applying for RA work, any suggestions?

[ta1000]

My (poli sci) department assigns its RA/TA jobs in a competitive manner. So every time when a post is available, they will post an advertisment on the web and invite grad students to apply for it. A cover letter and a CV are required.

I just wonder if you guys have any suggestions for me to apply for these posts (TA/RA jobs). My research interests are quite narrow (African politics), so I am afraid I will not be as competitive as those who are working on other projects.

Any experience sharing is welcome.

[rising_star]

In your application materials, you'll want to show how the skills (languages, analytical techniques, software packages, etc.) you use in your research relate to the position you are applying for.

[LJK]

You have 'narrow' interests with African politics, but from outside your field this being narrow seems strange since Africa consists of so many countries and cultures etc. that I would thing that that is actually a very diverse specialization. If possible, I would try to find something to relate to the position. Maybe the methodology that will be used in this position has been used to analyze a situation is Somalia or Ghana. Or maybe a similar situation is cropping up in the Republic of the Congo as is happening in the area that the professor you would be working for specializes in. Maybe that isn't exactly what you mean by African Politics (again, not in your field) but if you could draw any parallels between your interests and ways that the position would help you/them beyond just having a worker bee, that would be ideal.

[fuzzylogician]

Is there a professor in your department who you could consult with? Someone who reads these applications and is familiar with the selection process of RAs within your department would be able to help you craft a strong CV and cover letter. They would know how decisions are made and what they are based on, and if you understood that logic you could target those things directly and increase your chances of getting the job. In general I support rising_star's advice, you should explain how your skills would be applicable to the job and highlight potential overlap or similarities between the projects and your own work and interests. Just because you have narrow interests within a certain field doesn't mean that you can't (and shouldn't) diversify your research; you could use that approach in some of the cover letters and talk about expanding your research or learning about issues that could be related to your own work in various ways.