Major Cover Letter Blunders To Avoid

1. Unrelated Career Goals
2. Comparisons and clichés
3. Wasted space
4. Mould letters
5. Inappropriate stationary
6. Amusing anecdotes
7. Personal photos
8. Erroneous company information
9. Desperation
10. Confessed shortcomings
11. Missing resume
12. Misrepresentation
13. Demanding statements
14. Personal information
15. Choice of pronouns
16. Tone trouble
17. Typographical errors
18. Messy corrections
19. Missing signature


Cover letters are a very integral part of the resume you send to the corporate. They create the very first impression about your personality. That's even before your resume has been glanced at. A good cover letter can go a along way in boosting the chances of your success. It is very important that you have a cover letter that conveys what you want to convey to your potential employer in a brief, concise format. However, very few people give adequate thought to develop a proper cover letter.

There are certain errors that can mar the hard work you put in writing a cover letter. All the mistakes, ranging from typographical errors to erroneous previous employer information, have a negative impact on the application processing. Serious errors will land your application in the wastebasket without even a serious consideration.

Please Be forewarned: Carefully read your cover letter, at least twice, before you send it along with your resume. This double check will help you in correcting the mistakes, which might escape the first reading. The following list outlines some of the most common cover letter mistakes, and more importantly, suggests ways to correct them. We have extensively researched the whole area of cover letters. Our research has tried to highlight some of the real life situations that are faced by people at large. Although some of these blunders may seem obvious and pretty ordinary, they occur far more often than you might think. Needless to say, none of the inquiries that included these mistakes met with positive results.

1. Unrelated Career Goals: Your cover letter should be specific to the position you have applied for. An important area to highlight is what you can do for your potential employer, and not what you aim to achieve for yourself. Your letter should convey a genuine interest in the position and a long-term pledge to fulfilling its duties. Consider the difference between these two real-life examples: Example A (wrong way): "While my true goal is to become a financial analyst, I am exploring the option of gaining first hand experience by working in Marketing. But, I am pursuing my efforts towards fulfilling my goals of becoming a financial analyst." Example B (right way): "I am very interested in this marketing position, and I am confident of my ability to make a long-term contribution to your capable staff." You can imagine yourself which candidate will be selected. No one would like to select a candidate who will move out after a few months.

2. Comparisons and clichés: There is no point in comparisons and overused clichés. These do not serve any purpose for your application. In fact, they divert the focus of the letter. The purpose of cover letter should be to highlight your most impressive skills and accomplishments. A few examples of the real life blunders, that happened at some place, will drive home the point: "I love traveling, that's why I got into sales job"; "I am a people person;" "Teamwork is my middle name," "Your company follows the best management practices". So, remember to adopt a formal, professional writing style in sync with the letter's purpose.

3. Wasted space: The cover letters are generally three to four paragraphs long, every word of every sentence should be directly related to your purpose of writing. In other words, if you are applying for a position as a food technologist, include only those skills and experiences most applicable to that field. Any other information weakens your application. Many qualified people also make some of these blunders. A few examples are: "As my enclosed resume reveals, I possess the technical experience and educational background to succeed as your newest Food Technologist. In addition, I am a certified Swimming Coach at Mahatma Park, Shiva Park, Mumbai, and I have won several local competitions." Another example: "I am writing in response to your advertisement for a Marketing Executive. Currently, I am finishing an undergraduate degree at Babul Bananas College. My courses include Munhall Architecture, Indian History before 1900, and Diploma in Typing." They may look funny to read right now, but these things are seen in live cases.

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