Common Cover letter Crimes

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You have the education, the skills and the contact to get any job you want, but there always seems to be something between you and these opportunities. Maybe it is your cover letter?

Cover letter Crime: You're so excited about a new job posting that you rush to put your resume and cover letter together. It looks great to you, but you misspelled a few things, including the company name.
Cover letter Right: Your enthusiasm is great, but instead of getting yourself an interview, you have secured a spot in the trash for your resume and cover letter by failing to look at your cover letter with a critical eye. Make sure this doesn't happen to you by using spell check on your computer. Because this function doesn't catch everything, make sure you proofread your resume and cover letter several times. Also, have a friend or family member check your work so that they can bring a fresh perspective to your resume and cover letter. Another thing to keep in mind when you're writing a cover letter is that not all company names follow proper spelling and grammatical rules. Check the company website to get the correct spelling of the company name and of the person you are submitting your cover letter to for employment consideration. Also, never assume gender or marital status of the person who will be receiving your resume and cover letter. If you cant find the information online, call the company receptionist and ask.

Cover letter Crime: When you read the job posting, you noticed that you had most of the skills required, but there are a few things you need to learn to be qualified for the job. You decide to admit in your cover letter that you have some things to learn, but try to offset it by highlighting your other skills.
Cover letter Right: If you feel like you might not be qualified, do not mention it in your cover letter. The tone of your cover letter should stay positive, focusing more on what you can offer the company, instead of on what shortcomings you have. Feel free to mention relevant skills and accomplishments in your cover letter, but do not focus on what you don't have to offer. If potential employers have questions about your experience, they'll ask.

Crime: You feel like if you might be working for someone, then they should know all about you, so you include in your resume that you have three children, love to hike in your spare time and volunteer at the Presbyterian Church down the street.
Right: You should never get too personal in your cover letter. Remember, you're being hired for what you're supposed to do on company time, not the things you do at home. You should only include information that is relevant to the job at hand. Never include anecdotes, personal photos or private information. Employers will have a hard time taking you seriously and you might put them in a sticky situation regarding discrimination policies. Keep your cover letter strictly professional so that you don't give future employers preconceived notions about you.

Cover letter Crime: Your friends like to call you the life of the party. You're creative and independent. You try to show your future employer this by printing your resume and cover letter on yellow paper with a plaid border.
Cover letter Right: Creativity is great, but in this case, you're showing that you're not quite willing to follow protocol. You should print your resume only on white or cream resume paper. Use a standard font with black ink.

Cover letter Crime: You need a job and you need it bad. At this point, you' ll take whatever is available, so you mention that in your cover letter to show that you're flexible.
Cover letter Right: While you think you sound flexible, you really just sound desperate. Your cover letter should make you sound determined. You have fantastic skills and experience. You don't want to give any employer the perception that you're willing to take just anything. If you do, you'll end up in a position for which your are overqualified and underpaid. Reserve your right to be picky.

Cover letter Crime: Your know your skills are good, but you want to make yourself stand out. You decide to embellish in your cover letter. What the company doesn't know won't hurt them, right?
Cover letter Right: No, it won't hurt the company. It will hurt you. You should never, ever lie or exaggerate in your resume or cover letter. You shouldn't lie about your salary, skill level or period of employment. Misrepresentation is grounds for immediate dismissal at most companies. Even if you have a few gaps in your work history, employers respect much more a person willing to admit they were fired or laid off than they do someone who lies.

Cover letter Crime:: You have so much to say! You have heard it's okay if your cover letter is two pages, so you make it three.
Cover letter Right: Say what you need to say and say it fast. The average cover letter gets only 30 seconds of a reader's time. Anything past the 30 second mark won't get read. Keep your cover letter concise. State your purpose for writing the letter in the opening paragraph and then launch into your skills. You'll impress potential employers with your ability to get to the point. Your cover letter should be between three to five paragraphs and stay on one page.

Cover letter Crime:: This cover letter writing stuff is hard. You give up and decide not to apply for the job.
Cover letter Right: If you're having trouble with your resume or cover letter, ask for help! There are several resume-writing companies that will work with you to maximize the potential of your resume and cover letter. These companies will assign a contact person to you who will them work with you to define your skills and create a winning resume and cover letter.

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