higher ed jobs cover letter

• A+ Resumes for Teachers
• Resume Samples
• Prices & Services
• Email: Candace Alstad-Davies
• Toll Free: 1-877-738-8052
• Local/Int’l: 780-513-0010

• Resume / Curriculum Vitae Help
• Application / Cover Letter Help
• Job Interview Questions & Answers
• Job Interview Preparation
• Social Networking & Job Search
• Education Job Search Tips
• Philosophy of Education Statement Help
• Career Changes to/from Education
• Career Development / Educational Skills
• International / Overseas Teaching
• ESL English as a Second Language
• Classroom Management Strategies
• Personal Development
• Higher Education Career Tips
• School Principal / Administrators Job Search Help

15 Higher Education Cover Letter Tips to Get a College Job

Writing a higher education cover letter using these expert tips will help you secure an interview and a top job offer in a competitive job market. Whether you are applying to become the next Dean of Students, Campus Coordinator, Director of Alumni Relations, College Adjunct Instructor, or University Professor, ensure you are the individual getting an interview and that dream job.  

When reviewing job postings, you will discover the advert could request a cover letter, application letter, letter of intent, or letter of introduction. These are just different ways to refer to the letter they expect to see accompanying the resume or CV . Implement these tried and true higher education cover letter writing tips to showcase your best value.

A well-written cover letter can be just as impressive as an adequately  designed resume ; a cover letter, a.k.a. the application letter, should always accompany a resume or CV. This is the opportunity to fine-tune your storytelling abilities and speak to the institution specifically by tailoring your accomplishments and personal traits to a particular job.

Describe your abilities, competencies, skills, knowledge, and expertise, and illustrate them with concrete, institution-specific examples. This is the prime time to tell a hiring committee why you are the perfect candidate whose values, expertise, and skills match the department’s mission and needs. Implementing this post’s strategies will help you make a career transition into a university or college confidently . 

Top Higher Education Cover Letter Writing Tips

Research the institution – college or university faculty.

The more you know about the institution you are applying for, the easier it will be to tailor your higher education cover letter to the college or university’s specific needs, goals, and mission. Whether targeting an Executive Director position or applying for an Adjunct Professor posting, directly relating your skills and expertise to the institution’s needs will go a long way when your application is assessed.

Even if some of your research does not come through in your cover letter, this is excellent preparation for the interview you are setting yourself up for with a professionally written cover letter. You will be better equipped to answer questions such as “Why this job?” and “How are you qualified?” if you thoroughly understand what the position requires.

Check the College or University’s Website

Dive into the college or university’s website to find vital institutional characteristics, strategic goals, needs, and educational missions. This is also where you will discover the institution’s “language.” Try to mimic the wording in your cover letter to the website and job description. This may set you apart from other applicants. You have put in that extra effort to understand better what the position entails and how it positions itself in the educational world.  

Tailor Your Cover Letter for the Position

Because you may be sending out your resume and cover letter to multiple institutions, do not inform the faculties by submitting a generic template cover letter. If you have diligently learned the position, you should tailor your cover letter to the job. The easiest way is to include the college or university name in your letter.

Additionally, ensure you address the college’s particular needs with your accomplishments; this will show the hiring committee that you are familiar with their goals and have the experience to back up your self-marketing.

Suppose you take the extra time to tailor your cover letter to the position you are applying for, be it the Dean of Students or Director of Communications. In that case, you increase your chances of being selected for an interview.

Be Specific by Targeting the Cover Letter

When highlighting your capabilities and achievements, it is vital to illustrate how your competencies will meet the objectives of the position you aim to fill. Whether you list your powers in bullet or paragraph form, do it concisely so the hiring committee can see and read how you are the right candidate for the position.  

List Accomplishments to Match Higher Education Position

When applying for higher education positions such as Chief Technology Officer, Campus Coordinator, or Executive Director, you want to ensure the accomplishments and experiences you add to your cover letter are relevant to the specific position and institution you are targeting.

A good rule of thumb is to highlight the job description and any other documents with the general position expectations with keywords that pertain to your expertise and achievements. This will enable you to specify what you bring to your letter.

As you progress in your career, an idea would be to create a document listing all your accomplishments. After cleaning it up, you would word them for a cover letter in paragraph form and insert them into your cover letters for new employment opportunities.

This way, you always have the sense of a tailored cover letter, although you may have copied and pasted the middle section, and you don’t have to spend hours creating a brand new note each time you want to apply somewhere.

