Your Career: How to tailor a cover letter

Customizing your application letters might seem like trying to read tea leaves, but it can be done ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Customizing your application letters might seem like trying to read tea leaves, but it can be done Anyone who has read job applications in academe can attest: A candidate who takes the time to understand the job ad, the institution, and the types of students it serves, and has incorporated that knowledge into a cover letter, is always going to have an advantage over one who doesn’t. Being able to speak to your fit for a specific position is going to be far more compelling than a general description of your work, especially given that the department is probably overwhelmed with applications. A tailored letter will make you appear both more prepared for the job and more enthusiastic about it. (That’s true of cover letters for other types of positions as well, although their importance varies by industry.) If that seems like obvious advice, you might be surprised how often job candidates submit generic cover letters. The people reading your cover letters know that you are applying because you need work. But so do all the other applicants. Not tailoring your letter shifts the work of trying to understand why you want this particular job into the hands of a stranger. Why do you want to come to our institution? Why are you a fit for us? Which aspects of your experience will help you to succeed here? Stand-out candidates are often the ones who made those connections clear. Continue reading: “[How to Tailor Your Cover Letters for Faculty Jobs]( by Jennifer S. Furlong and Stacy M. Hartman Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT Upcoming Workshop [The Chronicle's Strategic Leadership Program for Department Chairs] [Join us this October]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the department chair role while creating a strategic vision for your department. [Reserve your spot today!]( NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS ADVICE [AI in the Classroom Is a Problem. Professors Are the Solution.]( By Naomi S. Baron [STORY IMAGE]( We must embrace attention to writing in all fields and at all levels, not just in first-year composition courses. ADVERTISEMENT ADVICE [Should You Start a Newsletter?]( By James M. Lang [STORY IMAGE]( How academics are using Substack, Medium, and other formats to talk to one another and the public. REBUKES [Why Higher Ed Is Seeing a Spate of High-Profile No-Confidence Votes]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( Votes at prominent institutions, for a widening range of reasons, have made national news. 'A TENDER AND ROUGH SPOT' [How a ‘Top Down’ Leadership Culture Set the Stage for Texas A&M’s Summer of Scandal]( By Erin Gretzinger [STORY IMAGE]( Years of weakened shared governance have exacerbated fears about the institution’s vulnerability to outside pressure. A new leader wants to turn the page. 'THERE ARE DARK CORNERS' [Virginia Law Allows the Papers of College Presidents to Stay Secret, Limiting Public Oversight]( By Brandi Kellam and Gabriel Sandoval [STORY IMAGE]( A 1974 provision exempts campus executives’ documents from disclosure even after they’ve stepped down. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The Accessible Campus - The Chronicle Store]( [The Accessible Campus]( Despite years of legislation meant to open up higher education to people with disabilities, colleges are still a long way from achieving equity. [Order your copy]( to examine how colleges are working to be more accessible and the challenges that remain. What we’re reading Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In The New York Times, a piece on the controversy over [Francesca Gino]( a prominent Harvard professor who has been accused of falsifying her data on cheating. - [Advice]( in the Harvard Business Review on how to stop overreacting to professional setbacks. - An [essay]( on The Scholarly Kitchen proposes that academe should “end the human-dependent peer-review system and move to a completely AI-based one.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES JUMPING SHIP? [Higher Ed’s Work-Force-Retention Problems Aren’t Going Away]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( More than half of staff members said they’re at least somewhat likely to look for a new job in the coming year, a new survey finds. DATA [Where Graduate Enrollments Are Booming]( By Audrey Williams June and Brian O’Leary [STORY IMAGE]( Throughout the many reports of declining enrollment during the pandemic, graduate education has been an unexpected bright spot. [Meaningful Classroom Engagement]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: October 19, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: Many professors face apathetic, disengaged students struggling with mental health. Join us to discuss how instructors and leaders can foster engagement. With Support From Perlego. [Register here.]( [Making International Agents Work for You]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: October 12, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET: Colleges increasingly work with agencies on international enrollment. In this forum, experts will discuss the partnerships’ benefits and challenges. With Support From ICEF. [Register here.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor of Mathematics]( The Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [Faculty Openings]( University of Texas at Dallas [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Career Resources]( [The October collection]( provides valuable guidance on navigating the application process, including advice to improve your application materials, how to stand out as an internal candidate, and more! NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037