Is your cover letter hindering your job search?
One of the main reasons job applications are discarded is because of the cover letter.
Your cover letter is the first thing a hiring manager sees. It tells the hiring manager whether you have the qualifications and abilities required for the job. However, most job seekers ignore the cover letter’s importance.
Your have an amazing resume and your skills may be fully in line with the job requirements, but if your cover letter is ineffective, 99% of the time your job application will end up in trash.
This is because hiring managers have little time. They have to go through hundreds of job applications. They have little time for each job application. Many times, they make their initial decision based off the cover letter.
Here are three things wrong with most cover letters we get:
1. The cover letter is blank.
In this situation, there is no cover letter at all. The email is blank, containing just the resumé attachment.
Or the cover letter contains one or two lines stating the applicant is applying for a job and the CV is attached.
This shows disregard for the hiring manager and unseriousness on the part of the job seeker. If the job applicant can’t put in time to write a proper cover letter, what does that say about them?
A lot of times, the cover letter doesn’t state a specific job that the job applicant is applying for but rather “any job that fits my profile” or i5-6 different job titles. This is another sign of unprofessionalism. It is a sure fire way to get the job application discarded before the resumé is viewed.
It is not the hiring manager’s job to go through job applicants’ profiles and match them with the correct job.
Another twist on this type of minimal cover letter is that the actual cover letter an attachment instead in of the body of the email.
Worse still, it is in the same file as the CV.
All these instances just complicates the job application and sends the job application to trash.
Make the process easier for the hiring manager and you win a lot of points.
Remember, no professional cover letter in the body of the email equals no viewing of the resumé.
Problem 2: The cover letter is too long.
More than 3 short paragraphs is too long.
The cover letter should be brief, giving the main points about you and how you are the right fit for the job.
When you have a very long cover letter, the main points are lost and the hiring manager, who has a very busy schedule already, gets confused from all the details.
Many recruiting managers won’t put in the effort to read such a cover letter.
If a job applicant can’t list the important things about their career in a few lines, it simply means they aren’t clear how they fit the job.
Go over the job details and identify how your qualifications, experience, and aspirations make you the right fit for the job. Then explain this in your cover letter. Or better yet, use our free Cover Letter Template which has helped hundreds find their dream job.
Problem 3: The cover letter is unprofessional.
This cover letter is the right size – not too long, and not too short – but it is unprofessionally written.
It is filled with mistakes, irrelevant information, and doesn’t show why the job applicant should be hired.
It shows they aren’t clear about their skills, haven’t done their homework regarding the job, or don’t know how to convey their skills.
This type of cover letter will also send the job application to trash even before the resume is viewed.
Make the cover letter professional, with the right amount of details about how you are the right fit for the job, and you will stand out from most job seekers. Use our free Cover Letter Template as a guide.
Why lose a good opportunity only because someone didn’t take the time to write a professional cover letter?
Written by Kokab Rahman.
Follow Kokab Rahman on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter.
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