Quantify Career Results

Whenever possible, take a cue from your resume and quantify your accomplishments. If you have “increased student enrolment by 15%” in your tenure, then say so. Take that achievement, develop it into something the hiring committee can see you taking on in their company, and specify that in your cover letter.

These may seem like tedious details, but sometimes the numbers stand out in a sea of words, so take advantage of the opportunity to market yourself in a way that the competition may not.  

Include Keywords

The job posting should provide you with a wealth of information about the employer and the type of person they want to hire. You want your cover letter to engage the reader, so speak to the responsibilities and job description without repeating it word for word. Also, make sure you use keywords that apply to your career and your competencies.

Utilizing keywords will also help your higher education cover letter and resume or curriculum vitae pass the Applicant Tracking Systems. Look below for some examples of keywords to include based on the position you are applying for:

Dean of Students : analytical thinking, leadership, and managerial competencies; organized, self-motivated, humanitarian, technologically competent, approachable.

Adjunct Professor: syllabus creation, student performance monitoring, collaboration and coordination, organizational skills, teamwork, computer competencies.

Director of Admissions: application assessment, institution promotion, management abilities, administrative competencies, attention to detail, enrollment assistance.

Chief Technology Officer: computer proficiency, technical expertise, leadership, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills, and teamwork.

You should format your higher education cover letter to be read easily if sent over email. A PDF is the best as it can be opened and viewed precisely how you created it. Remembering this is a good rule if you intend to attach it to the email or application website.

It may be best practice to copy and paste your cover letter into the email body to ensure the hiring manager reads it. They may not open the cover letter as an attachment and instead go straight to the resume.

The overall layout should follow the suggestions below:  

A cover letter allows you to be more personal and speak as if you were having a conversation; however, do not make it too lengthy. Ensure you keep your resume to one page in length. This page encompasses three to four paragraphs describing your intention, qualifications, accomplishments, and a closing.  

Address to Hiring Manager

While researching information about the position and the institution, note who may be reading your application whenever possible. Some hiring managers may not care that the letter is explicitly addressed to them.

Why take the chance and leave their name out when it could be critical to the person reading your cover letter? If the name is not listed in the job description, contact the Department of Human Resources to determine to whom it should be addressed.  

First Paragraph / Opening Sentence

The first paragraph of your cover letter should state the position you are applying for, the institution you are applying to, and why you are the right candidate for the job. Add your applicable educational background if the job description requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

The example below uses strong language and markets the professional for the Dean of Students position. This is the opportunity to briefly display what you can offer the college or university regarding its mission.

“As an experienced leader in the academic sector for over 30 years, I welcome the opportunity to apply for the Dean of Students position with ABC University. As an alumnus of ABC University, I would love the chance to return and become a member of the faculty. I am well prepared to significantly contribute to the goals and objectives of the institution as I have honed my operational, planning, and program development skills to serve your community better.”  

Middle Paragraphs – Include Achievements

The 2nd and 3rd paragraphs should describe your relevant qualifications and highlight your accomplishments. Make sure they pertain to the desired position. This is where examples of how your skills, experience, or research directly correlate with what the employer is looking for.

For instance:

Over the last two years at State College, I have increased donations by more than 80%, bringing over $1 million to the college”.

Each middle paragraph should describe why you are uniquely qualified for the position using keywords from the job posting. There are two options to fulfill this opportunity: bullet point and narrative.

Bullet points are great if you want to catch the reader’s eye quickly and concisely; describe your accomplishments in about four bullet points. Using a narrative is another approach if you wish the hiring committee to remember a story. Either option is acceptable; it depends on how you describe your experiences.

Example Accomplishments and Paragraph

• Established innovative and successful academic programs to attract and retain students, reinforced educational offerings, and enhanced intellectual professional development.  
• Spearheaded an academic growth program, enhanced curriculum development, and organized grant and funding initiatives.

  “My experience in the English Department has enabled me to become a skilled writer by concentrating in literature for both my undergraduate and graduate programs. I am excited to incorporate the technologies I have utilized in my teaching and am eager to work with new systems. Organization and leadership are vital to balance multiple projects and demands successfully, and this expertise has made my career much more rewarding.”

When writing your achievements in paragraph form, think of them using the CAR analogy: CHALLENGE-ACTION-RESULT.  

Final Paragraph / Closing / Thank You

In the final paragraph, you thank the reader for their consideration and request the opportunity to meet in person. This is also the place for that final push, the last opportunity to tell the reader that you are the right candidate.

