How not to write a cover letter for your job applications

Did you know that the cover letter is one of the chances you get to make a memorable first impression on potential employers? It gives you the perfect opportunity to showcase your personality while explaining why you are a great candidate for the position. The cover letter also allows you to express your enthusiasm for the role and how excited you are to work with the employer.

However, a poorly written cover letter can easily earn you a negative first impression from potential employers. As certified professional resume writers, we spot multiple cover letter mistakes a day and thought of writing this article to give you an in-depth guide on what not to do when creating your cover letter.

Lack of research

One of the biggest cover letter mistakes that job seekers make when submitting job applications is failing to research the company or the role. It is important that you spend adequate time researching the employer before you write the cover letter. If you do not put in the hours, you will end up writing a generic cover letter. A generic cover letter doesn't reference the company's values or goals. You can fix this cover letter mistake by spending some time reviewing the company’s website for its mission statement, vision, business values, and recent news. Then, you can use this new knowledge to write a customized cover letter for your job application.

Being too formal or too casual

It is important that you strike the right tone with your cover letter. Being too formal or too casual can easily get you rejected during the job search. And it will end up Giving the impression that you are unprofessional or impersonal. If you use an outdated phrase, such as “To whom it may concern,” to begin a cover letter, it tells the hiring manager that you did not spend enough time personalizing the letter. However, if you do the opposite by starting your cover letter with a casual greeting such as “Hey there,” you can end up alienating the hiring manager. Instead, hop onto LinkedIn to find out more about the hiring manager and try to address them by their name.

Repeating your resume

The first thing you must understand is that your cover letter and your resume serve different purposes. Repeating information from your resume verbatim in your cover letter will not get you the kind of results that you want. One of the biggest cover letter mistakes that job seekers make is repeating everything that they described on their resume within their cover letter. This is a problem because employers really don’t need to read the same content twice in your job application. Fix this cover letter mistake by using the letter to provide context for your achievements, career transitions, or employment gaps.

Using a generic template

If you plan on using a generic cover letter template from the internet, you might have to rethink your decision. Keep in mind that hiring managers see generic cover letter templates all the time. If you want to stand out with your job application, you will need to match your cover letter to your resume. Sending in a cover letter with a generic template is a mistake because it may fail to showcase your personality. Fix this cover letter mistake by personalizing your cover letter template. You can even edit the header of your cover letter to match that of your resume.

Talking only about yourself

Yes, the cover letter is the place for you to talk about yourself. But if that is all you did on your cover letter, you have committed a grave cover letter mistake. An entirely self-focused cover letter can give the impression that you are egotistical. This is an issue because employers are concerned about what you can do for them and how you can add value to their team. Forgetting to address this in your cover letter might end up getting you rejected from the job. Fix this cover letter mistake by shifting the focus of your letter to what you can do for the employer. You can also talk about how you are enthusiastic about being a part of their team and how excited you are about working with them.

Failing to highlight the right skills

Just because we mentioned earlier that you should not repeat your entire resume on your cover letter, it does not mean that you can forget important things such as highlighting your skills and experiences. You must still use your cover letter as a chance to emphasize your relevant skills and qualifications. Use the body of your cover letter to highlight a few vital skills admired by the employer. We see job seekers make the cover letter mistake of including irrelevant information within the body. Instead of doing that, use examples from your career to highlight how you have used your skills to contribute towards previous employers.

Making it too long or too short

There is no set length that you should hit with your cover letter. However, ensuring that your cover letter is limited to one page will get you better results in the job market. A cover letter that is too long will lose the attention of the hiring manager. But if your cover letter is too short, you will fail to provide enough information to make an impact with potential employers. Failing to achieve the right cover letter length is a mistake because you will be wasting a valuable opportunity to showcase your personality and cultural fit to an employer. Fix this cover letter mistake by aiming to write a cover letter that is 3 or 4 paragraphs long and fits within one page.

Ignoring the job description

Remember how you used the employer’s job description to guide your process while writing your resume? You must do the same with your cover letter. Your cover letter also goes through the ATS when you apply for a job. If you do not include the right kind of information and keywords within your cover letter, you stand a chance of getting rejected during job applications. We see a lot of job seekers making the cover letter mistake of not using the right keywords to describe their experience and qualifications. You can alleviate this cover letter mistake by using the job description to guide you. Incorporate the right keywords and align your experiences and skills with the job description.

By Resume Mansion