Writing a cover letter may not be the most pleasant job, but it is crucial to compose an error-free letter. Your cover letter is the first impression you leave on a potential employer. Does that sound like a big challenge? We lend you a hand and list which mistakes you should not make in your cover letter.
With a good cover letter, you can distinguish yourself from your fellow candidates and hopefully be invited for an interview. Our best advice? Don’t make the following mistakes.
Typing and Writing Errors
Believe us: many writing and typing errors are still made in job application letters. This comes across as very sloppy and lazy, and this will immediately turn off most employers.
So always have your letter checked by someone close to you who is good with spelling and has a good eye for typos. Little effort, significant result.
A letter that is too long
Many people tend to write as much as possible in the hopes that it will appear more persuasive that way. Nevertheless, a good cover letter is mainly a matter of explaining in a concise way why you are the right candidate.
Therefore, always limit yourself to a maximum of one A4 containing only the most relevant experience. Recruiters (who have to sift through a mountain of cover letters) will thank you.
Repeat your resume
The cover letter should not be a summary of your CV. You get the chance to explain what makes you the right candidate – outside of your CV.
Therefore, explain things about your personality, your motivation, your ambitions, and your wishes. In short: new information that adds something to your CV, not a repetition of it.
Continuous using of I, I, I….
Sure, in your motivation letter you explain why you are suitable for a specific job. But that doesn’t mean you have to start every sentence with “I.”
That does not come across as neat, and the employer mainly wants to know why his organization benefits from your employment, not the other way around. So explain how you think you can add value to the organization.
Being Too Modest or Too Confident
Modesty is usually excellent quality, but your cover letter isn’t the best place to show that quality. After all, by being too modest, you run the risk that a future employer will estimate you less highly than you are worth.
On the other hand, don’t be too confident, because that can also come across as wrong. No recruiter benefits from having an employee flaunting their skills all the time. You already read it: it’s all about finding a balance.
Staying too general
There is a good chance that you have several applications running simultaneously and that you, therefore, have to send out several application letters. In that case, it is tempting to compose one letter and then only adjust the greeting.
However, don’t. Always match the yes letter to the organization for which you are applying. That is, refer to specific points in the vacancy or unique aspects of the company culture. That is a little more work, but work that will pay off.