“As a passionate, innovative, and dedicated teaching professional, I am confident that my skills in academic oversight and directional leadership will directly translate to Taylor University’s mission. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to connecting with you soon to offer more insight into my qualifications.”  

Call to Action/Ask for the Interview

A more direct way to ask for the interview is to be proactive in your approach to closing the cover letter. For example:

“ I will call in one week to follow up and find out if I can clarify any questions you may have, ” or “I will contact you within the next few days to set up a time to speak more specifically about how my skills will directly benefit your academic community .”

If you decide to go with this closing, connect with the institution.  

Match Your Resume

Consistency is critical when submitting several documents with your application. Your paperwork must reflect a polished and professional personality. Ensure your cover letter matches the formatting you used for your resume.

They all have the same look if you are sending thank you letters or recruiting/networking letters. Copy and paste your heading, thus ensuring that the same font, size, and borders are present on everything. Double-check to make sure all documents look the same before you submit them.

Proofreading may seem obvious, but it is a step that should not be missed. If your cover letter has grammatical or spelling errors, it could automatically disqualify you from the position. It may also not pass the Applicant Tracking Systems.

Your capacity to communicate on your higher education cover letter will reflect your ability. Whether you lead a department, teach a graduate class, or recruit and retain students. Read over your cover letter, print it off, reread it, set it aside, and read it a third time. Always proofread and, when possible, have a friend do it for you.

The cover letter is the opportunity to market yourself and your skills in a much less structured way than a resume. Make sure that your cover letter is engaging. Ensure it reflects your skills specific to the position and shows your passion for the job you wish to secure.

An excellent letter will highlight the best parts of your resume without copying it word for word. The goal is to explain why you are the ideal person for the job. Why your experiences are relevant, and how you will use your well-tuned skills in this new role. Take these higher education cover-level tips to heart, and you will land that new job as the next Director of Academic Programs!

If you need help writing your job search documents, connect with me (Candace) via phone at 1 877 738 8052 or send an email .

Next post: Teacher Resume Objective Statements are Old School

Previous post: Teachers’ Classroom Management Success Requires Consistency

Sign-up to receive free career tips and strategies

Search our site.

Popular Posts

Candace Alstad-Davies    |    Email: [email protected]

Fax: 775-593-3556    |    Toll Free: 1-877-738-8052    |    Local/Int’l: 780-513-0010

Prices & Services    |    Free Newsletter    |    Privacy Policy    |    About Us    |    Contact

© A+ Resumes for Teachers   2001 – 2023

Privacy Overview

Sample Cover Letters for Higher Education Communications

• Cover Letters
• Skills & Keywords
• Salary & Benefits
• Letters & Emails
• Job Listings
• Job Interviews
• Career Advice
• Work-From-Home Jobs
• Internships
• What to Include in Your Cover Letter
• Tips for Writing a Cover Letter

Cover Letter Template

Cover letter examples.

Customizing your  cover letter  is a highly important part of an effective job application. By customizing your cover letter, you'll provide employers with all the reasons to hire you. 

The end result is far more persuasive than a cookie-cutter cover letter where all you do is swap out the company name and hiring managers. When you take the time to create a customized letter, it shows—and it can lead to good results. 

If you're looking for jobs in higher education communications, take a look at some advice on what to include in your letter and tips for writing it. Plus, you can review an example of a cover letter targeted for a  job in the higher education industry , in the field of communications. 

What to Include in Your Cover Letter 

In every cover letter, regardless of industry, there are certain elements that must be included, such as:

• A salutation:  Start off your letter with an appropriate greeting. Do your best to find out the name of the hiring manager, and address the letter to this person. 
• Why you're writing:  Traditionally, the opening paragraph of the letter will share why you're writing and where you saw the job listing. If someone referred you, mention it here! 
• Your  qualifications :  This is the heart of a cover letter. You want to explain your work history and qualifications. But don't simply duplicate your resume. The goal is to call out elements that will be of particular interest for this specific role. 
• End the letter appropriately:  Include an appropriate sign-off and signature. 

You'll need to format your cover letter slightly differently if it's an email, but most elements remain precisely the same. 

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter 

Do some research:  Before you jump into writing your cover letter, you'll want to do some research. Knowing the higher education institute's values and goals will help you know which points to emphasize. Even small things, like the size of the college or university, make a difference. The communication needs of a small-town college are different than those of a world-renowned research institution. 

