Letters should take a formal, business-like tone. Terms like "good communicator," "hard working," "perfectionist," "loyal" and "team player" are cover letter favorites from way back.

Many people write cover letters that state that they are good communicators, hard working, loyal, dedicated, team players, etc. While these are important traits for a job seeker, when these words are ...

4. Use the suggested cover letter and resume templates. While this is not a requirement, we encourage applicants to use the cover letter template and resume template to create a clear and compelling ...

Below, the full cover letter submitted to NYU, redacted where necessary. But one quick note on all the side laughter: Remember that not all of those e-mails were sarcastic.