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The guide provides initial best practices on addressing real people, structuring paragraphs quickly, tailoring content to job descriptions, keeping length to one page, and using confident language, plus common question answers on formatting and what to include or omit.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/beyond-barnard-cover-letter-guide-cover-letter-writing-best-practices/254354/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/beyond-barnard-cover-letter-guide-cover-letter-writing-best-practices/254354.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Elsa","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-18","2026-09-13",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the main purpose of a cover letter in the Beyond Barnard guide?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"A cover letter provides clear evidence of interest, knowledge, and passion, and explains why the candidate is a strong fit. It should act as a succinct, persuasive writing sample that complements the resume.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How should the letter address the hiring manager?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Write to a real person whenever possible and use “Dear [FirstName LastName]” or “Dear Mr./Ms. [x].” If needed, use “To Whom it May Concern” as an alternative.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What should a candidate include or avoid in the cover letter?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Include specific, tailored reasons for applying and substantive connections, and keep the letter concise (no more than one page). Avoid wasting space by repeating the resume or including unnecessary elements like the candidate’s full address or references.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},254354,1789278034,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,93,98,103,108,113,117,122],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":55,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":115,"slug":116},18,30,"letters",{"id":118,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":123,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":125},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":127},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":128,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":22,"category_id":114,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":135,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":22},137455077381,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","BEYOND BARNARD COVER LETTER GUIDE  \nCover letters give job candidates the space to provide employers with clear evidence of interest in, knowledge about, and passion for the company, institution, or organization to which they are applying. Above all, cover letters provide specific and compelling reasons why a candidate is a strong fit for a position or role.  \nCover letters serve as succinct writing samples. They are no more than a page long. It can be helpful to think of them as short argumentative essays. Just like strong essays, well-written cover letters should have a main claim about why a candidate is a good match for a particular position. They should also provide the reader with reasonable evidence to support this claim throughout the entirety of the letter. Well-executed cover letters create narrative context for the information found in a candidate’s resume, fleshing out the skills, knowledge, and experiences that hiring managers will find there.  \nFinally, cover letters work in tandem with the resume. Hiring managers will not necessarily read the cover letter first and then move onto the resume. It’s likelier that a hiring manager will move back and forth between resume and cover letter. The cover letter should not merely repeat the content of the resume, but complement it.  \nINITIAL BEST PRACTICES  \n􀂃 Write to a real person whenever possible (use “To Whom it May Concern” as an alternative):  \n- Find out the hiring manager’s name and address the letter to him or her  \n- Writing “Dear [ FirstName LastName]” or Dear Mr. / Ms. [x] is best  \n- If you can’t find it in the job description, try to figure it out by looking on LinkedIn  \n􀂃 Don’t “bury the lede.” That is—after a brief opening sentence expressing your interest in the position—state your affiliation with Barnard and your major.  \n􀂃 Tell the reader what’s exciting about this job in the first paragraph  \n- Answer the question: “Why are you interested in / excited about this position  \n- Mention substantive conversations or connections with current employees  \n􀂃 Move quickly into specifics about skills or experience you would bring to the job  \n- Remember that it’s not just about what you will get out of the job  \n- It’s about how you will make the kind of contribution that they need  \n􀂃 Give narrative shape to resume or CV, using specific examples in each paragraph  \n- Don’t repeat your resume in paragraph form!  \n􀂃 No more than 1 pg. Include your signature, which you should capture digitally and paste into the text  \nDESCRIPTIONS AS PROMPTS:  \nIf one can think of cover letters as essays, it’s similarly possible to think of job descriptions as essay prompts. Each job description contains specific information about what the organization is hoping to find in a new hire.  \nJust as resumes should be tailored for each position, cover letters should respond to each specific description.  \nDON’T FORGET ABOUT THEM:  \n􀂃 Too often, students are in a hurry to explain their skills and experience. But hiring managers also care about the fact that candidates have taken the time to learn about their company or organization. Answer the question “why do you want to work for us?”  \n􀂃 How many times does the company’s name appear?: The name of the organization should be in every paragraph. Make it easy for the hiring manager to discern that you’ve tailored the document to them.  \n[barnard.edu/beyond-barnard](barnard.edu/beyond-barnard)  \nBEYOND BARNARD COVER LETTER GUIDE  \nCOMMON QUESTIONS:  \n􀂃 Do I need to include my address? No. Your address is on your resume. Don’t waste space!  \n􀂃 Should I mention conversations with other individuals at the organization? Yes! To the extent that you have had meaningful interactions with employees (perhaps recruiters, alumnae, or other professionals), you can certainly mention them provided that you first secure permission from the person you want to mention. REMEMBER: don’t merely name drop. Rather, talk about why and how your meaningful connect","cbCaitKyeXgxv8pC","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaitKyeXgxv8pC","pdf",76337,"English","# Initial Best Practices\n## Addressing the Letter to a Real Person\n## Opening Paragraph Structure\n## Moving Quickly to Relevant Skills\n## Narrative Shape and Non-duplication\n## Length and Signature\n# Common Questions\n## Address and References\n## Mentioning Meaningful Connections\n## Ending the Letter\n# Write Confidently and Avoid Weak Phrasing\n# Format Reminders\n# Use Strong Examples","[{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of a cover letter in the Beyond Barnard guide?\",\"answer\":\"A cover letter provides clear evidence of interest, knowledge, and passion, and explains why the candidate is a strong fit. It should act as a succinct, persuasive writing sample that complements the resume.\"},{\"question\":\"How should the letter address the hiring manager?\",\"answer\":\"Write to a real person whenever possible and use “Dear [FirstName LastName]” or “Dear Mr./Ms. [x].” If needed, use “To Whom it May Concern” as an alternative.\"},{\"question\":\"What should a candidate include or avoid in the cover letter?\",\"answer\":\"Include specific, tailored reasons for applying and substantive connections, and keep the letter concise (no more than one page). Avoid wasting space by repeating the resume or including unnecessary elements like the candidate’s full address or references.\"}]","Beyond Barnard Cover Letter Guide - Cover Letter Writing Best Practices | PDF"]