Match your skills to the job description:  You should also take a very close look at the job description in the job ad, and match it to your credentials. Pay attention to the responsibilities and skills that are called for. Then, think through your own work history, looking for examples of times when you've used these skills or done similar tasks. For example, if the job description is looking for a strong writer, you can mention that in your last role, you wrote five press releases a month, and were able to garner coverage based on 70% of the press releases that were distributed. 

Call out accomplishments:  In your cover letter, highlight any major achievements you've made in previous roles. This is more powerful than simply listing the day-to-day tasks you've performed in the past. 

This is an example of a cover letter for a higher education position . Download the higher education cover letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Cover Letter Example - Higher Education / Communications (Text Version)

Alexandria Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 alexandria.applicant@email.com

February 15, 2021

Jon Lee Director, Human Resources University of North Florida 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mr. Lee,

As an experienced communications professional, I'm very interested in the position of Associate Vice President of University Campaign Communications at the University of North Florida.

I have a proven track record in a majority of the competencies you're seeking, especially in strategically communicating institutional priorities. I believe I would be the ideal candidate for this role, as my experience and my skills align with the role outlined in the job description.

Here are a few highlights of my candidacy:

• Twelve years. experience developing and implementing internal and external communications for ABCD Energy/Electric and ABCD Corporation.
• Handling a wide range of creative services, collaborating with and supervising creative services staff and vendors to produce marketing and other print communications, as well as online communications and video projects.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills honed over the past 13 years in public relations and corporate communications; from press releases to newsletters to video scripts to websites and intranet publications.
• Providing communications counsel and expertise to executives and managers for issues management, benefits communications, and employee relations.

As a recent transplant to Miami, I still own a home in Tampa and would love to put my skills to work back in Tampa.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions or provide any work samples.

Signature (hard copy letter)

Alexandria Applicant

Cover Letter for a College Communications Position

Thomas Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 thomas.applicant@email.com

September 15, 2021

Anthony Lau Director, Human Resources Acme College 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mr. Lau, 

I am writing to indicate my interest in the position of Assistant Director of Campaign Communications. I'm a passionate supporter of our current campaign, and a fully-engaged member of the College community.

For many years, I've had a long and happy affiliation with this College, as an employee, parent (Marie 'XX), student, and Alumni Board member. My current position as Administrative Coordinator in the English Department has allowed close collaboration with my Chair, student majors, and 40-plus faculty, as well as many different offices and departments. It's been a joy to work in the English Department, though, and I'm eager to use my talents in greater contribution to the College.

The position of Director of Campaign Communications provides a wonderful opportunity for the College to engage one of its most enthusiastic community members in promotion of its important message. It is a position where my interpersonal and organizational skills, and experience with so many college constituencies, could be put to very productive and successful use.

Speaking to position qualifications, concentrations in literature and writing in both my undergraduate and graduate programs here have allowed me to become a skilled writer. I look forward to incorporating the technologies I've used in the past, and I am very excited to work with new systems. Organization is vital when balancing multiple projects and demands, and the ability to organize well has made my experience in the English Department much more rewarding.

Perhaps the greatest asset I offer is the ability to work with many personalities and groups of people, and I realize just how valuable that is when working with College constituencies, on committees, and in my work with our Alumni Board.

I can think of no better way to honor the riches of my education and work history than sharing the important message of this campaign. I appreciate your considering my application. Please review the attached resume. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thomas Applicant

Cover Letter Example - Director of Communications

Timothy Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 timothy.applicant@email.com

Julia Rodriguez Director, Human Resources American Organization 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mrs. Rodriguez,

As an experienced communications professional, I'm very interested in the American Organization's Director of Communications position.

I have a proven track record in almost all of the competencies you're seeking. Here are a few highlights:

• Handled a wide range of creative services, collaborating with creative services peers, subordinates and vendors to produce marketing and other print communications, as well online communications and video projects.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills honed over the past 13 years in public relations and corporate communications; from press releases to newsletters to video scripts to websites and yes, guest columns.
• Developing and implementing communications strategies for reaching employees and other stakeholders.

In my current role at Company A, I've worked closely with nonprofits while administering our corporate marine conservation donation program. This is the most rewarding part of my job, helping connect worthy organizations with funding.

I will call in one week to follow-up and find out if I can answer any questions or provide any work samples.

