How To Fix The Top 10 Cover Letter Mistakes Youre Making

How To Fix The Top 10 Cover Letter Mistakes You're Making Photo Credit: Rachael Cihlar/Trada.com 1. No Cover Letter.  This is one of the most common cover letter mistakes people make. Unless the company you are applying to specifically requests applicants not send a cover letter in with their  resume, a cover letter is needed. This problem has an easy solution:  write a cover letter. 2. Using a Generic Cover Letter. Using one general cover letter to send to each potential employer is lazy and shows you probably didnt follow the directions, as many companies ask you to answer specific questions in your cover letter. Also, by using a generic cover letter, you dont personalize your skills or mention the specific company. Having a rough cover letter template to use and personalize for each job is a much better way of ensuring your  resume is taken seriously and is a great way of avoiding this cover letter mistake. 3. Failing to Personalize.  Whenever and wherever possible, personalize your cover letter. Refer to the specific company you are applying to by name and dont just address your cover letter To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir or Madam. By personalizing your letter, you show you have done your research into the company and know who will be considering your application, which is a subtle and good way of coming across as competent and detail-oriented. 4. Having Grammatical or Spelling Errors.  These common cover letter mistakes can be avoided by  proofreading, which is one of the most important things you can do before sending a professional letter in for consideration. Rereading your own work can help you catch mistakes you missed the first time around and spot places to tighten your writing. Also, writing in Microsoft Word or another writing application that has a spellcheck function is crucial as it will highlight for you where your spelling has gone awry. Lastly, check your grammar or ask a knowledgeable friend or family member to read it over for grammatical errors. 5. Hogging the Spotlight. Dont use your cover letter to just talk all about you; while this may seem counter-intuitive, potential employers want to read about what you will bring to their  company. So talk about your skills and accomplishments by writing how they would act as an advantage for you and be a  benefit to the business  if youre hired by their company. 6. Summarizing Your Resume.  Contrary to popular belief, a cover letter  does not  just consist of restating the contents of your  resume. The cover letter should provide a more in-depth look into who the company may be hiring if they employed you and you do that by talking about how your past employment experiences and skills would make you a good fit for the job (refer to #3). Photo Credit: iStockphoto 7. Handwriting a Half-Assed Cover Letter.  Writing a cover letter does not mean just scribbling a quick note or sticky to include before your  resume in your application. A cover letter has specific formatting and expectations that come with it and should never be handwrittenonly typed. 8. Formatting Incorrectly.  Your cover letter is a document being used to further your professional aspirations and should look like such. Your margins, font, font size, spacing, etc. should reflect that and relay to your potential employer that you take your job search seriously. Find a cover letter template structure you want to use and follow its layout when writing your own cover letter. 9. Sounding Desperate.  While of course you want to be hired, you dont want to come across as desperate for employment to companies. Do this by coming across as confident in both your abilities and their fit for the job you are applying for. Be concise and clear in your writing and while you dont want to hog the spotlight too much, you do want to make it clear in your cover letter that reading your  resume wouldnt be a waste of time and considering you for the position would be worthwhile as well. 10. Missing Information. Some of the most common cover letter mistakes are actually information left off of the cover letter. Failing to  include your contact information  or your signature could make the difference between getting a job offer or having your application end up in the rejected pile. Your cover letter and  resume could get separated so its imperative you include contact information, like your email address and phone number, on your cover letter. Search through the Uloop job listings to find your next Part-Time or Full-Time employment or Internship opportunity. Employers are waiting to hear from you!