15 Cover Letter Mistakes You Might Not Realize You’re Making

Applying for jobs can be stressful. You’ve got to filter through a million job listings, write a convincing resume, and now you’ve got to write a letter that’s good enough to make an employer want to call you in for an interview.

Here’s the deal:

Writing a cover letter can be difficult, but how good yours is can determine whether or not you get the job. To make matters worse, you could be making a bunch of mistakes that are getting you screened out of the hiring process — and you might not even realize you’re making them.

Lucky for you, we’ve made it easy for you to make sure that your cover letter is convincing and mistake-free. Here are 15 common cover letter mistakes to avoid so you can land an interview and get the job.

1Forgetting to Proofread

Sending a cover letter that’s full of typos and errors is a quick and easy way to get yourself screened out of a possible interview.

We all know that writing a cover letter can be a painful process, but do yourself a favor and just proofread. Use free editing software like Grammarly or spell-check in Microsoft Word to catch the obvious mistakes.

For more nuanced changes, try reading your cover letter backwards — it’ll minimize the risk of reading over the same mistake over and over without noticing it.

If you can, ask a friend to look over your cover letter and point out any mistakes before you send it in. A second pair of eyes is great for finding errors you might not realize you’ve made.

2Sending a Generic Cover Letter to Every Job You Apply For

This mistake is so common that employers will be able to tell right away if you’re using a one-size-fits-all cover letter when applying for jobs.

Make sure you mention the specific position you’re applying for in your first paragraph, address the company’s specific concerns and desired qualifications, and explain how your skills and experiences make you the best fit for the job.

A good way to optimize your cover letter is to start by reading the job description closely. Highlight all the action verbs in one color, all the hard skills in another, and the adjectives in a third color. Then, look for ways to incorporate some of those words into your cover letter, paying special attention to keywords that get used multiple times in the job description.

This shows that you’re paying attention and only covering the topics that the employer deems relevant and essential.

3Not Getting Basic Company Facts Right

Getting basic information incorrect, like referencing the wrong company or addressing your cover letter to the wrong person, basically tells employers “I literally could not care less about this job opportunity and I’m using this same letter to apply for 20 other jobs right this second.”

Double check your cover letter greeting and make sure that you list the right company and the right contact, and mention the company name a few times throughout your letter.

Also, have a basic sense of what the company does, who their target audience is, what competition they face, and the challenges they are currently up against. When you can communicate like an insider, the hiring manager or recruiter will have a much easier time envisioning you as a member of the company.

4Using an Outdated Greeting

Save the “Dear Sir or Madam” cover letter greetings for the grave. Instead, just use gender neutral terms like “Dear Hiring Manager,” when you’re unsure of who’s going to be reading your cover letter.

If you know exactly who’s going to be reading your letter, mention their name specifically, and always address women with the title “Ms.” rather than “Mrs.”

You should always do your best to find the name of the hiring manager. Check the job posting, the company’s career page on their website, or LinkedIn to find a name. If all else fails, simply call the company and ask who the hiring manager is for the given position.

If you can’t find a name and don’t want to use “Dear Hiring Manager,” try another greeting that’s a bit more specific like:

• Dear [Department] Manager

• Dear Hiring Committee

• Dear [Title of Person You’d Report To]

• Dear [Department] Hiring Team

5Making Your Cover Letter Too Short

Submitting a cover letter that’s less than half a page will send the wrong message to employers about your work ethic or your interest in the job at hand. Plus, you’re completely blowing off the opportunity to highlight your skills and experience and show off why you’re the best person for the job.

A very short cover letter is 150 words — set that as your minimum as you start drafting yours.

6Making Your Cover Letter Too Long

A good cover letter shouldn’t be any longer than one page. Unless you’re applying for a managerial or executive position, there’s really no reason why your cover letter should be any longer. Plus, you risk burdening the employer and losing their interest.

Hiring managers read about a million cover letters and resumes everyday, and you’ll want to make sure yours is concise to avoid wasting their time. Keep your cover letter brief, and only include the most important information need to make an employer want to invite you in for an interview.

Any longer than 400 words is definitely too long. Hiring managers and recruiters agree that about half a page is sufficient most of the time. Aim for around 250 words and you’ll be golden (but slightly shorter or longer is A-okay).

7Including Too Much Information or Over-Explaining

Don’t include more information than the employer needs to know. Address their concerns and let them know that you have all of the necessary qualifications.

Some people feel the need to explain career changes or why they’re applying for a job from somewhere far away. Keep your explanations short to make sure that the employer is able to focus on your skills and experiences.

