Ah, the good old-fashioned cover letter. Yes, it’s critical to include in your online application as well as when forwarding your resume to a networking contact. The cover letter structure, style and content is often closely reviewed by hiring managers (especially if you’re pursuing a job that requires strong writing skills).
Although many candidates may feel stumped when writing one, it’s important to think of it as your elevator pitch. Except in this case, it’s simply in writing as a snapshot of who you are as a candidate and why you’re the best person for the job.
With the right cover letter, you can open the door to a first-round interview; however, if it falls flat, it’s game over before it begins. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest mistakes you can make when composing a cover letter.
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Addressing it “Dear Sir.” Hello, it’s 1950 calling — a man won’t be the only person reading your cover letter.
Instead, go with something more generic, such as “To Whom It May Concern.” If that feels a bit too generic for you, write “Dear Hiring Manager.” You can’t really go wrong in either scenario and the reader won’t overthink it.
To take it a step further, if you aren’t submitting your cover letter online and you’re emailing a contact instead, address it to a specific department. Of course, if you already know the name of the person who will be the recipient, definitely address it to that person in a formal way: “Dear Ms. Smith.”
Including typos and grammatical errors. It’s common for a stellar resume to come along with a succinct, sharp cover letter, but alas — it’s riddled with typos.
A candidate expressing enthusiasm to pursue “they’re” opportunity is never well-received. Errors catch a hiring manager’s eyes — and not in a good way.
Simply stated, these errors get flagged as careless. Sure, once in a while spell check won’t catch a typo, that’s why it’s important to spend time reviewing your cover letter before hitting send. Double, triple and quadruple check for slip-ups — they happen to the best of us. Examples include you’re and your, they’re and their, it’s and its.
Other faux pas include botching basics like the company’s name (yes, that happens) as well as the department name or job title. And if you were able to land the name of the person you’re addressing the letter to, make sure it’s spelled correctly.
Above all, get into the habit of asking a trusted friend or mentor to eyeball your cover letter to see if any mistakes were made before you send it.
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Using a form letter that looks generic enough for you to [insert job title] at [insert company]. Similar to how you’re trying to impress the employer as to why you stand out from all of the other candidates, they need to feel special, too. Cover letters shouldn’t take you hours to write, so it’s important to spend even 15 minutes to customize each one.
Create a template and customize it for each job by writing something such as: “I’m interested in pursuing your Talent Acquisition Coordinator position (Job Code: 891197) in your Jersey City office.”
It’s important to get really granular down to the job code because there may be more than one position available and if your resume and cover letter are separated, this reference point makes it easy for a recruiter from another office potentially pursuing your candidacy as well.
Selling yourself in a generic way. When you talk to someone with your elevator pitch, there should be a sparkle in your eye, enthusiasm in your voice and the content should stand on its own in a succinct and compelling way.
The same holds true for your cover letter, and since it’s in a one-dimensional form, it really has to pop.
Why should they even hire you? But, let’s be realistic at this point, why should they even have a first conversation with you? What makes you so special? What are your spot-on skills and experiences that make you a no-brainer for this position?
Assume the reader has only a few seconds so the most important nugget of information you want them to retain should be clear. The letter doesn’t have to be incredibly long; in fact, two paragraphs are ideal with a closing at the end.
Repeating your resume verbatim. Let’s take this a step further: Considering the cover letter serves as a conduit for you to shine a spotlight on your top traits for the position you’re pursuing, if you had a yellow highlighter and physically marked up your resume, what three things would you highlight?
That’s what you should include in your cover letter. You don’t need to mention you’re a Ph.D. if the job requires it; the recruiter will easily see that on your resume as a screening tool. But, perhaps you were valedictorian in your class and conducted a special research study with a professor that landed national recognition. Definitely highlight that in your letter.
What makes your work-related skills truly unique? Maybe you’re learning how to speak fluent Chinese and you read online the department is expanding in China. That’s what you should include.
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Making it all about you. Yes, you possess stellar skills, but you need to connect the dots and bring them back to the employer. What’s in it for them? What is their mission, what is their biggest issue right now? Point out how and why you’re the solution.
If sales are lagging and you’ve read in industry trades that they have certain quotas, in your cover letter indicate you’re the answer to this. Write in such a way that doesn’t disparage them, but rather points to your success: “Considering your goals are $X this quarter, please note I exceeded all goals in the entire fiscal year. My sales quota surpassed $Y.”
Not demonstrating your personality. Especially for creative jobs, a cover letter is your chance to dance. You don’t need to include a funky font but you should take liberty to get a little creative. Yes, keep it professional and succinct, but leverage it as a writing test that you aim to pass with flying colors.
For instance, for a job description that may include a fun bullet mentioning the department has lively discussions about the use of the Oxford comma, insert an Oxford comma into your cover letter and take a stand on it.
Many candidates won’t go to that length to customize their cover letter and others won’t leverage the opportunity to insert their personality. That’s all the more reason why you should. It’s memorable and leaves a positive impression with the interviewer.
Again, in some positions it’s appropriate, like a copy editor position; in others, like a tax accountant role — not so much.
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7 Mistakes of Cover Letter Writing originally appeared on usnews.com
