说起套词,首先就要从套词的时机说起。套词信的内容固然很重要,但是如果时机不对,教授根本就没有看到你的邮件,那套词信写得再好又有什么用呢?所以一个合适的时机就是成功的一半。一般来说,早上九点前发套词信,得到教授回复的概率会比较大。教授早上上班一般都会有查邮箱的习惯,如果打开邮箱你得套词信出现在了很top的几位,那么教授很有可能就会点开你的邮件。还有一个套词的黄金时期就是教授出去开conference的时期。十一月十二月这段时间有各种各样大大小小的国际会议,一般的教授至少都会去一两个,教授在开会的时候是最闲的,白天开会,晚上就没什么事了,所以这个时候是最好的套词时期(一位学姐亲测教授在开会的时候回复套词信的概率为100%)。当然要抓住教授出去开会的机会也不容易,这就要同学们使出十八般武艺才能知道教授的行踪,可以去教授的主页上看看教授发过哪些conference的paper,没准他今年就会再去那个conference。或者可以去conference的官网上找找今年的scheule,一般都会有列出来谁会给talk,谁会来参会,然后选准时机就上吧!
选好了一个合适的时间,那么接下来就要准备写套词信了。如何写出吸引人的套词信呢,这里我就交大家几招。
一、 学术套
需要积累大量的学术知识,但是成功率最高。学术套需要做的就是认真阅读几篇教授的paper,了解教授正在做的领域,然后尝试着能不能提出一些问题甚至提出一些自己的想法。可以拟定的标题为Questions on Your Paper about (教授的某一篇paper),或者Questions from Stuents Working on(你现在做的方向)。教授一般都对自己的paper很负责任,所以一般这种邮件是必回的,只要你能提出一些有意思的问题,就能够表现出自己的诚意,也往往能够引起教授的兴趣。不要害怕自己提出的问题太幼稚或者怎样,对于一个本科生,教授的要求往往也不会太高,只要不是提得不沾边的问题就行了。提不出好的问题很正常,提出了好的问题更会让教授对你刮目相看,所以只要尽力去做就好。当然学术套也有缺点,就是耗费精力太多,可能只能给三到四个教授进行学术套。
二、 普通套
顾名思义即遍地撒网式的套词方法。你的标题可以直接明了是Greetings from Prospective Stuent,或者大家可以发挥创意想一些新奇但又不失正式的标题啦。
下面是金吉列高端文案老师贡献的几封套词成功的套词信:
Dear Prof. XX,
I am XXX, a final year unergrauate from XX University, majoring in Electronic Engineering, an now working in Prof. XX's group with my final year project on morphology optimization of organic photovoltaics.
(开门见山自报家门)
I have been an exchange stuent your University last semester, an I am very passionate with your research focus especially photovoltaics an nanobiosensors.
(和教授拉近关系,或者可以说你在某一次conference上听过他的报告,或者看过他的什么视频、报道之类的)
I have been enjoying research work for more than one year in Prof. XX's group. I can now inepenently fabricate solar cells with the highest efficiency of 6.3% with goo stability. I can also fabricate quantum ot resistive memory evices. Currently, I work inepenently on morphology optimization of organic photovoltaics that focuses on eeper unerstaning of mechanism of organic solar cells. Through all these experiences in nanostructure materials, I think I have prepare myself with the require skills in your lab, an I believe that my experience might bring some innovative ieas to projects you are conucting.
(点出自己的能力和现在在做的项目,尤其突出教授可能感兴趣的技能)
It is known that you accomplishe great finings in computational stuy of nanomaterials. The funamental research you are conucting an your interest on photovoltaics are really attracting me to work with your group. For me, the most exciting part of research is exploring the funamental mechanism an metho which in return briges research an application. I really love this fiel an I believe I can contribute to future research with my fabrication skills, characterization skills, abunant experience in solar energy research an programming skills.
(表现出自己对教授所做工作的了解和想跟着教授做ph的愿望,让教授觉得你关注他们组很久了)
Thanks a lot for your attention. Attache is my resume an please contact me if you woul like to know more etaile information about me.
