apply to Goldman Sachs because of the company’s commitment to

the best client service and its deep expertise in the international bond market. I have spoken to

many members of my school’s alumni group in finance and all of them speak highly of client

service being the key to success. Adding that to the fact that major finance publications like

Bloomberg frequently cite Goldman as the leading authority in this space, it was easy for me to

make this company my top choice of employers.

The Cover Letter (cont’d)

4th Paragraph – Why this Job/Organization/Team?

Present why you are a good fit for this particular lab/job/organization given your past

interests and skills. Be very specific giving what you hope to get out of this

research/internship and why it is interesting to you.

Example: The financial analyst role is a strong fit for me because I have always been

interested in bonds and finance. I have even started an investment club at the University of

California to test different trading strategies. My goal with this job is to use my love for

finance and my economics background to develop new innovative approaches to pricing

bonds for the international bond trading group because I believe there is opportunity to find

underpriced assets in today’s low interest environment.

The Cover Letter (the close)

5th Paragraph – The Close

This should be a quick sentence that does three things: thank your reader, remind them

that your resume is enclosed, and provide an email where you can be reached.

Sample Format: Thank for your time in reviewing my application and as a reminder, my

resume and a letter of reference are attached. I can be reached at xyz@mail.com if you

have further questions.

Sign off formally, with Sincerely, Respectfully, etc.

References are available on every UC campus:

https://icc.ucdavis.edu/materials/cover-letters-samples.htm

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/pitch-yourself-for-an-internship

https://career.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/Guide/ResumesCoverLetters.pdf

http://careercenterpeers.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/11/conquering-the-cover-

letter.html

http://career.ucla.edu/portals/14/documents/pdf/careerguide/2015/ucla_careerguide

_2015-2016_082615_1246pm_chapter5.pdf

http://aip.ucsd.edu/_files/resume-cover-letter-writing

The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV is an academic resume. It should be a short concise report of what skills and

experiences you would bring to a research lab. Templates are available via your

campus Career Center for your use.

Please highlight

• Your objective

• Academic achievements

• What related classes you have successfully completed

• Scholarships or awards you may have received

• Work experience (especially teaching, mentoring, tutoring, research positions)

• Publication or poster presentations

• Communications, team or leadership experiences

References:

1. http://career.ucla.edu/portals/14/documents/pdf/careerguide/2015/ucla_care

erguide_2015-2016_082615_1246pm_chapter5.pdf

2. http://www.career.uci.edu/docs/students/Write-a-Resume.pdf

3. https://ugr.ue.ucsc.edu/email_examples

Letter of Recommendation

Due Date: February 22

Out of courtesy, you should allow at least two weeks for your UC professor to write your letter.

Request by email and/or visit faculty office hours. If requested in person, follow up with an email with the details.

Prepare request early

Choose appropriate professor

Put “Recommendation” for [your name] as the email subject line

Body of the request

• Purpose of the letter of recommendation, due date and logistics (letter must be on official UC letterhead) addressed to either lab supervisor or A*STAR Project Supervisor

• Information about yourself

• Name of labs and supervisors you plan on applying to so that the letter can be personalized.

• Information about what you would like the letter to say.

• Close with information about follow up ( you will bring your transcript and CV to the professor) and remember to thank your professor.

References:

http://www.wikihow.com/Ask-Your-Professor-for-a-Letter-of-Recommendation-Via-Email

Project supervisors may contact the recommender and/or student directly if more information is needed.

Letter of Recommendation

Downloaded from http://www.wikihow.com

To: jane.doe@exampleuniversity.edu

From: john.smith@exampleuniversity.edu

Subject: Recommendation for John Smith

Dear Dr. Doe,

I was hoping you would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation. My name is John Smith, and I am a Junior majoring in Biology. I took your Microbiology 102 course in fall of 2015 and finished with an A in the class. I will be applying for a position on Dr. Allen’s cytology research team, and the application is due by February 22.

While I was in your class, I became fascinated with the fundamental processes of life that happen on a cellular level. I am very interested in working with Dr. Allen because I feel like his team’s research in amino acid therapies could make great advances in the field. I know that you have been a part of several successful related studies, and I would very much like to be part of a team that is working on something so important. In your class, I discovered my love for microbiology, and that has led me to apply for a position on Dr. Allen’s team.

Dr. Allen has said that the position will require long hours and rigorous research. I was hoping that you could include in your recommendation the dedication that I demonstrated on the group project I was assigned while in your class. As you might remember, my group’s project was particularly difficult. We faced several setbacks but, in the end, we earned an A because of our dedication and hard work.

If you are willing to write me a recommendation, please let me know and I will stop by your office with the required paperwork.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. I enjoyed your class, and it helped immensely when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after college. You helped me see how much good biology can do in the world and I will always be grateful for that.

Best,

John Smith

Official UC Transcripts

You will need to order just one official UC transcript

Scan and email copies with application materials

PDFs are best

Make sure PDFs are clear

Scan both sides as the back side explains terminology on the transcript

Note: If you are currently enrolled in a course that is not on your transcript that is relevant to the internship, mention it on your CV.

And if you are a transfer student and some major prerequisites were completed at a community college, include a PDF of that transcript as well.

Questions?