Creating Application Packets

Application packets bring together all the documents required for an academic job application into a single, ordered package. AcaTrove's packet builder lets you select documents from your career profile, arrange them in the order required by the hiring institution, and export the result as a unified PDF.

Building a New Packet

To create a packet:

1. Navigate to /professional-assistant and click New Packet.
2. Give the packet a name. A descriptive name like "University of Michigan -- Asst. Prof. Biochemistry" helps you distinguish it from other packets later.
3. Optionally, link the packet to a job from your tracker. This association lets you quickly access the packet from the job detail view.

Adding Documents

The packet builder displays your available career documents in a sidebar. These include:

• Curriculum Vitae -- Your current parsed CV.
• Cover Letters -- Letters drafted in the Career Hub or uploaded separately.
• Research Statements -- Research plans and descriptions.
• Teaching Philosophies -- Teaching approach documents.
• Diversity Statements -- DEI-related documents.
• Recommendation Letters -- Letters shared with you through AcaTrove's Letters system (only letters you have permission to include).
• Additional Documents -- Any supplementary files you have uploaded, such as writing samples or syllabi.

To add a document, click on it in the sidebar or drag it into the packet workspace. Each document appears as a card showing its title, type, and last-modified date.

Ordering Documents

Most application portals specify a preferred document order. To reorder documents in your packet:

• Drag and drop document cards to rearrange them.
• The order shown in the builder is the order they will appear in the exported PDF.

A common ordering is: cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching philosophy, diversity statement, recommendation letters.

Reviewing Before Export

Before exporting, review each document by clicking its card to preview the content. This is your opportunity to confirm that you have included the correct version of each document and that nothing is missing.

The packet builder also displays a checklist based on common application requirements. Missing document types are flagged so you can address gaps before submitting.

Exporting

When your packet is ready:

1. Click Export Packet.
2. Choose your export format. PDF is the most common for application portals.
3. The system compiles your documents into a single file with a table of contents.
4. Download the file or share it directly via a link.

Tips

• Create a separate packet for each position. Reusing a single packet across positions is tempting but often leads to submitting materials that are not tailored to the specific role.
• Link each packet to its corresponding job in the tracker so you can quickly see which materials were sent where.
• If a recommendation letter has not yet been submitted to AcaTrove, you can leave a placeholder in the packet and add the letter once it arrives.
• Export and review the final PDF before submitting. Formatting can shift during compilation, and a quick review catches layout issues.