Job Interview Questions

There are many things to avoid when writing a cover letter. Most of them are just common sense things. Proofread and look over your cover letter before you do a final print. Also, have someone else read it after it is finished. You’d be surprised how much another pair of eyes can catch.

Some common pitfalls to avoid when writing a cover letter are:

Misspelled words and poor punctuation
Using spell check is a very important thing to do. A simple typing error may look like you were being slopping and careless.

Use white or off-white paper
Don’t try and dazzle them with color paper or scented paper. This will not impress most employers. Unless you are applying for a job in an art gallery, this is not a time to be creative with color. Use the same paper that you used for your resume.

Put the right company’s cover letter in the right envelope
This is all too much a common mistake. People get into a rush or and accidentally send out a cover letter to the wrong company. This is not impressive. If you can’t get that right, what makes the employer think you will get anything else right.

Bland boring text
Use large enough print to read. If you have to shrink the word size to make it fit on one page, it is probably too long. Make your name, address, phone number and email address in bold. This will help when they go through all those cover letters to stand out.

Don’t be aggressive
Never ever state they would be a fool or be making a mistake if they don’t consider you for this job. This makes you sound pushy.

Keep it brief
Don’t ramble on and on about one thing to long. Make sure it is clear and to the point. You are trying to sell yourself not your ability to talk.

Write the words out
Try not to use abbreviations when possible. This just looks sloppy and lazy on your part. Write out words like numbers and addresses.

If you follow these suggestions when writing your cover letter, you should be successful in your job search.