Getting your player ready...
Next to online dating profiles, cover letters may just be the scariest things to write.
“Countless smart job seekers have never heard back because their cover letters sabotaged them,” says Paul Freiberger, a career coach based in San Mateo, California and author of “When Can You Start? Ace the Job Interview and Get Hired.”
We asked Freiberger and other career experts to weigh in on what they think are the top five most fatal cover letter flaws.
1. Not sending a letter at all. “The resume is data, but the cover letter is you,” says Freiberger. “It’s your voice. And it highlights aspects of your career that might otherwise get lost.”
A good cover letter allows you to show very quickly why you’re the right person for the job, explain special circumstances like gaps in employment, and mention any personal references.
“The only time you shouldn’t send one is if a company asks you not to,” says Sarasota, Florida-based career coach Phyllis Mufson. “Otherwise, they’ll think you don’t know how to follow instructions. ”
Most experts suggest including the cover letter in the body of an email as well as a PDF attachment to ensure it will be read.
2. Addressing your letter to no one. The days of “Dear Hiring Manager” and “To Whom it May Concern” are over.
“Job postings may not always include the names of hiring managers, but you should always go the extra mile and try to find them,” says Wilmington, Delaware-based Michael Lan, a senior resume consultant at resume writing service Resume Writer Direct.
Not using a real name implies that you’re not very resourceful. All it takes is a few minutes of online sleuthing or a few calls to the company’s HR department to find a name and take the “robot speak” out of your salutation.
3. Doing an obvious copy and paste. Sure, it’s exhausting to personalize each and every cover letter. But that’s what you have to do if you want to get hired.
“Generic cover letters send a message that you’re not that interested,” says Miriam Salpeter, Atlanta social media/job search consultant and author of Social Networking for Career Success.
Stumped by the blank page? Mufson suggests listing the job description on one side of a page and where your qualifications match up on the other. It’s a great way to start writing.
4. Putting your reader to sleep. “Without writing a novel, try to say something personal to make your letter stand out,” Salpeter suggests. “If you’re applying to work at a company that makes running shoes, and your first pair of special shoes came from them, mention it.”
When in doubt, think of your cover letter as your elevator pitch. It’s your one chance to “hook” the reader before they move on to a vast pile of applicants after you. Show who you are and why you’re the right person for the job.
5. Forgetting to prufreed proofread. “You’d be surprised how many of the cover letters I read that are filled with simple typos and spelling or grammatical errors,” says Lan.
That can get a perfectly decent candidate thrown into the “reject” pile. Always proofread your resume multiple times.
– Copyright 2014. Monster Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You may not copy, reproduce or distribute this article without the prior written permission of Monster Worldwide. This article first appeared on Monster, the leading online global network for careers. To see other career-related articles, visit career-advice.monster.com.