Best regars,
Best Regars,
XX
另一封是这样的:
Dear Professor xxx:
Thank you for reaing this e-mail.
My name is XX. I'm an unergrauate stuent in XXX University, an I will get my bachelor egree in the major of Optical Information Science an Technology in the year XXXX.
The worl of physics is so fascinating an attractive to me that it brings me great happiness when I am able to master new knowlege an keep progressing. With the passion for physics, I keep being iligent an strict to my stuy which lays a soli founation for my future researches. In my view, physics an engineering is not only interesting but also closely boun up with everyay life so that I am eager to explore eeper, that is to pursue PhD eucation in the fiel of xxxxx. xxxxxx in xxxxxx is my ream school an I amire the acaemic strength an research atmosphere of the institute so much. I fin your information on the website an I really appreciate your work. I know that your research is focuse on xxxxxxx an I have always been intereste in that fiel of research. After reaing some papers concerning xxxxxx, I think xxxxxx so attractive an challenging. So, I hope I can get the opportunity to learn more about xxxxxxx, regare as one of the technology that will change the future worl. If possible, I sincerely hope that I have the honor to join your team an evote myself to the research on xxxxxxxx.
(抒发情怀,表现自己很想做research,很了解教授的工作)
During three years stuy, my GPA is 4.0,4.2,3.9 respectively. I not only reape the first prize of university scholarships twice as the top 10% stuent, but also earne the national scholarship that was only aware to 2 stuents out of 100. I know that theories are not enough for the one who aims to lea scientific exploration so I strove to put my knowlege into practice an evote to hans-on experiments. One of my research results is publishe by Journal of Moern Physics in the U.S. as the first author. Another one is accepte by a national core journal-Journal of Synthetic Crystals as the secon author.
(GPA高得让人汗颜,总之就是突出亮点,如果有好的科研经历就放科研经历,如果GPA高就放GPA,如果学校好,就突出学校)
I believe my research experiences will contribute greatly to my future evelopment an acaemic progress. My resume is enclose in this email an I sincerely hope that you can raw a little time from your busy scheules to know more about me.
Thank you for your time an looking forwar to your reply!
Best regars!
Yours sincerely,
XXX
三、 另类套
如果你想做得与众不同,这样做会有风险,但是这样也可能会有意想不到的收获博得教授的赏识。同学们可以学习一下不过要慎用。
Dear Prof. XX,
Greetings from XX an Merry Christmas! I have contacte you several months ago but there maybe something wrong with my email account so you might have misse it. During this time I am still equipping myself an conucting research on XX uner Prof. XX's supervision. I also have extreme passion on XXX an XXX, an have foune a startup company in the fiel of XXX in Beijing.
(开门就给教授一个他没有回复你邮件的印象,让他觉得稍稍有些愧疚。但是其实你有没有发他早就不记得了。然后表现出你兴趣广泛,而且甚至成立了一个公司,让人觉得你的执行力很强,反正现在注册一个公司也不用太多钱。)
I am visiting XX University this week. It is known that you accomplishe great finings in XXX. The novel research you are conucting an your interest on XX research are really attracting me. May I have chance to meet with you an visit your lab? I really look forwar to iscussing with you an your PhD stuents. May I meet you at the most convenient time an location for you. Thanks so much.
(不用直说你要做他的PhD教授也已经明白你想要干什么了,直接说想去on site和他当面套词,这当然需要勇气,但是效果肯定比发邮件要好多了。毕竟教授也是人,在这里五年时间他不是和你的项目打交道,而是和你打交道,读PhD不光是学术的问题,还有很多人和人相处的问题,所以如果能让教授感觉到你是一个活生生的人,那你就已经完胜很多在邮箱里躺着的名字了,所以如果能有机会和教授当面聊天那是一定要去)
Best regars,
XX
最后,套词信的两点禁忌:
切忌完全相同的一封信海套各个教授,要针对每个教授对套词信的内容稍作调整。
切忌同一个学系,甚至同一个学校发多个教授,如果一个教授对你感兴趣,结果发现你给隔壁一个教授发了相同的邮件,那你就直接出局了。