5 Cover Letter Mistakes You Must Avoid

1. The Opening Line In Your Cover Letter Is Boring

"I am an operations director with 18 years of experience" or "In response to your ad for a CEO, I have enclosed my resume" really aren't compelling enough to use as opening statements. Instead, try a hook that makes the hiring manager sit up straight in his or her chair, as in these examples:

"Would a sales vice president who consistently pushes teams past quota (up to 52%) make a difference in your national rankings?"

"As a CIO for global company ABC Consulting, I've increased customer satisfaction to 97% in 3 outsourcing engagements—pushing our revenue growth to its peak despite the recession. I'm interested in creating the same results for you."

The idea is to speak precisely to the employer's pain points while describing the performance impact you've had in previous roles. Note each of these sentences contains metrics, a targeted job title, and a career-defining achievement that is framed in context and laid out quickly for the reader to absorb.

At Work It DAILY, we advise members to follow our disruptive cover letter format and use storytelling to hook the hiring manager. The key is to show a connection between you and the company. Your opening line should also leverage the research you've done on the company, per the next point.

2. Your Cover Letter Doesn't Tell Employers How You'll Solve Their Problems

Rattling off a list of competencies isn't strong enough to distinguish you from other candidates, but speaking directly to the company's needs will do the trick.

You have to dig into the company's history, press releases, annual reports, social media accounts, and other news to figure out their pain points. What type of expansion is planned? Were earnings down in previous quarters? What do industry analysts say about the company's future and business strategy?

Armed with this information, you're able to connect your leadership skills to the employer's needs much more succinctly:

"My ability to produce business development results (30% rise in cloud-based solution sales during Q4 2022) can address any struggles you've had in breaking into this market. Can we talk?"

3. Your Cover Letter's Key Points Don't Match (Or Exceed) The Job Requirements

Like resumes, cover letters must be precise and direct the reader. It should keep them attentive to the reasons they should hire you and the edge your work can give them.

While you're writing, put the job description in front of you to remind yourself what the employer is seeking. Then, look for ways to point out how you can surpass these expectations. The following paragraph is taken from an IT director's cover letter:

"Your ad noted that you require a leader in service delivery and customer satisfaction. My career includes 3 years of 97% satisfaction ratings, achieved by improving infrastructure and network capacity, and I hold responsive service as my #1 priority."

4. Your Cover Letter Isn't Addressed To An Actual Person

Finding a contact name inside the company has never been easier. First, you can use LinkedIn to search for the employer. Then, navigate to the "People" tab on the company page and find the name of the hiring manager or department head. For example, a business development manager might look for keywords such as "VP Sales" or "COO" to identify the next-level manager contact, while an IT product director can try to find the CIO's name.

If you don't find a name through LinkedIn, be sure to check Zoominfo.com or the company's About Us page. If you have access to Dun & Bradstreet, you can also use that resource to locate company insiders. In addition, Data Axle is a free contact name database available through many public libraries and requires only your library card for access.

Taking the time to locate a name (vs. resorting to "Dear Hiring Manager") will help your letter create more impact at a target employer.

5. You Aren't Assertive In Your Cover Letter

This is especially important if you're pursuing an executive or senior-level role. Employers like to see a take-charge style (the same one you'll use to deal with vendors or your new team).

If your closing line isn't strong, you run the risk of looking too passive. "Thank you in advance for reviewing my credentials" is certainly polite and professionally stated. However, "I plan to exceed your requirements as your next Vice President of Finance" and "I am confident that I can demonstrate the leadership you look for in your next CIO" are both stronger.

Even more intense, "I will follow up with you next Tuesday" shows definite intent on your part to influence the hiring audience, and gives them advance notice of the proactive steps you'll take to secure the interview.

To summarize, there's no reason to settle for a bland, one-size-fits-all cover letter that blends in with the others. Your job search will fare better when you zero in on the hiring audience with an unforgettable opening—especially when it draws a parallel between employer needs and your unique value.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.