Top Cover Letter Mistakes That Can Be Avoided

It’s easy to make mistakes and at some point, everyone will have made some mistake on a document of any kind. When writing something as important as a covering letter it is important to check and double check so that mistakes are not made.

Poor spelling and grammar

Poor spelling and grammar mistakes can be avoided by checking your own work and or getting someone to proofread it for you. This can help by also giving you ideas on if it should be edited or laid out differently.

Related: 8 Phrases To Avoid When Writing A Cover Letter

Addressing to the wrong person

If you address your covering letter to the wrong person this is not a good mistake to make. It means that you have not paid attention at all and in some people’s eyes they could view it that the application has just gone to a lot of people at once and hence why the name is wrong.

Not providing your contact details

If you miss your own contact details, this can be costly mistake. How is a recruiter meant to get hold of you if they like the skills you are offering? It is important to ensure that you make it easy for a recruiter to get hold of you if they want to so by putting your contact telephone number and email on the covering letter it means they don’t have to look far.

Not detailing what position you are applying for

If you don’t specify what position you are applying for then how is a recruiter meant to know which position you are interested in. If you are speculatively applying for a role, make sure you say so and if you are applying for a specific role then you need to detail this carefully.

Not being clear about your experience

If you are not clear about your experience then you are making it difficult for a recruiter to think where you fit. Your skills will be matched to a job but its best to make it an easy job for the recruiters if you really want to find a new job.

Related: Top 10 Tips to Make Your Cover Letter Stand Out

Not referring to the skills of the job that you are applying for

If you don’t refer to the skills that are listed in the job advert then the recruiter will think you haven’t read the job properly. Make sure you don’t make this mistake and that you use the same buzz words that the recruiter has used in their advert so that they match it up quickly as they know what they are looking for.

Telling them a different salary level to the one the job is advertised at

If you put down a salary level much higher or lower to the one of the job then this is a big mistake as the recruiter will just dismiss your application for that role. Try to stay in line with the recruiter’s thoughts so that it allows them to match you easily for a role.

Applying for the wrong job

Applying for the wrong job is a major mistake to make and I doubt there is anything that you can do to make it right again. Make sure you check every last detail of your letter to make sure things like this don’t happen, especially if you are applying for lots of positions.

Not selling yourself

A big mistake is not taking the opportunity to tell your recruiter exactly what you can do and what good skills you have that are relevant to their company, client or role. Before you can get a face to face meeting with a recruiter, writing a good covering letter is the only opportunity you have so don’t waste it.

Typing in a illegible font

Make sure that you type in a clear font. It would be a big mistake to type your letter in italic or something that requires a lot of thinking about to see what letters form what words. Make it easy for a recruiter by making it very clearly written and laid out.