The last thing an employer wants to see is a good CV and a poor covering letter. A company is initially more likely to read the covering letter and lead them into reading a CV than the other way around so it is very important to make sure that you covering letter is well thought out and written.
This article gives some examples as to what you should not be doing and what you need to avoid when writing your covering letter.
Who receives your covering letter?
By addressing your covering letter to the wrong person shows that you do not pay attention to detail and will give an employer the feeling that you do not care enough so they do not wish to meet you. It is a simple requirement of sending and writing a covering letter to address to the name on the advert, to the correct address within the correct timescale and format of how they would like to see your application. If you get off to a bad start at this stage then it shows that you do not pay attention to detail in something which you class as important.
Failing to proofread properly
If you do not proof read your work properly or get someone else to do this for you and send a covering letter in with spelling mistakes and poor grammar then this will not entice an employer to want to take you to the next steps of interviewing you.
Not knowing about the company you want to work for.
If you show that you know very little about a company in your covering letter, you could appear to be disinterested. It is always an idea to refer to the job description in relation to what you know about the company from your research in your covering letter to show that you really want to work for them. Show them instead that you have done your research and you know your stuff and that is another positive reason as to why you want to apply for the job they area advertising.
Informal letters.
The mistake some people make is writing a letter as though they are writing to their friends. You cannot do this in a covering letter and must maintain a formal approach starting and ending your letter in this manner. This will show that you are professional in your work and are treating them with the respect they deserve as an employer you want to work for. Begin your letter with Dear NAME and end with Yours sincerely and your own full name.
Too much selling
Applying for a job and writing a good cover letter is all about selling your skills but try not to sell too much. Stick to the facts of the job. How can you do these skills and how will that benefit a company? Companies do want to know what achievements you have but not at the compromise of the role they are looking for.
Photocopies
Never photocopy your cover letter and send to a company, always ensure that you have printed a fresh copy so that it looks clear and how you want it to be presented to a company. If you send a photocopy it will look like you send the same letter to everyone.
Photograph
It is not essential to send a photo within the UK unless it is specified through an application form. Some countries do like photographs listed on CV’s but within the UK this is not usual.
Next Step.
People always make the mistake of not mentioning what happens next in the recruitment process. You want to know when you will hear from the company so it is worth mentioning in your letter when you could be available and if they have any more questions you are happy for them to call you to discuss further.