Timothy Applicant

• Marketing Cover Letter Example and Writing Tips
• Academic Advisor Cover Letter Sample and Writing Tips
• Sample Cover Letters for a Writing Position
• Sample Cover Letter and Resume for an Editor Job
• Consulting Cover Letter Samples and Writing Tips
• Database Administrator Cover Letter Example and Writing Tips
• Cover Letter for a Pharmaceutical Sales Job
• Cover Letter Examples for Students and Recent Graduates
• Admissions Counselor Cover Letter and Resume Examples
• Athletic Director Cover Letter and Resume Examples
• Cover Letter Example - Ecommerce Technology
• Summer Hotel Job Letter Example
• Research Technician Cover Letter Examples
• Entry-Level Finance Cover Letter and Resume Samples
• Public Relations Cover Letter Example
• Special Education Cover Letter: Example and Writing Tips

• Skip to main menu
• Skip to user menu

6 Tips to Improve Your Cover Letter

Like the commencement speech, the cover letter for an academic job is a straitened genre. Most of us don’t have to worry about writing commencement speeches (it’s a happy problem if you ever do), but thousands of graduate students and recent Ph.D.s write cover letters every year.

Strict conventions govern cover letters for faculty positions, so it’s relatively easy to write a passable one: Just follow the rules. But it’s much harder to write one that really stands out to a search committee.

You can find plenty of good advice on how to draft academic job letters in books by  Karen Kelsky,   Kathryn Hume,  and others. They deal with questions of organization (“Should I discuss my research before my teaching in my cover letter, or the other way around?”) and matters of structure and style (“How long is too long?”).

My opening suggestion for applicants: Read a few of those books, and learn the basics. Plan to produce a working draft early in your job search. You’ll need the time to run the draft by your adviser, committee members, and trusted peers. Later on, you may want to show it to a more targeted audience (such as a colleague at a community college), once you have a specific position in mind.

Beyond the basics, however, I have six suggestions for how you can lift a cover letter from the ordinary to the eye-catching:

Your cover letter is an argument.  Your argument in the letter you send as part of your application package should be bracingly simple: “I’m the best person for  this particular  position, and you should hire me for it.”

But how do you make that case? Some of the ways are just common sense:

• Do your homework on the institution, and show how you would take your place within its culture as a teacher, researcher, and colleague.
• Don’t make obvious mistakes, such as grammatical errors and typos, that can be avoided with careful proofreading. (The lore surrounding such errors is true: They suggest you don’t care, and if  you  don’t, why should the hiring committee?)

But there’s one thing that many applicants neglect to keep in mind: Your cover letter must appeal to multiple audiences, and you need to keep all of them in mind as you write. Your first audience will be members of the hiring committee — one or more of them may share your subfield, but usually not all of them. If your candidacy gains traction, other members of the department will read your application, and if things continue to go well, people in the upper administration will read it, too. Your letter needs to speak to all of those potential readers.

So describe your work clearly — yet don’t dumb it down.  Your letter needs to explain your research in ways that nonspecialists can understand, since it will have to persuade some of them sooner or later. At the same time, if your explanation is too simplistic, you’ll lose the interest of the field specialists — and they’re the people you’ll work directly alongside if hired. They’re looking for an interesting colleague they can share ideas with, about their own work as well as yours. Their opinions will carry a lot of weight in the hiring decision.

Yes, it can be dicey to navigate between those two imperatives, but that’s why you should plan on writing many, many drafts of your letter. Explaining your work clearly, without sacrificing complexity, will take a lot of passes, and multiple readers.

Scholars who also write for a general audience make good role models for this kind of task. For example, Stephen Greenblatt, a professor of the humanities at Harvard University, outlines an original scholarly argument in his graceful introduction to  The Swerve: How the World Became Modern,  a popular history book that won numerous prizes from appreciative general readers. The book explores the intellectual origins of the Renaissance in a “little known but exemplary” story of the recovery of a poem by the Latin poet Lucretius. “This particular ancient book,” writes Greenblatt, “suddenly returning to view,” represents a swerve in both history (it could easily have disappeared) and philosophy (its worldview helped to change the way people looked at themselves and their surroundings).

You don’t have to be a senior scholar like Greenblatt to learn from his moves. He tells a story, and he knows that his reader will already know part of it. In your cover letters, don’t be afraid to make references that your readers may already understand: They can comprehend your new ideas better when those ideas are linked to something they already know.

Use a mix of short and long paragraphs.  Your cover letter needs to be sticky. Members of the search committee may read 15 or 20 other applications in the same sitting as yours — and the same number the next day. Writing with vitality will help distinguish your letter from the others.

