There are so many mistakes that people make when writing a cover letter. How many of them do you know and have been able to avoid?
In this article, we will provide you with all the mistakes most people make in the course of crafting a cover letter, and after now, you will be able to write your cover letter perfectly.
What is a Cover Letter?
This is a letter written by an applicant of a job, to the company he or she is applying for a job. It is the applicant’s first introduction to his or herself. To the company. Your cover letter shows your recruiter your side. It is a three-paragraph letter, that should not exceed 300 words.
Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid in 2024
Common cover letter mistakes you should avoid when writing your cover letter.
- Duplicating your resume
- Not signing your cover letter
- Exceeding one page in length
- Poor opening statement
- Grammatical errors
- Using AI to Write
- Bulk sending the same cover letter
- Not Mentioning the Company Name
Duplicating your resume
Your resume is an important part of your job application, and as such, it must be well crafted to suit your application and the job you are applying for. But that notwithstanding, you are not supposed to draft your resume in a way that will make it look as if you repeat a whole of what you have in your cover letter.
This is one of the common mistakes applicants make when writing their cover letter. The work of your cover letter is to complement your resume, therefore, your cover letter should not repeat all that you have written in your resume.
Not signing your cover letter
Although some applicants may not take it seriously, the truth is that not signing your cover letter can be the reason for the rejection of your application letter. It, therefore, means that it is important that you sign your cover letter after writing.
After the cover letter, you should sign your name. If you are sending it via email, just write your name. But not signing your cover letter, show that you don’t pay attention to details.
Exceeding one page in length
The manager or the HR department in charge of hiring applicants or jobs has a lot of applications, and by so doing, they do not have all the time to read through all hundred or two hundred CVs, cover letters, and application letters from applicants, so it becomes a cover letter mistake when an applicant send multiple page cover letter.
Poor opening statement
Your opening statement sentence should compel the reader to want to finish reading the cover letter. However, if you have a poor opening statement in your cover letter, you have a slim chance of being considered for the job. And this is another cover letter mistake that job applicants make while writing cover letters.
Grammatical Errors
If the hiring manager spots wrong sentence construction, spelling mistakes, and other related grammatical errors, your cover letter will be rejected immediately. The manager does not have much time to try to find out what you mean, besides, there are so many letters out there to read.
Using AI to Write
You may come up with a good cover letter, but using an AI tool to write your cover letter is a bad choice. There are tools that are designed to identify AI-generated content, and when it is discovered that you use AI tools to write your cover letter, you may lose your chance of getting the job. This is one of the mistakes that applicants make when writing a cover letter.
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Bulk Sending the Exact Same Cover Letter
It is bad for you to send an exact cover letter you have written for other applications. However, it is good for you to draft a fresh cover letter for a specific job that you are applying for.
When a hiring manager finds out that you sent them an exact cover, it creates a negative impression and makes them feel that you are not serious about the job. This a common mistake most applicants make when writing cover letters.
Not Mentioning the Company Name
It is quite wrong that till you finish writing your cover letter, you did not for any reason whatsoever make mention of the name of the company you are applying for the job, in your cover letter. Another error is when you write a cover letter and fail to mention the position that you are applying for. This can jeopardize your chances of being hired. Yt most applicants continue to make this mistake again and again.
Other Errors Applicants Make When Writing a Cover Letter
When writing a cover, it is pertinent that you also avoid the following mistakes:
- Mentioning the salary of the job in a cover letter.
- Using language that doesn’t reflect the culture of the company
- Failing to proofread before submitting your cover letter
- Using the wrong tone or style
- Not highlighting your most relevant skills
- Not researching about the company and position before applying
- Failure to follow strict instructions
- Being too formal and too informal
- Going off the key topic
- Making use of cliches
Conclusion
Now you know most of the mistakes that job applicants are likely to make, you have the opportunity to improve your cover letter and ensure that you don’t repeat the same errors and mistakes.