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Question

Hi all,As I am not a native English speaker, could somebody help me editing a motivation letter (I am going to apply for a post-doc position in Social Sciences)

Shi Aina · Accepted Answer

If you post it on here someone could help you; I'd love to try. <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Thanmour · Answer

Thanks Shi Aina,
Here it is my draft. Any comment is more than welcome

Dear Professor XY,

I would like to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the “XY” project and specifically for either (a) Subproject-XY (run by you at the University of XY with the title, “XY”; reference no: XY) or (b) Subproject-XY(run by Profs. XY & XY at the University of XY with the title, “XY”). I am particularly interested in the current position because, as you may notice in my CV, it aligns with my own research interest and my passion for doing research.
The fact that we both have published in the same special issue, (i.e., XY, Vol. XY) provides some support to my claim. Please consider also that I am well aware of the work of your research team as I and my colleagues have repeatedly cited your published work in our papers.
About my track record of original research, I have published, in collaboration with my colleagues, several papers in some of the most prestigious educational psychology journals, including Journal of XY, XY, and XY. Despite the relatively short period after the completion of my thesis, my work has received some attention and this is reflected by the number citations of my work (50 citations in total; ISI h-index = 4).
As concern my background in conducting experimental and correlational research, in my studies I have used several research methods, including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental research designs. Also, I have employed a wide range of statistical analyses, including hierarchical regressions, cluster analysis, ANOVAs, path analysis, structural equation modeling, multilevel analysis, and Rasch Analysis (i.e., Item-Response Theory).
Please consider also that I am determined to fluently speak French in a few months upon my hiring, as I am willing to take up courses to refresh my French which are certified by the French Institute to the level of the “basic user”.
One final note concerns my age. Having worked as a teacher for several years, I found out that for people, like me, who seek to facilitate learning, motivation is of paramount importance. Towards this end, I started delving into studying psychology and eventually to get my PhD degree at the age of 42. The fact that I am willing to quit my permanent job (I currently work as a teacher at a public high school) for a non-permanent researcher position speaks by itself about my (intrinsic) motivation for doing research.
Considering my experience and qualifications, I believe that I could substantially contribute as a post-doc researcher at the “XY” project (either subproject-XY or subproject-XY). Concurrently, the prospect of collaborating with the faculty members of University of XY or University of XY would provide me an excellent opportunity to expand my own research interests, acquire additional experience, and further build my skills to pursue an academic career in the future. It will be my pleasure to provide any further information about me and to personally meet you upon your request.

Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,

Shi Aina · Answer

Hi Thanmour.
Your draft looks great, just a few mistakes I corrected for you below:

Dear Professor XY,

I would like to apply for the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the “XY” project, and specifically for either (a) Subproject-XY (run by you at the University of XY with the title, “XY”; reference no: XY) or (b) Subproject-XY(run by Profs. XY & XY at the University of XY with the title, “XY”). I am particularly interested in the current position because, as you may notice in my CV, it aligns with my own research interests and my passion for doing research.
The fact that we both have had our works published in the same special issue, (i.e., XY, Vol. XY) provides some support to my claim. Please consider also that I am well aware of the work of your research team as I and my colleagues have repeatedly cited your published work in our papers.
About my track record of original research, I have published, in collaboration with my colleagues, several papers in some of the most prestigious educational psychology journals, including Journal of XY, XY, and XY. Despite the it only being a relatively short time after the completion of my thesis, my work has already received some attention and this is reflected by the number citations of my work (50 citations in total; ISI h-index = 4).
Concerning my background in conducting experimental and correlational research, I have used several research methods in my studies, including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental research designs. I have also employed a wide range of statistical analyses, including hierarchical regressions, cluster analysis, ANOVAs, path analysis, structural equation modeling, multilevel analysis, and Rasch Analysis (i.e., Item-Response Theory).
Please consider also that I am determined to fluently speak French in a few months upon my hiring, as I am willing to take up courses to refresh my French which are certified by the French Institute to the level of the “basic user”.
One final note concerns my age. Having worked as a teacher for several years, I found out that for people like me who seek to facilitate learning, motivation is of great importance. Towards this end, I started delving into studying psychology and eventually got my PhD degree at the age of 42. The fact that I am willing to quit my permanent job (I currently work as a teacher at a public high school) for a non-permanent researcher position speaks by itself about my passion and motivation for doing research.
Considering my experience and qualifications, I believe that I could substantially contribute as a post-doc researcher at the “XY” project (either subproject-XY or subproject-XY). Currently, the prospect of collaborating with the faculty members of University of XY or University of XY would provide me an excellent opportunity to expand my own research interests, acquire additional experience, and further build my skills to pursue an academic career in the future. It will be my pleasure to provide any further information about me and to personally meet you upon your request.

Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,

Thanmour · Answer

Thank you so much Shi Aina,
I am fully indebted to you.
Kind regards
Thanasis

Shi Aina · Answer

You're most welcome Thanasis. I'm so glad I could help you!
Wishing you the best, Aina

Lee Asano · Answer

Pleasem help also me with my motivation letter. It here: http://www.EnglishForward.com/English/CouldYouPleaseCommentMyCl/bchzdw/post.htm

Shi Aina · Answer

Hi Elmurat, I would love to help but it seems that the link you posted does not work. I tried it but it said ''post not found.''

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