5 job application cover-letter disasters

(MoneyWatch) Looking for a job? I may be able help. Having hired a few folks recently, I've noticed a trend in the job applications I've reviewed.

We're talking about cover letters. You know -- the document that makes your very first impression with HR and the hiring manager. I personally glean a lot from the cover letter, and have pulled together some cover letter-related tips for anyone on the job hunt.

Pictures: Body language -- 23 must-know moves

1. Be sure to include one. Many people seem to think that since cover letters are optional, it's okay to omit them. I've even seen some trendy new job-hunting advice recommending that cover letters have fallen out of style, and so you should only submit a resume. No! The cover letter is your opportunity to own the narrative, to tell the hiring manager why you're a great fit for the job and passionate about getting an opportunity to prove yourself. If you don't include a cover letter, the hiring manager needs to scan the resume -- which takes time -- to try to figure out if you have the right skills and experience for the position. That also requires parsing language that might be specific to your last company or industry and translates poorly to the local dialect of the company you're applying to. Bottom line: If you don't take the time to send me (the hiring manager) a cover letter, your resume almost certainly goes directly into the recycling bin.

2. Don't be arrogant. Your cover letter tells me things about your personality that aren't apparent in the resume. Regardless of how skilled or talented you are, I'm going to have to work with you every day after I hire you. It's important that I feel that I can get along with you. Indeed, many companies ensure that peers get a say in hiring decisions to ensure they feel good about the candidate as well. So don't lead your cover letter (as I have recently seen) with arrogant boasts or bulleted quotes from former employers, as if you were listing features on a product sell-sheet. Don't make silly claims like, "I will get a perfect score on any evaluation you give to me." Just be yourself -- unless "you" really is that arrogant guy, in which case you should tone it way down.

3. Don't shotgun applications to every job regardless of your qualifications. This should be common sense, yet I frequently see submissions from people with absolutely no experience whatsoever applying for fairly senior publishing jobs. For instance, someone recently applied for a role as a senior writer at my company and cited experience as a salesclerk and call-center operator in the cover letter. I know there's no real downside to this strategy, in the sense that the worst thing that can happen is that you don't get the job, but remember that it takes time to send these pointless applications. Focus on roles you understand and are qualified for, and be sure to customize your cover letter accordingly. If I'm hiring a writer, your cover letter shouldn't tell me about your experience inventorying ice cream sandwiches.

4. Double check your grammar. Don't rush through your cover letter. Check it for grammar and spelling. Yes, those things matter -- a lot. Likewise, avoid exclamation points. I know not everyone is as sensitive to this as I am, but if I see an exclamation point in a cover letter ("I am very eager to get this job!"), I automatically put the candidate on probation. If I encounter two or more exclamation points in a single cover letter, the individual is highly unlikely to progress to an interview.

5. Double check the job you're applying for. There's absolutely nothing wrong with applying for multiple jobs at once -- even multiple jobs at the same company. But if you do, read your cover letter very carefully and make sure you revise the details so it accurately reflects the role you're applying for. Recently, I've gotten several cover letters that were written for the wrong position. The candidates simply applied for a different job first and forgot to update the cover letter when they sent it to me. Granted, even that's not as bad as attaching a photo of Nicholas Cage.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user marshillonline

[KW.Tolley, MBA-L]

This is a poorly written article. I could have done a better job. No new information here that we do not already know about.

[chawkinz]

If you cannot write a cover letter or an article without a glaring grammatical error, as you have painfully demonstrated, you lose most of your credibility.

[NewsFan71]

I personally hate cover letters. Always canned and I rarely read them. I know I'm the exception, but I really can't stand them.

[RMSx32767]

"1. Be sure to include one. .... I've even some trendy new job-hunting..."

Missing a word between "even" and "some"?

[tramky]

An applicant has NO WAY of knowing if they are a 'good fit' for a job--any job. An outside applicant knows NOTHING of the people in & around the job being applied before, because he/she is an outsider. It truly is a crapshoot. Lots of good employees have gone down the river due to this scheme. The best a job applicant can do is describe his/her view of work and of the larger business world as it may relate to the job. Anything else is just BS or misdirection.

