The cover letter is a 1-1.5 page letter on MIT letterhead, addressed to the search committee. The academic cover letter has a very specific format which includes the following:

• A brief first paragraph introducing yourself (“your research identity”), identifying the specific position you are applying to, and highlighting why you are interested in the specific position
• One to two paragraphs describing the highlights of your past and future research (these are organized in various ways depending on how you feel it best summarizes your “research identity”), emphasizing outcomes and achievements in the past like grants and high-impact publications. For future research, provide a “high-level” description of the key research goals you propose (which you will describe further in the research statement), and the impact you believe this research will bring to the institution
• One paragraph summarizing, on a “high-level,” your teaching and mentoring experience. For example, you might note the number of courses or semesters you have taught, or mentees you have supported, and the publications they have produced. Describe how you see this commitment to teaching and mentoring aligning with institutional and department priorities
• A brief concluding paragraph summarizing what makes you stand out, and why you are particularly excited to apply.

See a visual breakdown of an academic cover letter provided by MIT’s Nuclear Science & Engineering Comm Lab

In the U.S., the CV is different from the resumé. A resumé is a 1-2 page tailored document for industry roles, while a CV is a comprehensive document that lists your scholarly record. This includes but is not limited to:

• Education
• Research experience (such as your postdoc) with brief descriptions
• Grants, fellowships, and funding you’ve earned and helped earn
• Patents if you have any
• Publications
• Conferences and talks (these can be tailored if you have a lot)
• Relevant industry experience
• Teaching experience
• Mentoring experience
• Leadership and service (ex. serving as judges and reviewers, outreach and community work)
• Skills (often optional but helpful if you bring particular extensive or unusual say, such as programming/computation or language and research skills that not everyone in your field has)
• List of references (names and contact information)

Refer to the PhD & postdoc career document library (see academic dossiers) for example CVs

You can also find additional CVs in CAPD’s career handbook

The research statement summarizes your distinct research identity, your past research accomplishments, and your proposal for your future research plan as a faculty member. Length varies, but the research statement is typically 3-5 pages, not including citations. In the STEM disciplines, you typically 2-3 concrete projects (“research thrusts”) for your group for the first 3-6 years. For humanities and social science disciplines, you often describe how you will accomplish the key project expected of you for tenure (for example, 3 articles or a book).

Research statement structures vary by discipline. For example, some disciplines and departments tend to focus more on past projects and achievements, while others want to know more about your future research vision. Across all disciplines, you should describe the methodology and techniques you will use to help a committee imagine how you conduct research. You might consider asking colleagues who have successfully received first-round interviews to share their research statements in order to identify the standard structure in your field.

To think about your “research identity” and see a diagram of the components of a research statement, refer to this post from the MIT EECS Comm Lab. Note that this research statement diagram is typical for Electrical Engineering and Comp Sci and may not be typical for your discipline.

A teaching statement represents your approaches and philosophy regarding teaching and learning. Include specific examples to illustrate your approaches from your past teaching experience, and propose specific ideas for how you would teach future courses. It is typically 1-2 pages. Include a statement of the broad courses you are qualified to teach, as well as any courses you would like to develop.

See more advice on writing teaching statements on the Teaching + Learning Lab’s website

Typically, you will be asked to list 3-4 references in the application portal. For faculty applications, these are typically your PhD PI, your postdoc PI (if you are a postdoc), and another reference who can describe your accomplishments in the field. While this last reference is typically a faculty member, it can also be someone who can speak to your teaching (if you are applying to a teaching-centric institution) or an industry collaborator who can attest that they would look forward to supporting your research when you become a faculty member.

Make sure to ask reference letter writers earlier rather than later, and be proactive. Do they need a Make sure to ask reference letter writers earlier rather than later, and be proactive. Do they need a quick bullet-pointed list of your key achievements that you would like them to emphasize? Do you want them to know a few particular schools are your top choice?

Make sure to communicate clearly and provide as much information as possible to your reference letter writers. Should you provide a quick bullet-pointed list of your key achievements that you would like them to emphasize? Do you want them to know a few particular schools are your top choice? Make sure to communicate clearly and provide as much information as possible to your reference letter writers.

