Best of April from HigherEdJobs

Whether you’re actively job searching or simply seeking to excel at your current institution, here are some editor’s picks highlighting issues, trends, and tips from last month that may help you.

Best in Job Search

How To Write a Cover Letter That Rises Above the AI Slop

“The candidates who stand out will be the ones who sound unmistakably human.” This piece explains that as AI-generated cover letters become more common, it’s easier than ever for applications to start sounding the same. Instead of relying on polished but generic language, candidates should use their cover letters to show their values, and work ethic.

Best in Leadership in Higher Ed

Higher Education Needs a Senior Launch

“Okay, so now what?” Is the question many college seniors ask as graduation approaches. This piece explains the uncertainty many students feel as graduation gets closer and the structure of college starts to fall away. It makes the case that while so much attention is given to the first-year experience, seniors often don’t get the same level of support as they prepare for what comes next. The idea of a “Senior Launch” shifts that final year into a space where students can pause, think about what they want, and start figuring out how to step into life after college more confidently.

Best in Higher Education Trends and Policy

A 92-Credit Pathway: How One Community College Is Shortening the Road to a Bachelor’s Degree

This interview with a community college president looks at how one institution is rethinking the path to a bachelor’s degree with a 92-credit program built for working adults. It explains how the degree is structured with shorter terms, online options, and lower-cost materials to make completion more realistic for students balancing jobs and family obligations.

Best in Teaching and Faculty

Transforming Teaching Evaluation: Aligning Evaluation with Academic Values

What does it mean to value teaching in higher education? This piece shows how current evaluation methods can miss the full picture by relying too much on student surveys and one-time observations. It introduces UCLA’s Holistic Evaluation of Teaching (HET) framework as an approach, using different types of evidence and focusing on both how someone teaches now and how they improve over time.

Best in Career Development, Stages, and Transitions

Building Confidence and Finding Your Professional Voice

Have you ever left a meeting thinking of everything you should have said? Everyone has been there. This shows how common self-doubt can be early in your career and how finding your voice happens gradually. It comes down to small steps — having one thought ready, asking a question, or speaking up once — and letting those moments build over time. As the piece says, “confidence isn’t developed overnight” but instead comes from doing it little by little until it feels more natural.

Best in Student and Campus Life

S5 Ep105: The “Hottest Seat” in Higher Ed: Admissions Leadership Today Part 1

This episode features a conversation with the CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) about how admissions has become one of the most demanding roles on campus, requiring leaders to balance enrollment goals, revenue, and access. It also shows how the work extends beyond the admissions office, with the full campus playing a role in how students experience and choose an institution and decide to stay