How to craft a jaw-dropping humanities student cover letter

Humanities students study the things that make the human world go round, from cultural phenomena to religious and political affairs. To win a professional or academic position in humanities, you must craft a well-written cover letter that showcases your skills and expertise.

In this guide, we teach you five key steps for writing an excellent cover letter as a humanities student. Keep reading to learn all about:

  • Creating your cover letter header as a humanities student
  • Writing a personalized greeting for your humanities student cover letter
  • Crafting an impressive introduction on your humanities student cover letter
  • Showing off your top skills and accomplishments as a humanities student
  • Concluding your humanities student cover letter concisely

1. How to create an effective cover letter header as a humanities student

A cover letter header is the first key element to focus on creating for your humanities student cover letter. Headers include vital information about who you are and how to get in touch with you, such as:

  • Your name and professional title (for students, you can either list your ideal entry-level career title or simply write “humanities student” to let the employer know you are still in school)
  • Your contact information (phone number, email address, etc.)
  • The name of the company, internship, or program you are applying to

Here is an example of a well-formatted humanities student cover letter

Angel Marie, Humanities Student
(123) 456-7890 | angelmarie@email.com | linkedin.com/in/angel-marie

To: Baylor University
Humanities Department
1234 Street Address
Waco, Texas

2. How to write a personalized greeting for your humanities student cover letter

With your header completed, your next task is to write a greeting for your cover letter.

To impress employers and other professionals who may read your letter, the key is to personalize the greeting and content as much as possible. This means tailoring your letter with information you have found via researching the company before applying.

For the greeting of your cover letter, you should ideally address a specific person who is most likely to read your letter. This may be a company owner, a hiring manager, or a departmental head.

Here are 3 examples of personalized humanities student cover letter greetings

  • Dear Humanities Department Head John Smith,
  • Dear Dr. John Smith,
  • Dear Mr. John Smith,

Pro Tip: If a person has a title such as “Dr.”, this is generally what you want to use if addressing them within an academic setting.

3. How to craft an impressive introduction on your humanities student cover letter

As a humanities student, you know how crucial it is to make a great first impression.

On a cover letter, that first impression is achieved through an introductory paragraph. This introduction should include all of the most relevant and notable details about yourself, including:

  • A brief overview of your academic and professional history (years of experience, job responsibilities, etc.)
  • A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying
  • Any relevant accomplishments or awards that make you stand out as an applicant (as a student, you may not have an extensive work history. Showing your potential via accomplishments is a great way to showcase your skills to an employer from the very beginning of your letter.)

Here is an example of a strong introduction from a humanities student cover letter

Dear Dr. John Smith,

I write to you today with great excitement for the opportunity to be considered for a professor’s assistantship. Having studied humanities within the Honors Program at the university for three years, I have built strong professional and academic relationships with many faculty within the humanities department. If given the role of professor’s assistant, I am certain I can provide the department with the support needed for an exceptional semester.

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4. How to show off your top skills and accomplishments as a humanities student

Once you have hooked the employer’s attention with your introduction, you can begin writing a more in-depth overview of your skills, accomplishments, and other qualifications.

As you write this portion of your cover letter, it is important to ensure the details you include are:

  • Accurate: Whenever you describe skills or accomplishments in a cover letter, don’t over-embellish or exaggerate the details. While this may help get you in the door for an interview, it will ultimately come back to haunt you should the employer ask further questions.
  • Relevant: As a humanities student, you likely study many different aspects of the field and possess a wide range of skills. When writing a cover letter, you want to make sure to keep things concise. Thus, you should focus only on the most relevant skills and accomplishments you have.
  • Quantifiable: If possible, try to include information that is quantifiable, such as statistics to go along with specific accomplishments. For instance, if you previously worked as a lab assistant, you could include a quantifiable figure about how you improved lab efficiency for other students.

Here are 6 examples of humanities student skills to include in a cover letter

  • Research and research analysis
  • Writing and communication
  • Leadership skills (describe your exact style of leadership)
  • Critical thinking
  • Developing presentations
  • Creativity

Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a humanities student cover letter

As a humanities student at Monroe University, I have maintained a 4.0 GPA and have met the academic standards of the Honors Program for three consecutive years. Resulting from my dedication to my school work, I earned a Humanities Department Award for student academics.

5. Concluding your humanities student cover letter concisely

The final component of your humanities student cover letter is a well-written conclusion.

Your conclusion should be short and to the point, while still working to further persuade the employer to get in contact with you. Key information to state in your conclusion includes:

  • When and how an employer can best contact you
  • When you hope to hear from the employer
  • When you plan to follow up with the employer
  • A formal sign-off

Here is an example of a concise conclusion from a humanities student cover letter

I am deeply appreciative of the time you have taken to review my cover letter and application. You may best reach me Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at angelmarie@email.com or at (123) 456-7890. I hope to hear from you by next Tuesday and plan to follow up that afternoon regarding the status of my application.

Sincerely Yours,

[Applicant Name]

Published on Jan. 19, 2023

A journalist by trade, a writer by fate. Nikoleta went from writing for media outlets to exploring the world of content creation with Kickresume and helping people get closer to the job of their dreams. Her insights and career guides have been published by The Female Lead, College Recruiter, and ISIC, among others. When she’s not writing or (enthusiastically) pestering people with questions, you can find her traveling or sipping on a cup of coffee.

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