Refer to this page for information on requesting effective reference letters through Stanford’s Academic Advising Office (this is for undergrads, but the same principles apply here)

Diversity/Community Values/Broader Impact Statement

This a statement typically consists of 1 page and describes your past, present, and future contributions to promoting diversity and equity, building community, or committing to department- and university-level engagement in your professional career. Provide concrete examples of how you have demonstrated this commitment and specific examples of how you would do so at the institution to which you are applying.

Mentoring Statement (separate from teaching statement)

This statement typically consists of 1 page and describes your experience mentoring students. Consider how you have supported mentees in the lab and in the wider scientific community. Provide concrete examples of how you have done this type of mentoring work and how you plan to continue doing so. about how you have supported mentees in the lab as well as the wider scientific community. Provide concrete examples of how you have done this type of mentoring work and concrete examples of how you plan to continue to do so.

Generic job or internship postings won’t interest as many students. Taking the time to craft an interesting and detailed posting will yield a more robust applicant pool.

Some tips to consider:

Provide specific examples of the type of work involved for the internship or job, if possible.

Instead of listing majors, identify specific competencies or skill sets for each position. Many MIT students, regardless of major, have a broad range of skills.

Share information about your company, particularly if you’re a start-up or don’t have a long history recruiting at MIT. Spotlight interesting company projects, products or accomplishments.

Include a salary range in your full-time job postings as it can give your employer a competitive advantage in attracting MIT students. For guidance on salaries, please view our most recent Post-graduate and Summer Outcomes information.

Don’t just post that job! Advertise your opportunity for more success in recruiting applicants.

Post your opportunities by logging into Handshake. All postings are reviewed and approved by staff within one to two days.

In addition to Handshake, recruit interns through:

• MIT internship programs run outside of CAPD.
• UROP (MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program)
• Student Financial Services (for part-time or seasonal jobs during the fall or spring semester)

MIT does not have co-op programs and most MIT students intern during the summer. Typically departments do not offer academic credit for internships, and any requests to do so should be sent to the appropriate department’s academic administrator. To learn where MIT students have interned, their salaries and more please review the Post-graduate and Summer Outcomes data.

Unpaid internships

To support all students at MIT, equity of access to internships is of great importance to CAPD. Employers seeking to benefit from a having a diverse workforce must consider compensation in order to be successful in recruiting talent, building your office culture around diversity, and retaining excellent workers.

At MIT, we seek that a student’s internship experience should be of no cost to them. If a salary or stipend is a challenge for your organization, consider how you might be able to provide housing, travel to the workplace location, supplies to work remotely if needed, etc.

In addition to supporting equitable hiring practices, all employers should abide by the standards set forth under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law that establishes minimum wages for work performed. In accordance with this law, the U.S. Department of Labor has developed seven criteria for differentiating between an employee and/or intern entitled to minimum wage or more, and an employee and/or intern who may be legally unpaid.

In addition, MIT supports the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) position on unpaid internships, and will not approve unpaid positions posted that are not in accordance with the FLSA and NACE guidelines.

Handshake is targeted toward current MIT students or alumni who have graduated within the past two years. Employers seeking candidates with three or more years of experience are invited to post positions via the official MIT Alumni Job Board.

Re-examine and extend recruiting timelines

Collaborate with CAPD and other MIT Campus partners to develop your strategy and timeline. Early recruiting deadlines do not provide adequate time for students from under-represented backgrounds to prepare their application materials.

Review position description for unconscious bias

Consider using a gender decoder for job ads. Familiarize yourself with these guiding principles, terms to avoid, and concepts to know when crafting inclusive internship and job descriptions.

Remove GPA requirements from your job or internship postings

High GPAs do not translate to workforce readiness. Consider skills, not academic majors. For example, this Handshake blog post reviewed the data and explains how GPA requirements disadvantages Black students. If you are using GPA to filter your applicants, you are leaving behind a talented candidate pool at MIT.

