Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Cover letters are an often overlooked piece to the value of a person’s application for a job-but often cover letters are the very heart of whether or not a candidate gets an interview. This said, there are a lot of common misconceptions that people apply to their cover letters every time they apply for a job; and it is the difference between getting the job and not be considered past the first sentence. Below, we offer the most common of cover letter mistakes to avoid, if you are looking for career success.

1. Simple Mistakes: The first and most compelling reason for an employer not to read further into your cover letter is simple mistakes-such as grammar and verb usage. Though they may seem like inconsequential types of mistakes-when compared to the content of the cover letter-it is what missing these small errors means to an employer: you could not take the time to read through the document and you did not have a minute to spell check.

2. Not Customized: Though you may think employers do not know that the cover letter you used for a handful of other jobs is the same one you present to them, they do. This is why you have to make each address through your cover letter customized to that particular job and company. No one wants to think that they are one of hundreds of companies you are applying to blindly. They want someone enthusiastic about their specific company and career.

3. Soft Introduction/Closing: Remember that the entire cover letter is only a matter of a few paragraphs, so you have to make every word count-this especially refers to the intro and the conclusion. Make sure you use a demonstrative, pull you in beginning; and finish in the same manner.

4. Length: An effective cover letter should be no longer than three to four paragraphs. Though you do need to accomplish a lot in a cover letter, this does not give you free license to use as much wordage as possible. Keep it to three to four paragraphs. Period.

5. Your Goals: Though it is crucial that you state what your short and long term career goals are; it is also vital that you tie this to the goals and mission of the company. It should really be that you mention how a company's goals would benefit by your experience and skills, and in passing-mention how you would also be facilitating your own career goals at the same time. The priority should always be to show what the company will be gaining, however, not your career.

6. Contact Information: Many people think it’s enough to put contact information in their resume, but it should also be listed in the header of your cover letter-if not also, in the closing paragraph. This is because often cover letters and resumes will get separated-many applications and many applicants-and so, you want to make sure that a hiring manager never has to work too hard to know how to contact you if they want an interview. Imagine if they wanted to interview you, but could not locate your resume?