As for discerning a variety of personality traits based on a cover letter, you've got to be kidding me! That's like saying you can tell a lot about a person by playing a round of golf with them. Not true unless you also play an hour of Pai Gow poker with the same person. Absurd nonsense. I wonder how many wonderful employees he has tossed into the trashcan due to this hiring insight? Did this writer ever hold onto cover letters for a year, then go back and relate the 'personality' supposedly revealed by that cover letter to the actual person, on the job for a year? How do they match up? Or do they?

[posttosam]

Very good comment. Totally agree.

[fletch63]

4. Double check your grammar. I agree, but I do not know if that was done for this article: "I may be able help."

[DebraFeldman-JobWhiz]

Dave- Very sage advice throughout this article until the last paragraph, #5 in which you state, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with applying for multiple jobs at once -- even multiple jobs at the same company." As a professional in the careers industry, this recommendation is not exactly on point and does not always apply as being a wise move for a prospective employee. Unless the candidate is able to easily show how they might fit in either role, applying at one time for two spots at the same company could label them as confused, less than selective and/or desperate for any job vs targeting specific opportunities that will be a great fit for them and their new employer. I would recommend that the individual focus on making contact with the hiring decision maker, not HR, for one of the desirable jobs and then only after this, determine if the second role is still attractive. While this means choosing between two possible opportunities at the same employer, if the first meeting goes well, the manager may be willing to recommend the candidate to his colleagues if the candidate is not a good fit for the first team. Why choose? Because the benefits and advantages of having an insider referral far outweighs any possible loss of not taking the chance of being selected to interview for both positions. Since the odds are not favorable of being selected from a pile of resumes, the possibility of getting chosen for one and then getting on the inside track for the second is, in my opinion, more valuable than shooting for the moon by applying for both positions right from the very beginning of interacting with this employer. I am very curious to have your feedback on this strategy and look forward to seeing what other comments have to say on this topic of simultaneous applications.

[In_Perspective]

Debra, I have to agree with you 100%. Applying to more than 1 position within the company is a bit too much like spraying and praying - it shows a lack of true focus and knowledge of their professional brand. And to your point of contacting the hiring manager, I concur as well - there is no substitute for networking and building relationships. If a candidate isn't the perfect fit for one position but is able to articulate his/her brand and builds a positive rapport, that hiring manager is very likely to work to help the candidate find the perfect fit. Articulation of career focus plus building relationships equals a successful candidate.

[dsliesse]

I think it depends on what the two positions are. If they are very similar, I see no problem with applying for both (real-life example: after getting my MBA in aviation management, I discovered the same airline with openings for domestic route development and international route development; 95% the same job, just with different focuses -- the skills needed were the same). On the other hand, applying simultaneously to be a ramp agent and a flight scheduler might be a little too disparate. To me, applying to both in the first situation demonstrates a real desire to work for that particular company, the second demonstrates more a lack of focus.

[writeway83]

Fair suggestions, and I like the one about exclamation points. HollyCackle -- I think it was less a dig about enthusiasm and more the fact that exclamation points tend to not belong nearly as many places as people use them; there's many a way to show you're enthusiastic about the job without adding a ! at the end of the sentence.

[saucymugwump]

Dave Johnson wrote: "Be sure to include [a cover letter]"

I agree, but it is not always that easy. I have seen more than a few job websites where a cover letter is not allowed; I guess their Indian-outsourced HR dept is not familiar with the concept. With those employers, one must add a cover letter to the beginning of the resume. Then again, I've never been called by one of those employers so maybe they are simply fubar.

[HolyCackle]

A little harsh about exclamation points, aren't you? What's wrong with showing a little enthusiasm?

On the other points, I agree wholeheartedly, particularly pertaining to grammar. As I say when I'm teaching adults how to revise their resumes and cover letters, taking the time to communicate properly with the right grammar not only shows that you care and pay attention to detail--it shows you are intelligent and will ensure that you are more clearly understood.