Offer a fair wage

Unpaid internships furthers opportunities for those who can afford to take them, while leaving those who can’t at a disadvantage. At MIT, we seek that a student’s internship experience should be of no cost to them. CAPD encourages employers to review our guidelines for posting jobs and internships and reference CAPD’s bi-annual Summer Experience Survey when offering fair compensation.

State the salary range and whether offer is negotiable in job and internship postings

According to the AAUW’s The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap by the AAUW, college educated women with full time jobs, make on average 26% less than their male counterparts. These inequalities are even larger when we examine the gender pay gap for URM women. For example, Hispanic women make 54% of white non-Hispanic men’s wages. Help address this inequality by being transparent with salary range and relocation expenses typically offered early in the applicant review process.

Disrupt the bias in your hiring process

Bias Interrupters provides a 3-step approach and toolkit with simple steps to disrupt unconscious bias during hiring. Bias arises throughout the selection process including reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates and negotiating salary.

Hire for culture add vs. culture fit

Hiring for a culture fit can lead to affinity bias; consider these tips.

Foster opportunities for candidates to find their community

During the interview process provide opportunities for candidates to explore the city/location, share information about company resources including connections to employee resource groups (ERG’s) or mentorship programs.

Engage in opportunities to support students’ career exploration

Connect with MIT students early by hiring a micro-intern, encouraging MIT Alum to join Alumni Advisors Hub, or volunteering to speak on panels. These engagements help students develop more connections in industry.

Across MIT there are a number of departments, programs, and resources which you are encouraged to connect with in order to recruit underrepresented groups.

Post to Handshake

All students and post-docs at MIT are encouraged to search for opportunities on Handshake. Post your company’s internship programs which target URM students and other full-time opportunities on Handshake under the “jobs” category. If your organization offers virtual or in-person events including programs, conferences, recruiting events among other, post them to Handshake as an event.

Contact with CAPD Employer Relations

Connect with CAPD’s employer relations team to gain insight on how to promote your URM programs and opportunities. Email hiremit@mit.edu and include the information about the program or opportunity you hope to recruit for as well as the Handshake link for those opportunities.

Engage with student clubs and organizations

Find underrepresented minority (URM) student clubs and organizations to connect with by searching student organizations using key words or the filters within the platform.

Once you identify a club or organization, there is email contact information and typically a link to the organization’s web page(s) where you can find additional information about the organization, its members, and opportunities to connect with them. You are strongly encouraged to directly reach out to targeted URM clubs and organizations to promote your company and opportunities geared toward URM populations.

Some groups to consider connecting with:

African American/Black

Black Students Union (BSU), Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Chocolate City, Black Women’s Alliance

LGBTQ+

Affiliated, LGBT Grad, Gender Fluidity Club, GaMIT

Military/Veterans

MIT Student Veteran Association, National Society of Pershing Rifles Charlie Company 12th Regiment

Students with Disabilities

American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Club

Latinx

Hermanas Unidas, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Mujeres Latinas, Latinos in Science and Engineering, LUChA, La Casa

Low Income/First Generation

Quest Scholars Network, Donor to Diner, FLI@MIT and G-FLI@MIT

Women

Society of Women Engineers, GWAMIT, Undergrad Women in Physics, Women in Machine Learning, Grad Women in Aerospace Engineering / Women in Aerospace Engineering, Women Business Leaders, Women in EECS / Grad Women of Course 6, Undergrad Society for Women in Math

Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success (OACES)

The mission of OACES, building on the pioneering legacy of the OME, is to champion the success of students who have faced challenges on their paths to and through MIT. This may include, but is not limited to, students who are first-generation, low-income, transfer, underrepresented, and/or underserved.

Micro-internships are short-term projects or internships where students can collaborate with employers and/or MIT alumni on research, data analysis, software development, or other projects that will provide a learning opportunity while meeting a workplace need. Discover how a micro-internship helped transform the journey of one MIT student.

These opportunities will enable students to prototype different careers as well as build mentoring relationships and professional networks they can maintain beyond the experience.

• Micro-internships typically range between 4-6 weeks and 10-35 hours per week; however, terms are flexible and predicated based on the nature of the highly specific, project-based work.
• The employer/alumni and students can negotiate the specific terms, as each individual situation or need may vary.