8Not Giving Concrete Examples

The skills and qualifications you claim to have in your cover letter are meaningless if you can’t back them up. Support your statements by giving examples of jobs or roles where you used these strengths.

For example, instead of just saying “I have great organizational skills and I’m a hard worker,” say something like, “I personally organized our annual fundraiser and increased employee participation by 30%.” Much more convincing.

Notice how the above example also quantifies the writer’s accomplishments. Whenever you can, include numbers to make a bigger impact with your statements. Recruiters and hiring managers love to see verifiable proof of your deeds, so make it easy to see how you’ve added value in the past.

That way, they’ll have an easier time imagining the sort of tangible impact you’ll have if you’re hired.

9Starting Your Introductory Paragraph With Your Name

Nothing says “rookie mistake” like opening your cover letter with “My name is Joe Schmo.” Your name should be listed in the sign off of your cover letter, in your resume, and elsewhere in your application materials.

Instead, start off your cover letter with a relevant qualification, or mention what position you’re applying for. Say something like, “I am a marketing professional with 10+ years experience in the banking industry,” or “I am writing to you today in regard to your marketing associate position.”

10Making Your Cover Letter a Written-Out Version of Your Resume

Your cover letter shouldn’t be your resume in paragraph form. Your resume is the first thing most employers look at, so you’re just wasting everyone’s time if you use your cover letter to write out everything that’s already on your resume.

Use your cover letter to focus on one or two examples of your work experiences that show what you can bring to the table. Help employers picture you doing the work by explaining what you’ve done in your previous positions.

Think of your resume as answering the “who,” “what,” “when,” and “how,” while your cover letter answers the “how” and “why.” Your methodological approach to the job and your reasons for doing it should be on display in your cover letter.

11Using the Wrong Format

There’s no one-size-fits-all format for every cover letter, and how you write yours depends on your experience and what you have to offer.

If you’re describing one or two particular relevant experiences, it may make sense to go with the standard three-paragraph format. On the other hand, if you’re listing your skills or detailing your career path, a more creative approach like bullet points may be more suitable.

Always include these sections in your cover letter:

• Your contact information

• A greeting

• An opening paragaph that grabs the reader’s attention

• 2-3 body paragraphs that highlight your relevant professional achievements and interest in the company/job

• A closing paragaph with a call-to-action and a thank-you

• A professional sign-off

12Focusing Too Much on Education and Training

We’re all super proud that you finally finished that college thing and got your degree, but what employers really care about is your relevant experience and what you can bring to the table on day one.

Briefly mention education if it’s relevant to the job, but make the main focus of your cover letter your relevant experiences. If you’re new on the job scene and your education is your most relevant experience, describe projects you worked on and the skills you gained, instead of just the course content.

13Sharing Completely Irrelevant Information

If you have a good idea of the company’s culture, it makes sense to show your compatibility in your cover letter.

Instead of describing your weird hobbies or your booming social life, talk about your values and how they align with the core values of the company. Check their website to get a good feel for their culture and values and use that information to show you’re the perfect fit.

14Not Showing Any Actual Interest in the Job

If you don’t sound genuinely interested or excited for the job opportunity, you’re probably not going to land an interview. Show enthusiasm for the job so the hiring manager knows that you’re highly motivated, and not just looking for a paycheck.

The best way to do this is to talk about the job’s responsibilites and compare them to duties you’ve had in the past/currently have. Then, indicate how thrilled you are that this new job has a lot of the same responsibilities that you enjoy and excel at.

15Forgetting to Address the Employer’s Concerns

While you’re talking about how awesome and qualified you are, make sure to do so in the context of the job requirements and the company’s needs. If the hiring manager can see that everything about you is perfect for the specific job, you’re bound to land an interview.

Think about what challenges the company is facing and how your role or department is situated to solve those problems. The sooner you can lead the hiring manager or recruiter to view you as a valuable insider who knows what needs doing on day one of your new job, the more comfortable they’ll feel calling you in for an interview.

Final Thoughts

One of the first things employers notice about a job candidate is their cover letter. A good cover letter shows that you’re an effective communicator and that you have what it takes to get the job done, so you’ll want yours to be effective and error-free.

Many cover letters don’t get the attention they deserve, and a lot of people just write one at the last minute, attach it to their resume, and hope that it gets the job done — and these cover letters happen to be full of these common errors.

Make sure to check through your resume and make sure you don’t make any of the mistakes we’ve mentioned in this article, and you’re sure to get called in for an interview!

Author

Maddie Lloyd

Maddie Lloyd was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog focused on researching tips for interview, resume, and cover letter preparation. She's currently a graduate student at North Carolina State University's department of English concentrating in Film and Media Studies.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.