A great cover letter can get you that much closer to an interview—and a new job. Your cover letter is ultimately a sales letter. It should make a potential employer interested in an important product—you! You can help improve your job search efforts by writing a well-crafted and well-planned cover letter. To do this, you should avoid some common cover letter pitfalls to ensure your cover letter is top-notch and highly professional.
Improve Your Cover Letter by Avoiding These Mistakes
When writing your cover letter, you should not:
- Use a generic version. Each cover letter you write should be tailored to the job you’re seeking. Just as every job is unique, every cover letter should also be unique. Also, be sure to take the time to find out who will be reviewing your resume. (You can do this by making a quick phone call to the company.) Don’t address your cover letter to “Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern.”
- Make it too short or too long. A cover letter should be brief and to the point, but it should also contain everything it needs to. The point is to introduce yourself, explain why you are a perfect match for the job, give your contact information and include your plans for follow-up. Three to five paragraphs is a good length to aim for.
- Focus only on yourself. Yes, you want to highlight your specific talents, experience and qualifications. But you can include these in a way that frames your benefit to the employer. For example, if you have strong communication skills, explain that your strong communication skills have helped you stay on track with your teammates and deadlines.
- Have a weak introduction. Like any great piece of sales writing, your cover letter should start out with a bang! Think of the one major take-away you’d like the potential employer to have after reading your letter. Then, open with that.
- Sell yourself short. You’ve worked hard and have accomplished many great things. Don’t downplay yourself. Give an honest assessment of what you’ve done and what you aspire to do.
- Re-state your resume. Your cover letter and resume are two separate documents. In other words, you should not rehash your resume in your cover letter. Remember, use your cover letter as a sales letter that both introduces you to an employer and highlights your qualifications.
- Fail to proofread. After you’ve finished your cover letter, always check it over for proper grammar and spelling. After all, you want to showcase yourself as a meticulous, professional employee.
Need Help in Your Job Search?
If you’re looking for help finding a new job in the Atlanta area, Snelling Georgia Group can help. Our recruiters will work with you to review and perfect your cover letter and resume, to find an exciting new job. To learn more, contact Snelling Georgia Group today.
