A well-written cover letter is an indication to the future employers that you have mastered the major points of self-expression. A cover letter is supposed to demonstrate that you are qualified for the given position. If a cover letter is written well, the recipient will most definitely read your CV. On the other hand, a poorly written cover letter will decrease your chances for success. The current paper will analyze the most common mistakes that all job seekers can accidentally make. These mistakes contribute to one’s failure during the job search. To make sure that a cover letter is written with much skill, you should try to avoid these mistakes, and this will be a guarantee of your ultimate success in the recruiting process, especially if the vacant position is hard to obtain.

1. Sending a CV without a cover letter. Without any doubt, some employers don’t even bother to read the cover letters, placing greater importance on the CV. However, since you cannot be sure that the employer will ignore the cover letter, it is better to include it together with the resume. Without a cover letter, your chances for success will be somewhat diminished.
2. Failure to address the cover letter to the definite person. Addressing the cover letter with the use of such phrases as “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” is another mistake of most people who are searching for a job. This is a lazy approach to the job search, because it shows the future employer that you have not found out the specific name of the hiring person. Sometimes it is difficult to find the definite name of the HR manager, but you should try to do it if possible. You can simply call the specific firm and ask them who the HR manager is for the given vacancy. You can also find out the name of the hiring manager through Internet, if the company has posted the job position online. If you know anyone who already works for the company, you can ask them the name of the hiring individual for this or that position. Besides, you can use the library resources or the phone book to find out the details. In the worst-case scenario, you cover letter would start with “Dear Hiring Manager”. It is not a clever approach, but this is what should be done in case you failed to find out the name of the responsible authority.
3. One more mistake is to tell the future employer about the benefits you will obtain from the given company instead of telling him/her what you yourself can do for the specific firm. This is a common mistake among those who are in search of a job and lack experience in the job seeking process. This especially concerns the graduates from college. In most cases, the goal of the employers is to gain more profit, so that they need devoted employees who would be of some value to the company. Employers want to know what your contribution to the company will be, but they will not want to know what career goals you pursue. Therefore, you should tell the employer that you will try to realize the goals of the company and make a valuable contribution to the given business venture.
4. Your cover letter should stand out from the crowd. In many cases, job-seekers finish their cover letters with the words: “Looking forward to hearing from you”. However, well-written and well-organized cover letters contain a request of the job-seeker for an interview and a promise to check on the hiring process with a phone call. Such cover letters are much more effective and usually result in success. You should not express vague ideas regarding your wish to be interviewed. Instead, you should ask for the interview and take specific actions to make the employer contact you at the specified time. It is advisable to check up on the hiring process, because this will increase your chances for being interviewed. The closing paragraph of the cover letter should therefore contain your desire to follow up and get interviewed.
5. Besides, some job-seekers write boring and formalistic letters. This is just a waste of time, because in this case, you will most likely get a refusal. Therefore, what you should do is to tell the employer about the reasons why you consider yourself qualified for the given position. You should then proceed with explaining these reasons in the further paragraphs. Instead of using clichés and making a boring introduction, you should try to persuade the employer that you are the one they are looking for. It is not advisable to write such clichés as “The CV is enclosed herewith”, because you don’t need to tell the employer such obvious things. This phrase is just a waste of valuable space that would otherwise be spent on something more precious. You should write a letter that will encourage the employer to learn more about your qualification and competence.
6. Another mistake is to misspell the words or use incorrect grammar constructions and punctuation. You cover letter should reflect your writing skills and communication abilities. You should be absolutely sure that the document you send to the employer is free from grammatical errors, typos or misspellings. It is better to ask someone to review your cover letter in order to ensure that it is written well.

To conclude, there are many other cover letter mistakes that job seekers often make during the job searching process. In order to prevent failure, you should take into account the above mistakes and try to avoid them at all costs. This will ensure that you will get the desired position and realize your career goals. Keep in mind that the hiring process is a complex procedure and every employer wants to hire a competent and qualified person for the vacant position. Therefore, your cover letter should persuade your future employer that you are the one he/she needs.

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