Other than your envelope, a cover letter is the first piece of evidence a potential employer can use to gauge your professionalism and ability to communicate with the written word. Unfortunately, what most inexperienced job seekers don't understand is that incorrect assumptions, errors, and the extensive use of the first person (I, me, or my) can have a greater impact on your potential employer's perception of you than the actual contents of the letter.
MISCONCEPTION: Addressing people by their first names in the salutation will show you are an informal, friendly person who immediately gets down to business.
REALITY: First names should be reserved for your close friends and associates. Informality could be misinterpreted as disrespect
Therefore, it is critical to avoid many of the knockdown blows that can transmit the wrong signals and paint an incorrect picture of your personality.
Realize that it is not what you say, but how you write it that determines if you will receive further consideration.
After conducting extensive research with human resource professionals, we have compiled a list of the seven most deadly sins that candidates unknowingly commit when they compose the all-important cover letter:
- Familiar or friendly greetings
- Gender miscues
- Insincere and glowing comments
- Lengthy letters
- Unsolicited personal references
- Extensive use of the first person
- Grammatical errors and misspellings
Familiarity breeds contempt. Yes, addressing individuals by their first names is making an assumption that formality is unimportant to them.
Letters and salutations should remain formal until such time as the recipients tell you otherwise. An executive who insists on being addressed as "Mr." by his top-performing subordinates will not take kindly to an outsider writing "Dear Marvin." You can't go wrong with Mr. or Ms. even when the first name of the person is given in an employment ad.
MISCONCEPTION: A cover letter is not as important as your resume.
REALITY: Your resume will never get read if the cover letter is poorly presented.
Gender Miscues
On the surface, this blunder might not seem like a big deal. However, mistaking gender can be an indication that you are careless and have a tendency to react before you have all the facts.
Many common names like Chris and Terry can be male or female. Addressing a woman as Mr., or a man as Ms., can hurt a relationship before it has time to develop. This problem is also compounded when people use initials instead of names.
Insincere and Glowing Comments
Sending a letter that patronizes the recipient, shines through as being insincere. Making statements like "Your Company is great" or "You have a reputation that is second to none" won't help your cause, especially if the company is going through hard times or experiencing a heavy turnover of personnel. You have no concrete basis to comment accurately on a company until you meet the people and evaluate the working environment. Save the accolades for the follow-up letter after you've had a chance to meet the potential employer and evaluate the situation.
MISCONCEPTION: The more details you can cram into a cover letter, the better your chances that something will pique the reader's interest.
REALITY: The longer your cover letter, the less likely it will be read completely.
Lengthy Letters
The hypothesis here: Shorter is better. Concise letters are more likely to be read. Long, flowing dissertations rarely receive cover-to-cover attention. Brief letters should be the benchmark if you are applying for an executive or sales position.
Let's face it; top executives are paid to make decisions, not to write reports describing the decisions. Salespeople are compensated to bring in orders, not to write "How to" chapters on sales strategies.
For a top position, a cover letter that is any longer than three paragraphs is too lengthy. Your statements should be concise, professional, and polite. Stick to the basics. State your interest, provide a little background that will tease the reader, and end with a request for a meeting.
Another important aspect of short cover letters is using key industry words. These words could relate to state-of-the-art technology, such as SONET in telecommunications or TQM in manufacturing. But weighing down your letters with jargon and acronyms is a big mistake. Write so that the reader won't have to stop and say, "What the hell is he talking about?"
Another good approach, when you are applying for a sales or management position is to include the names of recognizable customers. For example, if you are competing for a top sales position in a company that is a major supplier to the automotive industry, make certain names like GM and Ford appear in the cover letter. Because of significant supplier consolidations, insight into a customer's operation is a big selling point that will attract the immediate attention of potential employers.
MISCONCEPTION: It is a good idea to include letters of recommendation with your initial correspondence.
REALITY: Letters of recommendation mean little to seasoned recruiters and can in fact detract from your perception as a viable candidate.
Unsolicited Personal References
This is one of the quickest ways to eliminate yourself from the race. Sending copies of reference letters is presumptuous and indicates a total naiveté on your part regarding the perception of these letters by potential employers.
Any astute recruiter knows full well that 99 percent of all recommendations are written at the request of the discharged employee. Worse yet, over 50 percent of the letters are composed by the job seeker and not the former employer. How many times have you heard a boss tell an employee who was being let go, "Just write up what you want me to say and I'll sign it"?
Letters of recommendation are not only useless, they also send a covert signal that you had problems in the past and wanted to clear your name in writing.
Avoid sending letters of recommendation. If potential employers find you to be a viable candidate, they will request references soon enough.
Extensive Use of the First Person
In an effort to remove the monotony of reading hundreds of cover letters and resumes, our company keeps track of certain applicant accomplishments. We call it our "Candidate Olympics".
MISCONCEPTION: Frequent use of the first person (I, me or my) in the cover letter will show you really have confidence in yourself.
REALITY: Extensive use of the first person turns off the reader and can send the signal that you might not be a team player.
However, you can use the first person when you are describing a specific fact or accomplishment.
- My sales exceeded quota for five years running.
- I was awarded "Manager of the Year" for reducing manufacturing rejects by 50 percent.
Because of cutbacks in staffs and reduction in overhead, companies are looking for loyal, team players who can wear a number of different hats.
Grammatical Errors and Misspellings
Finally, make sure your letter is free of careless grammatical errors and misspellings. Technical errors in your cover letter demonstrate a lack of attention to detail while raising serious questions about your level of professionalism.
Cover letters are meant to attract attention and pique an employer's interest, not to close the sale. A concise, objective, and professional letter will draw attention to your qualifications instead of highlighting your shortcomings.
One final point: Always ask another person to review and assess your letters objectively. You may be surprised to find out that what you are trying to say is not the same as what the reader is reading
