I recently advertised some jobs on behalf of employers and was amazed at what some candidates decided to write to me to presumably promote themselves for the advertised positions.
First of all, I think it is appropriate to describe what the objective of a cover letter is. The goal is to complement (not duplicate) the information contained in your resume, increasing the interest of the employer so that they actually spend time learning more about you by reading your CV and ultimately inviting you for an interview. You should start by listing the position you are applying for (with the position code if you know it), a few short sentences describing why you are an exceptional candidate for the position, usually some reference to the attached CV, links to portfolio and/or example of work, if applicable, and your contact details. For those interested in learning more about cover letters, including some good examples, there are a number of sites on the Internet designed for this purpose.
Now let’s move on to some examples of what NOT to do in your cover letter, based on recent submissions to me:
- The most common mistake is to send a CV without any cover letter message. I received so many applications, so why waste time reading CVs that came in without a presentation, when I had plenty of other candidates who had used their cover letter wisely and highlighted their suitability. And since I was dealing with more than one open position, without a cover letter I had no idea what job people were applying for.
- A series of variations on the theme that the candidate is interested in the position, and then asks if they should send their CV. Do you know how difficult it is to attract the interest of an employer usually with an email application, when there may be dozens of other similar applications? And then assume that the employer is going to politely answer your question and ask you to send your CV as they are desperately waiting for your application. If you are interested in the job and think you are a good candidate, simply apply initially with your more specific cover letter and CV.
- Introduce potentially sensitive topics in your cover letter. These are some of the issues that were raised with me in the applications: *** I am 68 years old, but I have plenty of strength and motivation. – I hope that when he turns 68 he also has a lot of energy. However, for many employers, a candidate of this age (many believe this is true of people over 50 or even over 40) will automatically be disqualified from further consideration based solely on age. So if you are in an age category that is problematic for attracting employers, this is something to be hidden rather than highlighted when you initially apply, both in the cover letter and CV. Remember, the purpose of the cover letter/CV is to be invited for an interview, and the best time to address such sensitive topics is in person at an interview rather than on a piece of paper or electronic file on an application. *** I’ve been out of the workforce for several years, being a stay at home mom/traveling the world… – This fact cannot help your job candidacy, why emphasize it? *** I have no experience/knowledge in this particular profession/sector, but I am a fast learner – Your job is to highlight what makes you attractive for a job, certainly not to introduce negative points. *** Sending a cover letter with misspellings/grammar or sloppy formatting – Find other people with good editing skills to review your documents before you click the Submit button.
Best of success in your job search, and don’t ignore the little details.