If you are looking for a job, and you’re not getting interview calls, it’s probably because of your cover letter. Try to avoid these 9 instant cover letter killers.

1. Failing to address the hiring authority – avoid such salutations as “dear sir or madam”, or to “whom it may concern”. Contact the company and get the name of the person who will be reviewing the resume. Be sure, too that you get the correct spelling of the name. There is nothing worse than sending a job application and misspelling the hiring authority’s name. The more personalized your cover letter, the better your chances are to get an interview.

2. Trying to be too clever and humorous – Some job seekers think they can show off with witty writing in their letters. If you’re serious about the job, this is a major turn of and can give the impression that you don’t take the job too seriously.

3. Paraphrasing your resume – I see many students do this. The cover letter is not the place to recite your resume but to highlight your most unique selling features and entice the reader to further explore the qualifications detailed in your resume.

4. Rambling on and on – If you bog the employer down in too many details and type, he/she will stop reading.

5. Being too concise – Some people short-change themselves by not saying enough. They figure all they have to do is tell the reader to “see resume for details”. This is the place where I clash with students who simply don’t want to give concrete details to sell themselves. Treat your cover letter as a marketing document. Explain why it is you are qualified for the job, highlighting your most saleable skills that meet the requirements of the job description. Remember, this is the first contact you will have with the reader, and it is where you need to make the best first impression.

6. Being too “me-focused” – There is nothing worse than the self-centered letters. These letters have too many I’s and we’s. Your document needs to be reader-focused, explaining how best your skills and qualifications will meet the employer’s needs.

7. Being too sloppy – Bad grammar, misspellings, poor format, and awkward sentence structure show that you lack professionalism and attention to detail. They are completely unacceptable and the quickest may to having your resume tossed. Do yourself a favour. Run the spell check, do a hard copy edit, or have someone else proofread for you . Make sure your work is perfect!

8. Being too pompous – Writers of this type of letter tend to have an exaggerated notion of what they have to offer and are already planning to take over the company before the interview. Needless to say, that is a major turn off.

9. Being too self-effacing – This is not the time to start explaining what you can’t do. Focus on what you can do. The cover letter is also not the place to start describing all the mistakes you made at your last job. We all make them. Hopefully you’ve learned something by now.

Author Bio: R.B. Malo teaches college students communications and job search and writes about different topics. Do you want to write great cover letters? Here is a tool to help you write an interview-winning cover letter:

Category: Writing
Keywords: Cover letter, cover letters, cover letter mistakes, cover letter killers