Many graduate students receive teaching or research assistantships from their departments as part of their recruitment packages to MSU.  However, there are a variety of other specialized graduate assistantships designed to give masters and doctoral students practical experience as they pursue their degrees.  These assistantships require students to go through a formal application process which in most instances consists of an application, resume, and cover letter.  Because of the specialized needs of the hiring departments at MSU, the following guidelines were created to assist you with the graduate assistant application process and to help you make informed decisions about whether a posted assistantship is right for you.

Tips for applying for graduate assistantships on campus:

  1. Read the job description thoroughly, keeping in mind the fit between your knowledge, ability, skills, and the preferred and desires qualifications of the position.
  2. Customize application materials in such a way as to communicate “fit” for the position.

Be able to answer the following questions in your cover letter and resume:

  • How do your interests, values, and skills fit the hiring department’s mission, values and needs?
  • How does your experience fit content knowledge required for the position?
  • What skill strengths would help you success in this position?
  • What qualities would help you succeed in this position?
  • How does this position fit with your professional goals and objectives?

To further assist you, the graduate School and Graduate Career Services has developed a wide variety of job search resources to help you with your application.  For assistance with CV, Resume, and Cover Letters please see:
http://grad.msu.edu/prep/late/preparing.htm#curriculum