It pays to pay attention to every detail in your cover letter.
Avoid Common Blunders
The most common cover letter mistakes are the following:
Name that job. Recruiters often try to fill more than one job simultaneously. After the salutation, state exactly which job you're applying for.
Form letters. The point of a cover letter is to make a personal connection with the reader. Tailor your letter specifically to each company you send it to.
Don't repeat yourself. Don't regurgitate everything that's in your resume -- offer deeper insights into what your resume does not say. Provide an in-depth explanation of some of your key achievements at your last job, for instance, and how those accomplishments could help the company. Or tell a story about a tough problem you solved.
What's in it for me? Don't say you are applying for the job because of the money, the travel opportunities, a better commute, or anything else that concerns only you.
Balance confidence and humility. While you certainly want to appear competent, arrogance can turn a recruiter off: "Throw away all those other resumes -- I'm your guy!" Show enthusiasm and a positive attitude, but don't overdo it.
Style Points
There are some other stylistic pointers to keep in mind:
- Don't open with "To Whom It May Concern" -- get a name.
- Highlight first and foremost your skills and experiences that match those the employer is seeking.
- Open with a strong lead sentence.
- Refer to the job ad and its specific language.
- Compare your letter to a sample cover letter.
- Offer to follow up with the recruiter -- and do it!
- For electronic letters, attach your resume and make sure any links to professional samples you include work.
- Proofread your work.
Proofread and spell-check your letter before emailing it. Now do it again. Ask a friend or family member to read your cover letter for typos and grammatical errors. (Do the same on your resume before you upload it.) If you're stuck on a grammatical point, consult a guide such as the classic "Elements of Style," by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, or the "Chicago Manual of Style."
Finally, send the letter to yourself as a test to check formatting. If you find errors, correct them and read it one more time -- it's easy to overlook a mistake, and you don't a want a typo to ruin all your hard work.
A cover letter may be a brief document, but it's an important one. It introduces you to the recruiter and interests him or her in reading another important document -- your resume.
