Top 10 Cover Letter Crimes

From: Karen Silins

Be especially careful when it comes to the following:

»        Forgetting to include the date.

That's one of the basic elements that need to be included in every cover letter. By omitting the date, the writer is revealing to his employer that he does not really pay attention to the details. That's a pretty bad first impression to create.

»        Writing without structure or organization.

An employer gets his cues from the appearance of a cover letter: he looks for the appropriate address line, the right type of salutation, a three- or four-paragraph structure with bullet points, and so on.

A document that doesn't look like a typical cover letter is a cause for momentary confusion. More importantly, an informal, disorganized letter causes the employer to downgrade your application, regardless of your credentials, experience, or the quality of your résumé.

»        Using an inappropriate "tone" – avoid being too casual.

It bears repeating: a cover letter is a professional document. It's not the type of letter you'd send to a family member or best friend. In fact, unless you actually know the person to whom you're writing, consider this cover letter a message from one stranger to another.

Even if you do know the addressee, there should still be a certain formality to your letter reflecting the fact that the reader could possibly be your future boss and, thus, deserves your respect.

If you're used to being addressed by applicants and colleagues alike as "Mr. Hanks," you will notice when a perfect stranger decides to start calling you "Tony." And you probably won't appreciate it.

The key to writing a professional and effective cover letter is to be formal without being stiff. You want to seem friendly enough to get along with others in a corporate environment, but you don't want to breach the boundaries of the employer-applicant relationship.

»        Being overly confident.

You should aim to come across as confident – all employers want employees who have great things to offer – but you don't want to sound arrogant or conceited.

No one cares for a show-off. So, impress the reader by letting your experience speak for itself. Don't overly embellish your writing.

After all, you don't have the job yet! The employer wants to feel that hiring you is his decision, not yours. (Can you see how badly Jeff broke this rule?)

»        Sounding like a dictionary or being overly verbose.

Of course, you can certainly use long or less widely known words if necessary, but don't expect those words alone to do you much good. No one is going to give you a job based merely on the size of your vocabulary – unless, perhaps, you're applying to work for a company that publishes dictionaries.

The key to writing an appropriate cover letter is to be clear and concise. Don't use three words when two will do. Don't use an unnecessarily long word when a short one will do. Above all, never use a word you'd never use in real life or a word you can't define.

No one has ever hired someone based on his ability to spout unfamiliar words! What snags an interview is the employer's belief that the applicant will make a valuable addition to the team. That's based on experience and abilities, not your use of ten-letter words.

»        Using poor grammar.

So many people make inexcusable grammar mistakes. These errors indicate to your reader that you don't have the basic skills to be a competent employee. Therefore, you must always ensure that your sentences are complete and grammatically correct.

Consider using the grammar check feature in Microsoft Word – especially if the grammar skills you learned in middle school are rusty. And definitely use spell-check. There's NO excuse for typographical errors or misspelled words! But remember, these tools don't catch all errors; there's no replacement for a good proofreader.

»         Dismissing the cover letter as less important than an interview.

Some people think the cover letter isn't important; they think the real application process starts when the interview begins. Therefore, they slack off when it comes to writing the letter. They're too casual, informal, and just plain sloppy.

Think of it this way: would you show up for an interview in torn jeans or address the interviewer like an old pal, calling him by his first name and putting your feet up on his desk? Of course not! Instead, you would probably be a little tense and somewhat formal, and you would look for ways to break the ice in a professional manner.

»        Being so stiff that you appear humorless.

Some people are so anxious about writing cover letters that they freeze up.  In trying to maintain a professional bearing they forget to use their own personality. Keep things formal but friendly, respectful but not cold. You want to make reading this letter a pleasant experience for your potential boss. So, be sure your cheerfulness, competence, and friendliness come through in the language you use.

Karen Silins has been a professional resume and cover letter writer for 16 years and is the acting president and executive board member of the Association of Online Resume & Career Professionals

For more information about writing a cover letter that will grab the employer’s attention, please visit: http://www.breakthrough-cover-letters.com/