10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Cover Letter
Published on July 15, 2025 • Tips • 5 min read
Your cover letter is often the first impression you make on a potential employer. While a well-crafted cover letter can open doors and land you interviews, common mistakes can quickly send your application to the rejection pile. Here are the 10 most critical mistakes to avoid when writing your cover letter, along with actionable tips to make yours stand out.
1. Using a Generic Template for Every Application
The Mistake: Sending the same cover letter to multiple employers with only the company name changed.
Why It's Problematic: Recruiters can instantly spot generic letters. They lack personalization and fail to demonstrate genuine interest in the specific role or company.
How to Fix It:
- Research each company's values, culture, and recent news
- Reference specific job requirements and explain how you meet them
- Mention the company by name multiple times throughout the letter
- Customize your opening and closing paragraphs for each application
Pro Tip: Use tools like LetterGen AI to generate personalized cover letters that automatically analyze job descriptions and tailor content to each specific opportunity.
2. Simply Repeating Your Resume
The Mistake: Rewriting your resume in paragraph form without adding new insights or context.
Why It's Problematic: Your cover letter should complement, not duplicate, your resume. Recruiters want to see your personality and understand your motivations.
How to Fix It:
- Tell the story behind your achievements
- Explain career transitions or gaps
- Highlight soft skills and personality traits
- Share specific examples that aren't on your resume
- Connect your experiences to the role's requirements
3. Focusing on What You Want Instead of What You Offer
The Mistake: Writing about what you hope to gain from the position rather than what value you bring.
Why It's Problematic: Employers are primarily interested in how you can solve their problems and contribute to their success.
How to Fix It:
- Lead with your strongest qualifications
- Quantify your achievements with specific metrics
- Address the company's pain points mentioned in the job posting
- Use action verbs and results-oriented language
- Show how your skills directly benefit their team
4. Poor Grammar, Spelling, and Formatting
The Mistake: Submitting a cover letter with typos, grammatical errors, or inconsistent formatting.
Why It's Problematic: Errors signal carelessness and poor attention to detail—qualities no employer wants.
How to Fix It:
- Use spell-check and grammar tools
- Read your letter aloud to catch awkward phrasing
- Ask a friend or colleague to proofread
- Maintain consistent formatting (font, spacing, alignment)
- Save as PDF to preserve formatting across devices
5. Writing Too Much or Too Little
The Mistake: Creating either a novel-length cover letter or a brief, bare-bones note.
Why It's Problematic: Too long overwhelms busy recruiters; too short suggests lack of effort or interest.
How to Fix It:
- Aim for 3-4 paragraphs and 250-400 words
- Use concise, impactful sentences
- Include only your most relevant qualifications
- Respect the reader's time while providing sufficient detail
- Use bullet points sparingly for key achievements
6. Weak or Clichéd Opening Lines
The Mistake: Starting with overused phrases like "I am writing to apply..." or "I saw your job posting..."
Why It's Problematic: Boring openings fail to capture attention and make you blend in with other candidates.
How to Fix It:
- Start with a compelling achievement or statistic
- Reference a mutual connection or recent company news
- Lead with your most impressive qualification
- Ask a thought-provoking question related to the industry
- Show enthusiasm and personality from the first sentence
7. Forgetting to Address the Hiring Manager by Name
The Mistake: Using "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam" when the hiring manager's name is available.
Why It's Problematic: Generic greetings suggest laziness and lack of research effort.
How to Fix It:
- Check the job posting for contact information
- Search the company website and team pages
- Look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn
- Call the company's main number to ask
- If truly unavailable, use "Dear Hiring Manager"
8. Failing to Show Knowledge About the Company
The Mistake: Writing a cover letter that could apply to any company in the industry.
Why It's Problematic: It shows lack of genuine interest and research effort.
How to Fix It:
- Research the company's mission, values, and recent achievements
- Mention specific products, services, or initiatives
- Reference recent news, awards, or milestones
- Explain why you want to work for this particular company
- Connect your values with the company culture
9. Neglecting to Include a Strong Call-to-Action
The Mistake: Ending weakly without clearly stating next steps or expressing enthusiasm for an interview.
Why It's Problematic: A weak conclusion misses the opportunity to drive action and maintain momentum.
How to Fix It:
- Express genuine enthusiasm for an interview
- Mention when you're available for further discussion
- Reference attached materials (resume, portfolio)
- Thank the reader for their time and consideration
- Use confident, proactive language
10. Ignoring Application Instructions
The Mistake: Not following specific application guidelines provided in the job posting.
Why It's Problematic: It immediately disqualifies you and shows inability to follow instructions.
How to Fix It:
- Read job postings carefully and highlight key requirements
- Follow the requested format (PDF, Word, email body, etc.)
- Include all requested information and documents
- Use specified subject lines for email applications
- Submit before the stated deadline
- Answer any specific questions asked in the posting
Additional Tips for Cover Letter Success
Leveraging Technology
Modern tools like LetterGen AI can help you avoid these common mistakes:
- Automatic content personalization for each job application
- Job description analysis to identify key requirements
- Improvement suggestions for tone and language
- Ensuring proper formatting and structure
- Providing industry-specific templates and examples
Industry-Specific Considerations
Technology: Mention specific programming languages, frameworks, or tools relevant to the role.
Healthcare: Emphasize patient care experience, certifications, and attention to detail.
Finance: Highlight analytical skills, risk management experience, and regulatory knowledge.
Creative Fields: Show creativity while maintaining professionalism; consider including portfolio links.
Sales: Quantify your achievements with specific numbers and percentages.
Final Checklist: Before You Send
✅ Personalization: Company name, hiring manager, specific role requirements addressed ✅ Content: Clear value proposition, specific achievements, relevant experience ✅ Formatting: Professional appearance, consistent style, PDF format ✅ Proofreading: No typos, grammatical, or factual errors ✅ Call-to-Action: Strong conclusion with clearly stated next steps ✅ Instructions: All application requirements followed precisely
Conclusion
Avoiding these common mistakes will immediately improve your cover letter's effectiveness and increase your chances of landing interviews. Remember, your cover letter is a marketing document designed to sell your candidacy—make every word count.
The keys to cover letter success lie in finding the right balance between professionalism and personality while clearly demonstrating your value to the employer. Take the time to craft each letter thoughtfully, and don't hesitate to leverage modern tools and resources to maximize your impact.
In an era where recruiters spend mere seconds reviewing applications, a well-crafted, error-free cover letter can make the difference between landing an interview and being overlooked. Invest the time to get it right—your career depends on it.
Ready to create cover letters that avoid these common mistakes? LetterGen AI helps you craft personalized, professional cover letters that capture attention and get results. Start creating your perfect cover letter today.