For academics, the convention is to write long paragraphs, but those deep plunges can make a cover letter hard to swim through. Many academic writers think that short paragraphs are frivolous — the sign of a reduced attention span on the part of the writer, a lack of serious purpose, and a casual execution.

Not so. Short paragraphs (like this one) have force.

Their visual isolation in white space makes them stand out, and allows you to make an important point that stands out in a short paragraph because it stands alone. Used judiciously, short (or shorter) paragraphs give power to exposition. They allow you to create more complicated rhythms than if you simply place one thick brick of text atop another, and they give zing to your voice at the times when you need it. In short, they’re another tool in a good letter writer’s kit.

Your cover letter is a letter, not a memo about yourself.  Within the constraints of a job application, you want to give a sense of your personality, not just your dissertation and teaching. You can start by being friendly.

Friendly doesn’t mean unctuous or casual. It means adopting a tone that invites readers to imagine themselves in communication with you. Friendly letters engage their readers, and engaged readers pay attention.

So, for instance, if your interest in geology came from growing up near the mountains in Montana, consider mentioning that in your application letter. Or maybe your Montana background moved you to literature: You can talk about how your past created your early affinity to Wordsworth’s later poetry. You don’t have to go on at length here — in fact, you shouldn’t devote more than a phrase to such a personal detail. Just mentioning the connection gives a glimpse of you as a flesh-and-blood human.

Remember the first fact of cover letters: People are paid to read them.  Professors join a hiring committee as part of their job, and they’re paid to do their job. So they’re getting paid to read your letter.

But they’re not being paid to like it. Remember that the first job of hiring committees is to cut people from the applicant pool. Therefore, professors will read your letter skeptically, and look for reasons to set your application on the “no” pile.

What if you wrote a letter that they might actually want to read? Think of the advantage it would confer to you. That’s a goal worth chasing. If you treat your letter as a letter, you’ll seek a connection with your reader. If you succeed in making one with some warmth and personality, your reader will be less skeptical. You’ll gain a more sympathetic audience for your argument.

In the end, your readers will want to hire you, not your credentials. Show them who you are. If you’re skeptical of being too personally revealing, stop and ask yourself: Why write something so dry about myself that even I wouldn’t want to read it?

Use your letter to pull together your application.  A cover letter is just one part of the package, but it’s the leading part. Your CV (the focus of  my previous column ) lists your credentials, but your cover letter explains them.

Your letter should, therefore, harmonize with the rest of your application materials. Your writing sample showcases your research, but it doesn’t advocate for you. Your teaching portfolio displays your pedagogical chops, but your readers aren’t going to take your classes. Your recommenders will push for you, but each only from their own limited perspective.

You’ll never see all of this paperwork (cover letter, CV, recommendations, research and teaching materials) collated in one place — but that’s the only way your readers will see it. They’ll go through your application from end to end, and most of them will begin with the cover letter.

The letter binds the disparate elements of your application into a unified whole. It makes your case for the job you’re seeking — and it integrates the other parts of the application into a persuasive unit.

You’re in charge of that unit. In fact, you’re the CEO of your whole graduate education, and that includes the job search. Write your letter in a way that shows it.

Leonard Cassuto, a professor of English at Fordham University, writes regularly about graduate education in this space. His  latest book  is  The Graduate School Mess: What Caused It and How We Can Fix It,  published by Harvard University Press. He welcomes comments, suggestions, and stories at [email protected]. You can find him on Twitter:  @LCassuto.

Share this article

Related articles

5 Don’ts in Writing Your DEI Statement

Is a Timely Rejection Too Much to Ask? (Hint: It’s Not)

7 Tips on Applying for Faculty Openings at Community Colleges

Latest articles, visit chronicle advice for more higher ed news and advice, for would-be academics, now is the time to get serious about plan b, how to manage the first-round executive interview.

• Crimson Careers
• For Employers
• Harvard College
• Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• Harvard Extension School
• Premed / Pre-Health
• Families & Supporters
• Faculty & Staff
• Prospective Students
• First Generation / Low Income
• International Students
• Students of Color
• Students with Disabilities
• Undocumented Students
• Explore Interests & Make Career Decisions
• Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter
• Expand Your Network
• Engage with Employers
• Search for a Job
• Find an Internship
• January Experiences (College)
• Find & Apply for Summer Opportunities Funding
• Prepare for an Interview
• Negotiate an Offer
• Apply to Graduate or Professional School
• Access Resources
• AI for Professional Development and Exploration
• Arts & Entertainment
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• Climate, Sustainability, Environment, Energy
• Government, Int’l Relations, Education, Law, Nonprofits
• Life Sciences & Health
• Technology & Engineering
• Still Exploring
• Talk to an Advisor

HigherEdJobs

• Share This: Share HigherEdJobs on Facebook Share HigherEdJobs on LinkedIn Share HigherEdJobs on X

HigherEdJobs is an online job board with listings of faculty and administrative positions in higher education.

