Academic Advisor
Cover Letter Sample

As an expert in your field, you've made a career out of advising students. As experts in resume and cover letter writing, here's our advice to you on how to put together a well-crafted academic advisor cover letter.

December 29, 2023

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Academic Advisor Cover Letter Template

Make sure your cover letter is formatted well to give it a professional appearance.

Copy-paste Academic Advisor Cover Letter (Text Format)

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: your.email@email.com

Phone: (123) 456-7891

Address: Street, City, State

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

[Today’s Date]

[Hiring Manager]
University Address
University City, State xxxxx
(xxx)-xxx-xxxx
hiring.manager@university.edu

Dear [Mr./Ms./Mrs.] [Manager’s Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I’m writing regarding the Senior Academic Advisor position in the Advising Services department at Aspen University. With a background comprising 4 years of academic advising and career counseling, and 5+ years of research and teaching, I bring to your university experience gleaned from nearly a decade in academia.

For the last 4 years, I’ve been an academic advisor in the School of Business at the University of Alabama (Birmingham). In this role, I’ve helped close to 600 students, primarily with:

Adapting to university life by organizing and conducting regular orientation and individual follow-up sessions, especially for at-risk students.
Providing 1-on-1 academic advising and career counseling in the field of business and management.
Applying for scholarships, grants, and internships by overseeing and assisting with the application process, with successful students netting benefits to the tune of $250,000 over 3 years.

Moreover, I played a key part in improving the effectiveness of the “At-risk students dropout prevention and recovery program,” which resulted in a 47% reduction in dropouts over the course of 2 years.

Prior to my advising career, I served as a lecturer in the School of Business at the University of Alabama. It was during this time that I discovered my advising skills. Given my approachability, students would bring their academic problems to me, and I derived a sense of fulfillment from solving them or guiding them to the best on-campus resource when I personally couldn’t. I didn’t think twice about changing careers when an advising position opened up at the university.

I’m excited to speak about this role over the phone or online, but I can also drop by the campus for an in-person interview when I’m in Birmingham next week — whatever works best for you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Academic Advisor Cover Letter Tips

Academic advisors work one-on-one with students to provide guidance and information on how they can meet academic requirements.

Show institutions you’re a great fit for the job by showcasing your expertise in an outstanding cover letter.

Here are three cover letter tips for crafting an impressive academic advisor cover letter:

Highlight academic advisor skills

As an academic advisor, you serve as a liaison between students and faculty.

Empathy, patience, and communication skills are essential because you’re responsible for discussing academic matters with students and recommending solutions to their problems.

Because the role also involves providing students with detailed information and directing them to the right resources, educational institutions look for a combination of hard and soft skills in an academic advisor.

Here’s a list of skills to highlight in an academic advisor cover letter:

Organizational skills
Time management skills
Problem-solving
Critical thinking
Analytical skills
Empathy
Patience
Active listening
Positive attitude
Detail-oriented
Flexibility
People skills
Interpersonal skills
Ability to work under pressure
Understanding of counselling techniques (academic guidance)
In-depth knowledge of institutional information

Open with a strong introduction

Convince employers that you’re dedicated to supporting students in achieving their academic goals by writing a strong introduction for your cover letter.

Here’s how to craft a compelling opening for an academic advisor cover letter:

Convey enthusiasm for the role. Don’t just say you’re interested in the position, explain why. Connect a personal passion to the job. For example, if you had a great relationship with your academic advisor in college who made significant contributions to your academic success, mention it in your cover letter.
Lead with an impressive accomplishment to highlight an essential skill.
Quantify your skills by adding numbers to back up your achievements. Doing so will give employers a sense of what you can contribute to their company. For example, “Maintained 10+ appointments daily to advise students from diverse educational backgrounds on academic difficulties.”

Emphasize your interpersonal skills

As someone who guides students through their academic challenges, your cover letter should demonstrate that you have the communication skills to connect with students from diverse populations.

Experience in more specialized academic fields such as special ed may be particularly valued as it demonstrates strong interpersonal skills. Looking at a high-quality online special education teacher cover letter can give you some ideas.

In addition to your communication skills, strong interpersonal skills are critical for being an academic advisor.

Emphasize these skills in your cover letter to show employers you are respectful and supportive while addressing students’ concerns.

For example, talk about your involvement in organizing orientation and follow-up sessions at the start of the school year to help students adjust to college life.