Micro-internships are offered during the January Independent Activities Period (IAP) break. Some students may have the flexibility to undertake micro-internships during the fall or spring semesters; however, their availability is usually limited.  Key Dates:

• September 16 – Post-micro-internships in Handshake
• October 14 – Begin interviewing students
• October 27 – Extend an offer to the student
  • Students can have 5-7 business days to make a decision
• November – Employers should contact the student micro-interns as soon as possible to make arrangements for the experience
• January 5-January 30- Individual Activities Period (IAP) –  Students participate in micro-internship

View the academic calendar for updated IAP start and end dates. Employers and students can work together the determine the appropriate start and end dates for the micro-internship. If offering a remote micro-internship, consider additional supports and supplies students might need to complete the experience, including laptops, printers, and WIFI access and security.

Hiring timelines differ for international students. Undergraduate and graduate international students hired for a micro-internship must receive off-campus work authorization (CPT, OPT or AT) before they can begin. OPT authorization can take up to 120 days for processing.

MIT’s International Students Office provides detailed information regarding the approval process for F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)  and F-1 Pre-Completion OPT, including information about dates for work authorization and a sample offer letter that students seeking CPT need.

Employers are encouraged to visit CAPD’s information about hiring international students.

1. Log in to Handshake. If you do not have an account, follow these steps to create a Handshake Employer User Account or join your company’s existing Handshake Account.
2. Once your Handshake account is approved, post the opportunity. For Position Type, select “Internship.”
3. For Position Title:
   • Label the opportunity as: Micro-Intern: Position Title (Semester). Example: Micro-Intern: Data Analytics (IAP).
   • If you are an MIT Alumni, please include the term “Alumni Host” in the micro-internship job title. Example: Micro-Intern: Data Analytics (IAP-Alumni Host).
4. Complete the required job posting information. Include key information outlined on the CAPD Post Jobs, Internships, and Fellowships page.
5. For the “apply start” field, select September 15.
6. To ensure the greatest number of applicants, CAPD recommends not selecting labels on the Preferences page (ie: School Year Preference, Major Categories) of Handshake’s job posting page.

If you have any questions or need additional support, please contact Tavi Sookhoo, Assistant Director of Career Prototypes at tsookhoo@mit.edu.

All MIT undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply for micro-internships. If hiring international students, consider the timeline restrictions outlined above. MISTI students may need to meet additional program-specific requirements.

Employers and alumni should pay micro-interns fair market value for their work.

The Summer Experience Survey provides an overview of MIT student pay during summer internships, including hourly pay.

If an organization cannot meet these standards, consider paying micro-interns at least minimum wage, which is $15.00 per hour in Massachusetts. A competitive pay results in a greater number of applicants.

For global micro-internships, we understand that internship compensation practices vary by country. See the MISTI internships page for more information.

CAPD will not approve an unpaid micro-internship unless it is in accordance with the unpaid internships guidelines outlined on our site. 

Non-compete laws and regulations vary by state. Students are encouraged to learn about the laws in the location of the internship or job to better understand their rights and what is allowable. The recent Workforce Mobility Act of 2021 may change the landscape for noncompete acts.

Students with questions and concerns are encouraged to seek assistance from the MIT / BU Law Clinic.

Hosts located abroad are encouraged to work directly with MIT’s MISTI program.

MISTI works closely with international partners to place hundreds of students in internships abroad each year. 

MISTI program managers have expertise in the culture, language and internship practices of the host country and can assist with student recruitment, matching, logistics, and administration.

• Offer valuable learning opportunities.
• Provide a paid experience.
• Hosts are encouraged to foster connections and/or mentoring relationships with students. For example, scheduling regular check-in meetings with students, consider connecting students to relevant colleagues within the organization.

Instead of a matching process of students to alumni hosts, micro-internships will be offered by a broad set of employers.

Micro-internships are posted in Handshake and the process is similar to hiring an intern.

Alumni are strongly encouraged to host micro-interns, as MIT students highly value opportunities to build relationships with MIT alums.