Tips on Writing a Cover Letter and Common Mistakes

At some point in our lives, we need to write a cover letter. A cover letter is something designed to interest and informs your employer about yourself. The document explains your credential as an applicant in the open position.  However, often, cover letters turn out to be boring, offending and sometimes amusing, but not to the one who reads them. To get the job you want, you need to spend quality time customizing your cover letter and avoid using a generic missive. In this article, we are going to focus on the tips on writing a cover letter and common mistakes to avoid.

The tips for writing a cover letter

The cover is a written document that provides information to your prospective employer. The cover letter includes information about your professional goals, your job interest, knowledge, skills, and qualifications gained over the years.

To grab the attention of your potential employer, follow the following simple rules about cover letters:

Use simple words

For you to communicate clearly to your potential employer, your cover letter must not have complex sentences or words. You might fail to convey the message you want the employer to get if you use complex words. Ensure the HR or manager will be able to decipher words. If the HR can’t decipher, the possibility of assuming what the rest of your cover letter says is high.

Personalize each role

If you are applying for various roles, ensure that you personalize each role to advertise yourself better. Avoid writing a generic cover letter. Instead, include your skills, strengths and make sure you explain why you are the perfect candidate for that position.

Enumerate accomplishments

The aim of your cover letter is to provide more information. Quantify your accomplishments and avoid repeating your resume. This watt you set yourself apart from the crowd and increase your chances of getting hired.

Keep it short and precise

Nothing beats the odds like a simple and short cover letter. Skip those lengthy expositions and instead jump into something juicy, when it comes to cover letters, less is more. Three paragraphs or half a page will work wonders.

Include contact information

Don’t forget to include your contact information. It does not matter who is hiring, be sure to add contact information even if it is already included in the resume.

Address nobody

Sometimes, the people you think you should be addressing are not the ones doing the hiring. Avoid the phrase “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Hiring Manager”. If you don’t know whom to address, address nobody. Just jump into the body of the cover letter and avoid generic addressing anyone.

Common mistakes to avoid

A cover letter can be sabotaged by simple or heavy mistakes. Here are some common mistakes you need to avoid when writing a cover letter.

Getting the names wrong.

Make sure you have the correct names. Also, avoid writing the wrong company name in the cover letter. Best still make sure you have the correct name of the person hiring if you have to use the name, the name of the company or the position you are applying for.

Rehashing your resume

The HR has already read your resume, rehashing your cover letter makes it uninteresting. Rehashing all the facts on your resume defeats the purpose of the cover letter and it comes out as redundant. Build on the information your resume presents and avoid rehashing, restating or summarizing your resume.


When applying for any position in a company, make sure you proofread your cover letter. Mistakes such as typos can end up costing you’re the job. A large percentage of Manager will automatically dismiss your cover letter because of typos. Proofread to make sure everything is grammatically correct and spell checked.

Sharing details of every job you have had

Depending on the position, job history, and the company, you don’t need to share all the detail about your previous positions or jobs. Instead, focus on each position and let your cover letter speak of those skills instead of synopsizing them.

Unreasonable length

A cover letter should be short and tight. Make sure it only includes useful information that keeps the recruiter focused. HR doesn’t have time to read a long cover letter. It should be one page or shorter. Many recruiters prefer half a page or less.

At best, the aim of a cover letter is to help you stand out from the rest. At worst, the cover letter can make you look inexperienced, uncreative candidate. Of course, you might have tips for writing a cover letter, but the above golden rules will help you write the best cover letter. Nowadays, a cover letter acts like a spare tire. You need to have it. In today’s world Hiring managers candidates with cover letter, which means you need to have a persuasive and entertaining one.

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