Don't Make These 7 Cover Letter Mistakes

Cover letters are a great way to get an employer interested in your resume and in you! Many college students, recent grads, and inexperienced jobseekers destroy their resume by accompanying them with half-hearted and downright horrible cover letters.

Although there are some employers who don’t bother reading cover letters, it is important to keep in mind that most employers review cover letters before reading resumes. Employers, who consistently demand applicants to submit cover letters along with their resumes, are looking for applicants who took the effort and time to tailor their cover letter to their specific job posting. And they will quickly eliminate you if you don’t send a cover letter or make any of the following 7 cover letter mistakes:

1. Using inappropriate stationary, cover letter format, and tone. The only universally accepted stationery color is white and ivory. Using different colors and different fonts and styles to attract the attention of the employer may not be such a good idea. Trendy fonts and styles are just annoying to read and very unprofessional.

   Use a font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman or Arial, and follow a business format to create your cover letter approximately 2-3 paragraphs that grab the employer’s attention. These paragraphs should communicate your skills, show your understanding of the employer’s needs, and confirm your ability to fill these needs.

   Always use a positive tone to ensure your cover letter will strengthen your candidacy. Your cover letter should be written with a serious, professional tone and make you sound determined—not desperate. Don’t use your cover letter to “beg” for the position.

2. Telling the employer what the company can do for you instead of what you can do for the company.  This is the most common mistake among new college graduates and inexperienced jobseekers. When writing a cover letter, many people discuss why they need the job with such statements: “I need the money;” “I find that this position is interesting and challenging;” or “I wanted to work for you since I was a kid.”

   Here’s a newsflash: Companies are not really interested about your needs. They’re not hiring you to enrich your life or provide you with an income. They’re looking to hiring someone who will solve their problems.

   Cover letters are not all about you! Use the cover letter to show the company how hiring your benefits them and not just you. Try to be both confident and humble when discussing what you can offer the company.

3. Typos and grammatical errors. Your cover letter reflects your ability to write and communicate. Edit your work carefully! To avoid spelling errors and typos, write your cover letter using a word processing program, such as Microsoft World, and use the “spell check” function on your computer to filter out common mistakes. Then read the document out loud—you may catch spelling errors the computer missed. Only after you have double-checked your cover letter should you attach it to your resume and send it off.

   The most common errors are misspelling of the employer’s name or title in the address, greeting or on the envelope. To avoid this embarrassing experience you can call the company to confirm the spelling of the recipient’s name and to ask for their exact title.

4. Using the Same Cover Letter for Every Job and Company. We all know that writing a cover letter is very time consuming, but it worthwhile to customize each letter for the specific job and company. If you haven’t addressed the company’s specific concerns, they’ll assume that you did not take the time to research about their company and do not care about the specific job.

   Avoid the approach of mass mailing to employers because this does not allow you to opportunity to personalize each resume and cover letter. For every job position you are applying, you should create a cover letter that is tailored to the position you seek. This will show how interested you are in a specific industry and how familiar you are with the company and their needs.

5. Rambling on and on about your life story/career experience. Keep your cover letter as brief as possible—approximately 2-3 paragraphs and never more than a page long. Some jobseekers tend to use their cover letters to provide a narrative of their life or career.

   Big mistake!

   A cover letter is a marketing tool that should focus on the qualifications that will tell you to the employer. Keep it simple— use uncomplicated sentences and unnecessary words that make your cover letter look overdone and too wordy.

6. Repeating your resume. When it comes to writing a cover letter, most jobseekers fall into the trap of regurgitating everything that’s in their resume. A cover is your opportunity to offer deeper insight into what your resume does not say. Provide an in-depth explanation of some of your key achievements and skills. Keep in mind, employers already have your resume and are looking for some new information that will support the claims made in your resume.


7. Including Personal photos and personal information. Photographs are completely unnecessary and unprofessional, unless you are planning to apply for acting, modeling, or broadcast journalism position. Not only is photographs inappropriate to attach with a resume and cover letter, including personal information, such as your age, martial status, race, religion, or any other personal information is also another mistake. Personal information that does not directly pertain to the position you are seeking should be taken out of your cover letter.