A cover letter is a key component to any applicant’s package of materials to be provided when applying for a job. It is an opportunity to show some personality in a way that your resume cannot, and to expand on some of the experiences you mention in your resume. Writing a quality letter to your prospective employer is not a difficult task, and it might be all that separates you from your competition.

I have reviewed hundreds of cover letters in the past few years, and that sad truth is the vast majority of them were at best uninteresting and at worst downright terrible. The bar for an excellent cover letter is not high, so don’t let yourself send one that sucks!

1. Your cover letter is too generic

I talk all the time about how important it is to differentiate yourself from your competition when looking for a new job. Your cover letter is your opportunity to show some personality and let your prospective employer know who you are.

Your resume is the place for listing all the things you did, your cover letter is where you get to relate those things to the business you are speaking with. How do those past experiences and skills you have developed provide value to the business? How do they align with the skills the business says they are looking for in their job description? Make those things known, and make them known early.

It should also be clear to the reader that this cover letter, and the resume attached to it, have been tailor-made for this job opening. We all have a wealth of information at our fingertips when it comes to the places we would like to work- all just a Google search, Twitter follow, or LinkedIn connection away - so there is no excuse to not use that information to demonstrate that you are not looking for just a job, but this job.

Now is your opportunity, and possibly your only opportunity, to explain why it is that you are personally aligned with the organization on the hunt for new talent. If the company is active in the community, explain how you are as well. Do they have social media posts from industry events? Take the time to mention that you participate in similar conferences or training sessions. Organizations are falling over themselves trying to portray a certain company culture to the public, you should be working to make it clear that you are on the same wavelength in this regard.

2. Your cover letter raises more questions than answers

When I read a good cover letter, I feel like I know the writer just a little- like the first five minutes of a conversation after you met each other. I understand immediately why it is that we are communicating, what it is that brought you here, and the things that you are looking for.

A poorly written cover letter provides me with no new information and instead leaves only questions. People often get half of the equation, saying the what of their statement, but often leave the reader wondering why. Now is your chance to narrate your story the way you want it told and to provide [hopefully] intriguing facts that warrant a callback.

Here are some whats that deserve a why:

I was excited to see this opportunity…

Ah, the classic line from any cover letter template! While it goes against the advice of not being too generic, I don’t personally mind this line as long as it is followed by a why. I want you to be excited to work on my team, but I need to understand why it is that you feel that this is a good fit for you.

Consider instead: I was excited to see this opportunity on LinkedIn as we share many connections and I often hear wonderful things about your organization there.

I now know that you are:

  • Excited
  • Actively using LinkedIn
  • Connected to similar people in the industry
  • Consuming information from our mutual connections

I just moved to the area…

A perfectly reasonable explanation for needing to find work! You are now off the hook and do not need to provide any further details… Not!

What brings you here? Family? Friends? The love of your life? Maybe it is this very opportunity we are discussing. That might be worth a mention!

Consider instead: I just moved to the area after visiting multiple times and falling in love with the ample opportunities to explore the outdoors, and I was drawn to your job description’s charming writing style and humor.

I now know that you are:

  • New to the area
  • A traveler who has come here previously
  • Outdoorsy
  • Enjoying my charm and humor. Extra points!

I am on the lookout for a new opportunity…

An opportunity for what? An opportunity for a paycheck is a given (hopefully) and you seem to be interested in this opportunity, but what is it that makes us a good fit?

Consider: I am on the lookout for a new opportunity that provides me with ample training opportunities and room to grow in my career.

I now know that you are:

  • Looking for a new opportunity
  • Interested in continuing your education
  • Hungry for career growth

Remember that we are trying to craft a narrative here, and we only have a brief moment to do it. Don’t leave your reader with more questions than answers, take the time to tell your story and make them want you on their team.

3. Your cover letter makes the same claims as in your resume

We have limited opportunity to raddle off our past experiences and accomplishments in our resume. The cover letter, however, is the perfect place to more completely explain the things you have previously done.

Much like your resume, your cover letter should focus on your achievements rather than your responsibilities. Most everyone is generally responsible for something, but not everyone has such an extensive list of achievements as you! Make it known what you have done and why that is aligned with the job opening you are applying to.

Consider: During my recent position as Help Desk Technician I consistently achieved stellar customer satisfaction scores and was always atop our internal leaderboards for KPIs such as resolution time, tickets closed, and Service Level Achievement.

4. Your cover letter includes simple spelling errors

Let’s get one thing straight: at any point in the recruiting and interview process, you are supposed to be your best self. When the Human Resources Administrator receives your documents, when you exchange emails coordinating an interview date, or when the hiring manager greets you in the lobby of her office- this is you at your peak. This is you at your most prepared and most professional. Don’t screw it up with simple mistakes!

Each of these steps in your recruiting process is a touch-point that the employer will be analyzing and thinking deeply about. The very first touch-point is your cover letter.

IT is a field that is very reliant on attention to detail, and if someone can’t take the time to spell-check their cover letter, or read it aloud to ensure that it is grammatically correct prior to sending it to me, then how can I trust them to represent me, our team, our department, or our company in the way I have envisioned? This does not take much effort, and you can reduce the required effort overall by using technology to your advantage. Install Grammarly or a similar tool and take a few seconds to edit your work. That might be all that separates you receiving an offer letter instead of a rejection letter.

5. You did not write one at all….

I am a firm believer in the importance including a cover letter that is tailor-made for a specific job opening at a specific company. I have read many articles stating that this is no longer necessary and is an antiquated practice, but your prospective employer may very well be expecting one, and at a minimum, it certainly cannot hurt your chances of moving on to the next step (unless your cover letter sucks!).

In the event that the ad for the job opening specifically states “send us your cover letter and resume” you had better send a cover letter along. In keeping with my previous point, this is a business that is in need of detail orientedness, don’t miss items specifically requested in the job posting under any circumstances. You may be weeded out immediately by Human Resources or an automated Applicant Tracking System before anyone sets eyes on the items you did provide.

A cover letter is your opportunity to spend just a few moments showing off who you are before anyone ever meets you. Your resume should do the work of explaining what you did, but your cover letter puts all of that work into the context that is your personal narrative. Don’t miss an opportunity to let your personality shine and make your hiring manager excited to meet you, hire you, and have you on their team. Take some time to write an excellent cover letter, but if you don’t have much time for an excellent one, just make sure it doesn’t suck.