Whether you’re just starting out in the job market, making a career change or just changing to a different company, chances are you’re going to have to write a cover letter. Cover letters are the best way to sell yourself when you’re applying for a job. Your resume is the first glance, but the cover letter is what really helps the hiring manager get to know you.
Unfortunately, cover letters can be quite hard to craft sometimes. Some people find it hard to talk about themselves, others can’t seem to find the best way to sell themselves and sometimes you just can’t seem to strike a balance between relatable, professional and not completely boring. While we can’t help you all write your cover letters, we can give you five common cover letter mistakes that you absolutely should avoid.
Try To Avoid Opinions
You probably remember at school when teachers used to tell you not to write, “I think” in a persuasive essay. A cover letter is essentially the grown up version of a persuasive essay and writing, “I think” or “I believe” or any other opinion phrase will not be looked at kindly.
After all, it’s much better to say things with conviction rather than saying, “I think” because this seems weak. That is not how you want to come across in your initial contact with this company.
Being Too Long
A hiring manager doesn’t want to hear your life story. Keep it short and sweet and they’ll appreciate it and take note of it. Another thing to note about long cover letters is that hiring managers may not even read to the very end and this can hurt you significantly. You should almost always keep your cover letter under a page, even better if it’s only 3/4 of the page.
Me, Me, Me
Just like being too long, the hiring managers don’t want to hear your life story and they don’t want to know why you think you’d love the job. They want to know how you will benefit them. Try to avoid using “I” frequently and make it as much about them as possible.
Not Proofreading
So many people make this mistake and it can hurt your chances before you even get started. Always proofread your cover letter several times to make sure you haven’t mistyped something that spell check wouldn’t pick up. If possible, have someone else read it as well.
Not Using Concrete Examples
Lastly, of all the top mistakes to avoid with your cover letter, not using concrete examples is one of the most important. Imagine if someone said, “Can I borrow $10, I’ll definitely pay you back.” You’d probably ask, “Well, how can I be sure of that?” If they just responded, “Just because,” you wouldn’t want to lend them any money. The same goes for a cover letter. Back up all of your claims with concrete examples to prove your worth.
Writing cover letters can be tedious and stressful, but if you avoid these popular mistakes, you’re already doing better than some of the other candidates.