• Universities

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture invites new students. Read about the admission process, tuition fee and scholarships.

Information is exploratory. For accurate information, refer to the official website of the school.

About Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture — public institution. It is located in Moscow, Russia.

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture carries out research in several scientific areas.

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture tuition fees

The cost of education and the availability of scholarships can be checked on the official website .

It is necessary to pay attention to other costs: accommodation, transportation, study materials, food, and personal expenses.

Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture campus

The university campus is located in Moscow. The university has a functioning library. In addition to educational materials in various scientific areas, it contains a collection of classical and contemporary literature.

What to do after graduation

There are several options to stay in the country after graduation. One of them is to get an offer from an employer and apply for a work visa. Read more about this on the embassy website. You can find other options for immigration in our article .

Want to study at a foreign university but don't know where to start? We can help!

Our specialists will find a university, arrange your documents, fill out the applications, and stay in touch until you receive an offer.

Universities in Russia

Items  1-5 of  1 752

Moscow State University

Saint petersburg state university, novosibirsk state university, bauman moscow state technical university, moscow state institute of international relations.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Lyubertsy Journal; Guns for Hire: Policing Goes Private in Russia

By Michael Specter

• Aug. 9, 1994

The day started early with riot troops in black masks storming a bank and freeing six hostages. Soon after, paratroops dropped into a blazing house to capture three terrorists.

Then men in combat gear ran a gantlet course -- each carrying a moneybag in one hand and an automatic weapon in the other. Land Rovers dodged grenades. Sharpshooters fired from speeding cars at bank robbers. And all the while a popular band played blues in the background.

Those ugly events, and many more like them, were part of "Kriminal Show 94," the first public demonstration of the increasing might of Russia's private security forces.

Sponsored by nearly a dozen major banks, the competition was held in the woods of this city near Moscow, which has become famous for spawning one of the world's most aggressive Mafia gangs, as the Russians call them. Crowded with spectators who came with their own bodyguards, "Kriminal Show 94" was as much a sign of the times in Russia now as Snickers bars, casinos or BMW's.

No business of any kind that has large amounts of cash lying around can afford to operate without full, visible and heavily armed protectors in most major cities. Until recently, the majority of camouflage-clad security guards were hardly a match for the criminals. But if the sponsors of "Kriminal Show 94" have their way, that will soon change.

"With the Yeltsin anti-crime decree all organizations that try to stop criminals have increased their vigilance," said Valery A. Shishkin, a senior official at one of Moscow's many new private security companies. Mr. Shishkin served as chief "umpire" for the competition.

"Normal people can't live quietly anymore," he said, standing before the prizes for the best teams -- an array of high-technology weapons. "We want to show that the Government is not the only group that can help protect Russian citizens."

Private security companies have started to compete with the police for many reasons: the Russian police are often poorly trained and are notoriously underpaid. They have provided little challenge to the mob.

But this is dangerous new ground for Russia. In polls, people say they worry about crime more than any other problem. President Boris N. Yeltsin issued a far-reaching anti-crime decree in June. But in a society suffused with -- and sometimes seemingly run by -- gangsters, the task will not be simple.

"This is not meant to be a game or a joke," said Aleksandr G. Azmolov, a deputy minister for education who was among the VIP's who attended the show. "This is a society that has never had to think of private security, or personal safety or random crime. Now that has changed. So these people are here to show us that we can be prepared to battle criminals."

It is not entirely clear to most civil rights advocates here that what Russia needs to confront crime are scores of highly polished vigilante organizations -- even the Guardian Angels have appeared on the scene -- operating as if they were the police.

Yet it is not hard to understand why such groups would receive applause. Street crime is still relatively new, but it is getting worse by the day.

[ On July 28, after the conclusion of these exercises, for instance, gunmen took over a bus near the southern Russia spa town of Mineralnye Vody -- the fourth time since December that hostages had been seized there. Government forces stormed the bus the next day, and five people died, including four hostages. ]

The demonstration here, at a sort of survivalist camp for the guards of nouveau riche bankers, was meant to show that Russia can put a stop to all that. There were competitions in several categories: storming banks to rescue hostages; killing terrorists without harming their prisoners (not entirely successful), and beating bad guys to a pulp.

Judges watched as a succession of guards overpowered bank robbers. They assigned points based on technique, use of handcuffs, stealth, speed and shooting style. They judged as the contestants stabbed, shot paint-filled bullets, kicked and punched one another.

One of the main events was the siege of a money exchange branch. Criminals surrounded guards as they walked toward the building carrying huge moneybags. Each guard had one minute to overcome and handcuff his attacker. Money exchanges, as common in Moscow as coffee shops in New York, are often in dark apartments or small offices, grimly guarded by a team with automatic rifles. It is hard to feel entirely safe there.

"That is why we chose that image," said Aleksei H. Velichko, one of the organizers. "We want everyone to know that these places are going to be safe if they hire the right teams."

Maybe so. Private security costs a lot in Moscow now. Many guards are retired Soviet soldiers, and the best paid are groups with combat experience in Afghanistan. But many companies have proved to be dishonest -- uniformed versions of the thugs they are hired to ward off.

"Kriminal Show 94" was conceived not just to prove to the public that these guards are making banks safe, but also to show businesses that it is possible to find honest guards.

"We are a new type of Russian," said Mikhail N. Trifonov, a 28-year-old guard for Moskovsky Bank. "We don't want anything for ourselves. Just safety for our people."

Soviet Band of ‘Vigilantes’ Is a Youth Gang Known for Beating Nonconformists

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

A gang of thugs was suddenly thrust into the spotlight this week when Soviet officials said gang members, who they called “vigilantes,” broke up demonstrations by dissidents.

The gang, named “Lyubers” after the Moscow suburb Lyubertsy where most of them live, roams the streets of the capital at night, beating punk rockers and other nonconformist teen-agers and robbing black marketeers.

According to press accounts, Lyubers mix Russian nationalism with right-wing philosophy, body-building and martial arts. The gang “uniform” consists of voluminous checked pants, tight white shirts and narrow black ties.

‘Vigilantes’ Blamed

On Thursday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Gennady I. Gerasimov, said “home-grown vigilantes,” apparently from the Lyubers gang, not plainclothes security agents, were responsible for roughing up demonstrators seeking emigration rights and the release of a Jewish activist from prison.

It was clear at the scene that the burly men who beat the demonstrators and some Western reporters were not teen-age thugs, but agents backed by police and the KGB secret police.

However, it was very unusual for a Soviet official to acknowledge the existence of such a gang, especially in a news briefing for Western reporters. Teen-age gangs are nothing new to Moscow, but they have rarely been given any attention in the official press.

Opposed to Hippies

The magazine Ogonyok said in a recent article that Lyubers are opposed to nonconformist youths, including hippies, punk rockers, heavy metal fans known as metallists and break dancers.

“Hippies, punks and metallists shame the Soviet way of life,” gang member Boris Taranov, 17, told Ogonyok. “We want to clean them out of the capital.”

The magazine said police know about the activities of the Lyubers but have not been able to take action “for the simple reason that hippies, punks and metallists who have suffered from the Lyubers don’t go to the police.”

The magazine said many Lyubers seem to believe in this “philosophy” but others simply use it as an excuse to beat and rob fellow Muscovites, especially black marketeers who usually carry large sums of money.

No Estimates of Size

There are no estimates on the size of the gang. A gang leader, asked by an Ogonyok reporter how many people he could assemble in a few hours, said a conservative estimate was 200.

The gang members practice boxing, wrestling, judo, karate and weightlifting in basement gymnasiums built from the proceeds of selling stolen goods, Ogonyok said.

“Lyubers practically don’t drink, they don’t smoke and as far as we know, they don’t take drugs,” reporter Vladimir Yakovlev wrote in an article for the magazine.

More to Read

More student loan forgiveness available, but April 30 deadline looms

April 29, 2024

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks dismissal of revenge porn, human trafficking claims in lawsuit

U.S. found Israeli military unit committed human rights abuses before Gaza war, Blinken says

April 26, 2024

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Will AI deepfakes and robocalls upset the 2024 election?

Nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain could roil Nevada U.S. Senate race

World & Nation

3 law enforcement officers killed, 5 others wounded trying to serve warrant in North Carolina

W. Virginia and N. Carolina’s transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule